II.

Why leave dry land to sail on boiling water? Why make our short lives, any longer, shorter By still debating, while the minutes flee? All folks smoke here; why only smoke not we?―― We who have smoked vile smoke as e’er was known, And chewed vile chews on land and sea, Still from a bad one to a worse one thrown! Nor ever end our woes, By snuffing up the nose, Nor yield our senses to the potent spell; Nor hearken to the song that o’er us goes; “No joy that tongue can tell Is like what enters thro’ the avenue of smell!”