we made our way through the ship , led by our new acquaintance , who helpfully informed me that his name was abram zenn ( `` my pa being a reading man , and much taken by mr. johnson 's dictionary , he was tickled by the thought of me being a through zed , you see '' ) , that he was the ship 's boy ( the ship 's name was in fact asp , which pleased me ) , and that the reason for captain hickman 's present agitation was a longstanding grievance against the navy 's captain stebbings : `` which there 's been more than one run-in betwixt the two , and cap'n hickman 's sworn that there wo n't be but one more . ''