'Do! pray do! I shall be the most miserable of men if you don't. You cannot be so cruel as to deny me a favour so easily granted and yet so highly prized!' pleaded he as ardently as if his life depended on it.

an accurate measure

Tin can used for ulling. Usually it has on the inside a scale showing contents.

Whenever they got to the water they threw themselves down and squattled into it. The moment they were in the water they acted just as if they were fishes.