"Well, what did he do? Ask him to show up? No -- drownded him in a вυŧŧ of mamsey, like a cat."
Any help would be great.
Thanks.
1 Answer
-
This is part of Huck's very confused and incorrect re-telling of English history to Jim. The phrase "butt of mamsey" (it is really "malmsey," but Huck doesn't know how the word is actually pronounced) means a big barrel full of Malmsey, which is a kind of wine. There was a historical incident in 15th century England where a famous member of the royal family (George, Duke of Clarence) was supposedly murdered by being drowned in a вυŧŧ of Malmsey, but it wasn't the guy Huck is talking about; Huck remembers that somebody died that way but he's got the name wrong.