(read phonetically)

Some 20 yeahs ago, Oi set out to learn the aht of divin undah watah with an ayah tank.  One of the fust things I done was to go scallop divin' in Penobscot Bay, a little to the west'ud of Belfahst.  Naow, ye must know that the powahs that be set the season frum Novembuh ta April fah takin scallop by scoober.  This did make it a mite cold afta a couple or three immersions in the sea!  The watah was about thuhty degrees and it took two or three thermos jugs of hot watah in the wet suit to prepauh us to go in.

I learnt all I know 'bout scallop divin from Ed Lord .  He had a workin boat and he would take a bunch of us to the islands to look for places wheah the scallop was hidin.  A'coahs they don't actually hide, but they do know wheah to sit on the bottom in places wheah the current is the fahstes' and the coastal ships pahss ovuh head with a deafenin' sound.  It was enough to warm up yoah wetsuit accidently.

My most favorite dive was one Sunday in Mahch, when the sun was shinin' and the weatheah was unseasonably wahm.  I want ta tell ya, mistah, that we struck onto a bed of scallops just inside of Islesbruh and seven of us took in over fi' gallons o' shucked scallops.  We wuz shuckin all the way ta home, dontcha know, and thot, we was nevah goin' ta see the lahst scallop shell.  A'coahs we was fawced ta eat the morsels that we left in the shell as we wuz shuckin'.  Some folks say this be the only way ta eat a scallop!

Yes suh!  By gorry! All in all it wuz the best day of scallopin' thet we hed evah hed!  Ed said that if we could do that every time, we wouldn't have ta go ta work a'tall.

Well, chummy, I do have some moah stories of life in the state o' Maine, but they will have ta wait till we meet down the wharf anotha time.  'Member me ta the Missus, will ya?