"Momus, or The Laughing Philosopher" was a series of anonymous satiric sketches that appeared in the Westminster Magazine, which ran from 1772 to 1785. The excerpt below is from the July 1777 edition.
"Momus" was the Greek god of satire and ridicule. This particular excerpt concerns a group of friends and family and their visit to Vauxhall Gardens, a popular "pleasure garden" on the south bank of the Thames River in London.
We got into our boat, and flattered ourselves, as the evening had a very promising appearance, that we should meet with no more watery disquietudes, but fortune had still some persecutions in reserve for the eager Votaries of Pleasure. Before we were rowed a little way from the celebrated place we had quitted, a huge Newfoundland dog, belonging to our Charon, jumped into the boat, all over mud and water, and nearly over-set it. However, we were soon out of a dangerous state; but as he ran backwards and forwards, shaking his wet hair, which resembled a large dirty mop, till he had covered everybody with showers of foul water, our women screamed with vexation. (no. 55, pp.355-56)