He is plain, and sensible, and satisfactory, until a woman heaves in sight.

Then he goes all to pieces; his mind totters, he becomes flowery and idiotic.

From reading the above extract, you would imagine that this student of Sir Walter Scott is an apprentice, and knows next to nothing about handling a pen.
On the contrary, he furnishes plenty of proofs, in his long letter, that he knows well enough how to handle it when the women are not around to give him the artificial-flower complaint.

For instance-- 'At 4 o'clock ominous clouds began to gather in the south-east, and presently from the Gulf there came a blow which increased in severity every moment.

It was not safe to leave the landing then, and there was a delay.