 Chapter 12 Part 2 of the C. It's a stirring story of adventure, peril and heroism. Volume 1. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. The C. It's a stirring story of adventure, peril and heroism. Volume 1 by Frederick Quimper. Chapter 12. Round the World on a Man of War Continued. The African Station. Part 2. While at the Cape, the Duke of Edinburgh laid the foundation of a grand graving dock, an adjunct to the Table Bay Harbour Works, a most valuable and important addition to the resources of the Royal Navy, enabling the largest ironclad to be repaired at that distant point. The dock is 400 feet long and 90 feet wide. For more than 40 years, previously frequent but unsuccessful efforts had been made to provide a harbour of refuge in Table Bay. Now, in addition to this splendid dock, it has a fine breakwater. Officers of the Royal Navy may occasionally get the opportunity afforded the Prince of attending an elephant hunt. From the neighbourhood of the Cape itself, the biggest of beasts is long retired, but 300 miles up the coast at Featherhead Bay, where there is a settlement, it is still possible to enjoy some sport. To leave the port or town of Gnisner, by the way the Duke was entertained at a great feed of South African oysters, was found to be difficult and perilous. The entrance to the harbour is very fine. A high cliff comes down sheer to the sea on one side, while on the other there is an angular bluff with a cave through it. As the petrol steamed out, a large group of the ladies of the district waved their handkerchiefs and the elephant hunters cheered. It was now evident from the appearance of the bar that the petrol had not come out a moment too soon. A heavy sea of rollers extended nearly the whole way across the mouth of the harbour and broke into a long, thundering crest of foam, leaving only one small space on the western side clear of actual surf. For this opening the petrol steered, but even there the swell was so great that the vessel reared and pitched fearfully and touched the bottom as she dipped a stern into the deep trough of the sea. The slightest accident to the rudder and nothing short of a miracle could have saved them from going on to the rocks, where a tremendous surf was breaking. Providentially she got out safely and soon the party was transferred to the raccoon, which returned to Simon's Bay. On his return from the elephant hunt the prince gave a parting ball. A capital ballroom 135 feet long by 44 wide was improvised out of an open boat house by a party of blue jackets, who by means of ships lanterns, flags, arms arranged as ornaments and beautiful ferns and flowers affected a transformation as wonderful as anything recorded in the Arabian Nights. A crowning feature of the decorations being the head of one of the elephants from the Canisna, surmounting an arch of evergreens. Most of the visitors had to come all the way from Cape Town and during the afternoon were to be seen flocking along the sands in vehicles of every description. Many being conveyed to Simon's town a part of the distance in a navy steam-tender or the Galatiers steam-lodge. The ball was of course a grand success. This not being a history of Cape Colony but rather of what the sailor will find at or near its ports and harbours. The writer is relieved from any necessity of treating on past or present troubles with the boars or the natives. Of course everything was tinted coulure de rose at the prince's visit. Albeit at that very time the colony was in a bad way with over-speculation among the commercial classes, a cattle plague, disease among sheep and a grape disease. Mr. Frederick Boyle, whose recent work on the diamond fields has already been quoted and who had to leave a steamer short of coal at Saldana Bay 70 or 80 miles from Cape Town and proceed by a rather expensive route presents a picture far from gratifying of some of the district through which he passed. At Saldana Bay agriculture gave such poor returns that it did not even pay to export produce to the Cape. The settlers exist but can hardly be said to live. They have plenty of cattle and sheep, sufficient maize and corn but little money. Mr. Boyle describes the homestead of a boar substantially as follows. Reaching the home of a farmer named Vasson he found himself in the midst of a scene quite patriarchal. All the plain before the house was white with sheeps and lambs drinking at the dam or in long troughs. The dam is an indispensable institution in a country where springs are scarce and where a river is a prodigy. It is the new settler's first work even before erecting his house to find a hollow space and dam it up so as to make a reservoir. He then proceeds to make the best sun-dried bricks he can and to erect his cottage usually of two and rarely more than three runes. Not unfrequently there is a garden hardly worthy of the name where a few potatoes and onions are raised. The farmers more especially the Dutch are the largest and heaviest in the world. At an early age their drowsy habits and copious feeding run them into flesh. Quote, three times a day the family gorges itself upon lumps of mutton fried in the tallowy fat of the sheep's tail or else their only change of diet upon the tasteless frigadel kneaded balls of meat and onions likewise swimming in grease. Very few vegetables they have and those are rarely used brown bread they make but scarcely touch it fancy existing from birth to death upon mutton scraps half boiled half fried in tallow so doth the bore it is not eating but devouring with him and fancy the existence always alone with one's father, mother, brothers and sisters of whom not one can do more than write his name scarce one can read not one has heard of any event in history nor dreamed of such existing things as art or science or poetry or art that pertains to civilization. Unquote An unpleasant picture truly and one to which there are many exceptions it was doubtful whether Mr. Vassont could read his farm was several thousand acres the ancient law of Cape Colony gave the settler 3,000 mocheln something more than 6,000 acres he was not obliged to take so much but whatever the size of his farm might be it must be circular in shape and as the circumference of a property could only touch the adjoining grounds it follows that there were immense corners or tracts of land left waste between clever and ambitious farmers in these later days have been silently absorbing said corners into their estates greatly increasing their size the Cape cannot be recommended to the notice of poor immigrants but to capitalists it offers splendid inducements Mr. Irons in his work on the Cape and Natale settlements cite several actual cases showing the profits on capital invested in sheep farming in one case £1,250 realised in about three years £2,860 which includes the sale of the wool a second statement gives the profits on an outlay of £2,225 after seven years it amounts to over £8,000 rents in the towns are low beef and mutton do not exceed fourpence per pound while bread made largely from imported flour is a shilling and upwards per four pound loaf so many sailors have made for the diamond fields since their discovery from the Cape, Port Elizabeth or Natale and so many more will do the same as any new deposit is found that it will not be out of place here to give the facts concerning them in 1871 Mr. Boyle visited them the ride up cost from £12 to £16 with additional expenses for meals etc of course the majority of the 50,000 men who have been congregated at times at the various fields could not and did not afford this but it is a tramp of 750 miles from Cape Town or 450 from Port Elizabeth or Natale from the Cape a railway for about 60 miles eases some of the distance on the journey up which reads very like western experiences in America two of three mules were 26 hours and a half in harness and covered 110 miles South Africa requires a society for the prevention of cruelty to animals one would think Mr. Boyle also saw another way by which the colonist may become rapidly wealthy in ostrich farming broods purchased for £5 to £9 in three years gain their full plumages and yield in feathers £4 to £6 per annum they become quite tame are not delicate to rear and are easily managed and they also met the down coaches from the fields on one of which a young fellow almost a boy had no less than 235 carats with him at last they reached Neil a camp a place which once held 5000 workers and delvers and in November 1872 was reduced to a few hundred like the deserted diggings in California and Australia it had however yielded largely for a time the words here be diamonds are to be found inscribed on an old mission map of a part of the colony of the date of 1750 or thereabouts in 1867 a trader up country near Hopetown saw the children of a bore of playing with some pebbles picked up along the banks of the Orange River an ostrich hunter named O'Reilly was present and the pair of them were struck with the appearance of one of the stones and they tried it on glass scratching the sash all over a bargain was soon struck O'Reilly was to take it to Cape Town and there Sir P.E. Woodhouse soon gave him £500 for it then came an excitement of course in 1869 a hot and hot shepherd named Svartsboy brought to a country store a gem of 83 and a half carats the shopman in his master's absence did not like to risk the £200 worth of goods demanded Svartsboy passed on to the farm of one Nikerk where he asked and eventually got £400 Nikerk sold it for £12,000 the same day now of course the excitement became a fevered frenzy Supreme among the camps around Plale reigned Mr President Parker a sailor who leaving the sea had turned trader Mr Parker with his counsellors were absolute in power and all in all administer justice very fairly striking in the river was the mildest punishment the naval cat came next while dragging through the river was the third grade last of all came the spread eagle in which the culprit was extended flat hands and feet staked down and so exposed to the angry sun in a short time the yield from the various fields was not under £300,000 per month and clams were sold at hundreds and thousands of pounds a piece then came a time of depression when the dealers would not buy or only at terribly low prices meanwhile although meat was always cheap everything else was very high a cabbage for example often fetched 10 shillings a watermelon 15 shillings and onions and green figs a shilling a piece forage for horses was half a crown a bundle of four pounds today they are a little higher on the field than in other parts of the colony that a number of diggers have made snug little piles ranging from two or three to eight ten or more thousand pounds is undeniable but they were very exceptional cases after all the dealers in diamonds though often turned over and meant sums very rapidly and now before taking our leave of the African station let us pay a flying visit to Natale which colony has been steadily rising of late years and which offers many advantages to the visitor and settler the climate in spite of the hot Sirocco which sometimes blows over it and the severe thunderstorms is all in all superior to most of the African climates in as much as the rainfall is as nearly as possible that of London and it falls at the period when most wanted at the time of greatest warmth and most active vegetation the productions of Natale are even more varied than those of the Cape while arrowroot, sugar, cotton and Indian corn are staple articles the great industries are cattle and sheep rearing and as in all parts of South Africa meat is excessively cheap retailing at thrupens or thorpens a pound Natale was discovered by Vasco de Gama and received from him the name of Terra Natalis land of the nativity because of his arriving on Christmas Day until 1823 it was little known or visited the settlement was then formed by a party of Englishmen who were joined by a number of dissatisfied Dutchmen from the Cape in 1838 the British government took possession there was a squabble the colonists being somewhat defiant for a while and some little fighting ensued it was proposed by the settlers to proclaim the Republic of Natalia but on the appearance of a strong British force they subsided quietly and Natale was placed under the control of the governor of the Cape in 1856 it was erected into a separate colony to moderate capitalists it offers many advantages land is granted on the easiest terms usually four shillings per acre and free grants are given in proportion to a settler's capital 500 pounds capital receives a land order for 200 acres an arrow root plantation and factory can be started for five or six hundred pounds and a coffee plantation for something over one thousand sugar planting etc is much more expensive and would require for plant etc 5000 pounds or more and now on the way home from the African station the good ship will pass close to if indeed it does not touch at the island of St Helena a common place of refreshment for vessels sailing to the northward vessels coming southward rarely do so sailing ships can hardly make the island it lies some 1200 miles from the African coasts in mid-ocean St Helena has much the appearance seen from a distance of the summit of some great submarine mountain its rugged and perpendicular cliffs rising from the shore to altitudes from 300 to 1500 feet in a few scattered places there are deep precipitous ravines opening to the sea whose embouchures form difficult but still possible landing places for the fishermen in one of the largest of these towards the northwest the capital and port of the island James Town is situated it is the residence of the authorities the anchorage is good and sufficiently deep and the port is well protected from the winds the town is entered by an arched gateway within which is a spacious parade lined with official residences and faced by a handsome church the town is in no way remarkable but has well supplied shops the leading inhabitants prefer to live outside it on the higher and cooler plateaus of the island where many of them have very fine country houses foremost of which is a villa named Plantation House belonging to the governor surrounded by pleasant grounds, handsome trees and shrubs in the garden grounds tropical and ordinary fruits and vegetables flourish the mango, banana, tamarind and sugarcane the orange, citron, grape, fig and olive equally with the common fruits of England the yam and all the European vegetables are bound three crops of potatoes have often been raised from the same ground in one year the hills are covered with the cabbage tree and the logwood and gumwood trees cattle and sheep are scarce but goats browse in immense hoods on the hills no beasts are prayer to be met but there are plenty of unpleasant and poisonous insects gamut fish are abundant and turtles are often found all in all it is not a bad place for Jack after a long voyage although not considered healthy it has a military governor and there are barracks the interior is a plateau divided by low mountains the former averaging 1500 feet above the sea the island is undoubtedly of volcanic origin it was first discovered on the 22nd of May on the 22nd Hellenus day by Juan de Nova of Portuguese the Dutch first held it and it was rested from them first by England in 1673 Charles II soon afterwards granting it to the East India Company who, with the exception of the period of Napoleon's imprisonment held the proprietorship to 1834 when it became an appanage of the crown the fame of the little island rests on its having been the prison of the Great Disturber of Europe every reader knows the circumstances which preceded that event he had gone to Rochefort with the object of embarking from America but finding the whole coast so blockaded as to render that scheme impracticable surrendered himself to Captain Maitland commander of the English man of war, Balerophon who immediately set sail for Torbe no notice whatsoever was taken of his letter an uncourteous proceeding to say the least of it towards a fallen foe and on the 7th of August he was removed to the Northumberland the flagship of Sir George Cockburn which immediately set sail for St Helena on arrival the imperial captive was at first lodged in a sort of inn the following day the ex-emperor and sweet rode out to visit Longwood the seat selected for his residence and when returning noted a small villa with a pavilion attached to it about two miles from the town the residence of Mr Balcone an inhabitant of the island the spot attracted the emperor's notice and the admiral who had accompanied him thought it would be better for him to remain there than to go back to the town where the sentinels at the doors and the gaping crowds in a manner confined him to his chamber the place pleased the emperor for the position was quiet and commanded a fine view the pavilion was a kind of summer house on a pointed eminence about fifty pieces from the house where the family were accustomed to resort in fine weather and this was the retreat hired for the temporary abode of the emperor it contained only one room on the ground floor without curtains or shutters and scarcely possessed a seat and when Napoleon retired to rest one of the windows had to be barricaded so draughty was it in order to exclude the night air to which he had become particularly sensitive what a contrast to the gay palaces of France in December the emperor removed to Longwood riding thither on a small cape horse and in his uniform of the chasseur of the guards the road was lined with spectators and he was received at the entrance to Longwood by a guard under arms who rendered the prescribed honour to their illustrious captive the place which had been a farm of the East India Company is situated on one of the highest parts of the island and the difference between its temperature and that of the valley below is very great it is surrounded by a level height of some extent and is near the eastern coast it is stated that continual and frequently violent winds blow regularly from the same quarter the sun was rarely seen and there were heavy rainfalls the water conveyed to Longwood in pipes was found to be so unwholesome as to require boiling before it was fit for use the surroundings were barren rocks, gloomy deep valleys and desolate gullies the only redeeming feature being a glimpse of the ocean on one hand all this after La Belle France Longwood as a residence had not much to boast of the building was rambling and inconveniently arranged it had been built up by degrees as the wants of its former inmates had increased one or two of the suite slept in lofts reached by ladders and trap doors the windows and beds were curtainless and the furniture mean and scanty inhospitable and in bad taste ye empower at the time in front of the place and separated by a tolerably deep ravine the 53rd regiment was encamped in detached bodies on the neighbouring heights here the caged lion spent the last five weary years of his life till called away by the god of battles end of chapter 12 part 2 read by Jane Bennett chapter 13 part 1 of the sea its stirring story of adventure, peril and heroism volume 1 this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the sea its stirring story of adventure, peril and heroism volume 1 by Frederick Wemper the service officers life on board part 1 in the previous pages we have given some account of the various stations visited by the Royal Navy of Great Britain let us next take a glance at the ships themselves the quarter deck, the captain's cabin and the ward room in a word let us see how the officers of a ship live, move and have their being on board their condition depends very much on their ship, their captain and themselves the first point may be dismissed briefly as the general improvement in all descriptions of vessels including their interior arrangements is too marked to need mentioning the ward room of a modern man of war is often as well furnished as any other dining room handsomely carpeted the sides adorned with pictures with comfortable chairs and lounges and excellent appointments at table in the ward room of a Russian Corvette visited by the writer he found a saloon large enough for a ball with piano and gorgeous sideboard set out as in the houses of most of the northern nations of Europe with sundry bottles and incitives to emptying them the shape of salt anchovies and salmon, caviar and cheese then a British flagship he found the admiral's cabin while in port at least a perfect little bijoux of a drawing room with harmonium and piano, vases of flowers, portfolios of drawings an elaborate stove and all else that could conduce to comfort and luxury outside of this was a more plainly furnished cabin used as a dining room of course much of this disappears at sea the china and glass are securely packed and all of the smaller loose articles stowed away the piano covered up in canvas and securely tied up to the side likely enough the carpet removed and a rough canvas substituted still all is ship shape and neat as a new pin the few old tubs of vessels still in the service are rarely employed beyond trifling harbor duties or are kept for emergencies on foreign stations they will soon disappear to be replaced by smart and handy little gun boats or other craft where if the accommodations are limited at least the very most is made of the room at command how different all this is to many of the vessels of the last century and commencement of this described by our nautical novelists as little better than colliers pest ships and tubs smelling of pitch paint bilge water tar and rum readers will remember Marriott's captain who with his wife was so inordinately fond of poor that he turned his ship into a floating pig sty at his dinner there appeared mock turtle soup of pigs head boiled pork and peas pudding roast spare rib sausages and potatoes and last of all sucking pig he will doubtless remember how he was eventually frightened off the ship then about to proceed to the West Indies by the doctor telling him that with his habit of living he would not give much for his life on that station but although Marriott's characters were true to the life of his time you would go far to find a similar example today captain still have their idiosyncrasies but not of such a marked nature there may be indolent captains like he who is nicknamed the sloth or less likely prying captains like he and Peter Semple who made himself so unpopular that he lost all the good sailors on board and had to put up with a scratch crew or a comparatively harmless variety captains who amuse their officers with the most outrageous yarns who were in all else the souls of honor who can help laughing over that captain Kearney who tells the tale of the Atta of Roses ship he relates how she had a punchin of the precious essence on board it could be smelt three miles off at sea and the odor was so strong on board that the men fainted when they ventured near the hold the timbers of the ship became so impregnated with the smell that they could make any use of her afterwards till they broke her up and sold her to the shopkeepers of Brighton and Tunbridge Wells who turned her into scented boxes and fancy articles and then into money the absolutely vulgar captain is a thing of the past for the possibilities of entering by the haws hole the technical expression applied to the man who was occasionally in the old times promoted from the vessel to the quarter deck and are very rare indeed nowadays still there are gentlemen and there are gentlemen the perfect example is a rarer avus everywhere the true reason why a captain may make his officers and men constitute an agreeable happy family or a perfect pandemonium of discontent and misery consists in the abuse of his absolute power that power is necessarily bestowed on him there must be a head without good discipline no vessel can be properly handled or the emergencies of seamanship and warfare met but as he can in minor matters have it all his own way and even in many more important ones can determine absolutely without the fear of anything or anybody short of a court marshal he may and often does become a Martin net if not a very tyrant the subordinate officers life may be rendered a burden by a cantankerous and exacting captain every trifling omission may be magnified into a grave offense some captain seemed to go on the principle of the Irishman who asked who'll tread on my coat tails or the other did you blow your nose at me sir and again that which in the captain is no offense is a very serious one on the part of the commander or semen he may exhaust the vocabulary of abuse and bad language but not a retort may be made in the Royal Navy of today though by no means in the merchant service this is however nearly obsolete however tyrannically disposed the language of commanders and officers is nearly sure to be free from disgraceful epithets blasphemies and scurrilous abuse cursing and swearing officers may be and generally are gentlemen a commanding lieutenant of the old school a type of officer not to be found in the Royal Navy nowadays is well described by Admiral Cochran my kind uncle writes he the honorable John Cochran accompanied me on board the Iliad for the purpose of introducing me to my future superior officer Lieutenant Larmore or as he was more literally known in the service Jack Lamore a specimen of the old British semen little calculated to inspire exalted ideas of the gentility of the naval profession though presenting at a glance a personification of its efficiency Jack was in fact one of a not very numerous class whom for their superior seamanship the Admiralty was glad to promote from the focal to the quarter deck in order that they might mold into ship shape the questionable materials supplied by parliamentary influence even then paramount in the Navy to a degree which might otherwise have led to disaster lucky was the commander who could secure such an officer for his quarter deck on my introduction Jack was dressed in the garb of a semen with Marlin spikes long round his neck and a lump of grease in his hand and was busily employed in setting up the rigging his reception of me was anything but gracious indeed a tall fellow over six feet high the nephew of his captain and a lord to boot were not very promising recommendations for a midshipman it is not impossible he might have learned from my uncle something about a military commission of several years standing and this coupled with my age and stature might easily have impressed him with the idea that he had caught escape grace with whom the family did not know what to do and that he was hence to be settled with a hard bargain after a little constrained civility on the part of the first lieutenant who was evidently not very well pleased with the interruption to his application he ordered me to get my traps below scarcely was the order complied with and myself introduced to the midshipman's birth that I overheard Jack grumbling at the magnitude of my equipments this Lord Cochran's chest does Lord Cochran think he is going to bring a cabin aboard get it up on the main deck this order being promptly obeyed amidst a running fire of similar objugations the key of the chest was sent for and shortly afterwards the sound of sawing became audible it was now high time to follow my property which to my astonishment had been turned out on the deck jack superintending the sawing off of one end of the chest just beyond the keyhole and accompanying the operation by sundry uncomplimentary observations on midshipman in general and on myself in particular the metamorphosis being completed to the lieutenant's satisfaction though not at all to mine for my neat chest had become an unshapely piece of lumber he pointed out the rubberliness of sure going people and not making keyholes where they could most easily be God at this at the end of the chest instead of the middle Lord Cochran took it easily and acknowledges warmly the service Jack Lamour rendered him and teaching him his profession later Lord Cochran when promoted to a lieutenancy was dining with Admiral van de Pat and being seated near him was asked what dish was before him mentioning its nature says he I asked whether he would permit me to help him the uncourteous reply was that whenever he wished for anything he was in the habit of asking for it not knowing what to make of a rebuff of this nature it was met with an inquiry if he would allow me the honor of taking wine with him I never take wine with any man my lord was the unexpected reply from which it struck me that my lot was cast among Goths if no worse subsequently he found that this apparently gruff old admiral assumed some of this roughness purposely and that he was one of the kindest commanders living in 1798 when with the Mediterranean fleet ludicrous examples both of the not very occasional corruption of the period and the rigid etiquette required by one superior officer occurred to Lord Cochran and got him into trouble the first officer Lieutenant beaver was one who carried the ladder almost to the verge of despotism he looked after all that was visible to the eye of the Admiral but permitted an honest penny to be turned elsewhere at Tetuan they had purchased and killed bullocks on board the flagship for the use of the whole squadron the reason for this was that the hides being valuable could be stowed away in her hold or empty beef casks as a special perquisites to certain persons on board these fleshy fragments on the hides soon decomposed and rendered the hold of the vessel so intolerable that she acquired the name of the stinking Scotch ship Lord Cochran as junior Lieutenant had much to do with these arrangements and his unfavorable remarks on these rawhide speculations did not render those interested very friendly towards him one day when at Tetuan he was allowed to go wildfowl shooting ashore and became covered with mud on arriving rather late at the ship he thought it more respectful to don a clean uniform before reporting himself to the quarter-deck he had scarcely made the change when the first Lieutenant came into the Wardroom and harshly demanded of Lord Cochran the reason for not having reported himself his reply was that as the Lieutenant had seen him come up by the side he must be aware that he was not in a fit condition to appear on the quarter-deck the Lieutenant replied so offensively before the Wardroom officers that he was respectfully reminded by Cochran of a rule he himself had laid down that matters connected with the service were not there to be spoken of another retort was followed by the sensible enough reply Lieutenant Beaver we will if you please talk of this in another place Cochran was immediately reported to the captain by Beaver as having challenged him the Lieutenant actually demanded a court marshal and the court marshal was held the decision being that Cochran should be admonished to be more careful in the future Lord Cochran was soon after given a command the vessel to which he was appointed was even 80 years ago a mere burlesque of a ship of war she was about the size of an average coasting brig her burden being 158 tons she was crowded rather than man with a crew of 84 men and six officers her armament consisted of 14 of four pounders a species of gun little larger than a blunder bus and formerly known in the service as Minyan an appellation quite appropriate the cabin had not so much as room for a chair the floor being entirely occupied by a small table surrounded with lockers answering the double purpose of store chests and seats the difficulty was to get seated the ceiling being only five feet high so that the object could only be accomplished by rolling on the lockers a movement sometimes attended with unpleasant failure Cochran's only practicable way of shaving consisted in removing the skylight and putting his head through to make a toilet table of the quarter deck on this little vessel the speedy Cochran took a number of prizes and having on one occasion manned a couple of them with half his crew and sent them away was forced to tackle the Gamo a Spanish frigate of 32 heavy guns and 319 men the exploit has hardly been excelled in the history of heroic deeds the commander's orders were not to fire a single gun till they were close to the frigate and he ran the speedy under her leaves so that her yards were locked among the ladders rigging the shots from the Spanish guns passed over the little vessel only entering the rigging while the speedy's mere pop guns could be elevated and help to blow up the main deck of the enemy ship the Spaniard speedily found out the disadvantage under which they were fighting and gave the orders to board the little English vessel but it was avoided twice by shearing off sufficiently then giving them a volley of musketry and a broadside before they could recover themselves after the lapse of an hour the loss to the speedy was only 4 men killed and 2 wounded but her rigging was so cut up and the sails so riddled that Cochran told his men they must either take the frigate or be taken themselves in which case the Spaniards would give no quarter the doctor Mr. Guthrie bravely volunteered to take the helm and leaving him for the time both commander and crew of the ship Cochran and his men were soon on the enemy's deck the speedy being put close alongside with admirable skill a portion of the crew had been ordered to blacken their faces and board by the gummo's head the greater portion of the Spanish crew were prepared to repel borders in that direction but stood for a few moments as it were transfixed to the deck by the apparition of so many diabolical looking figures emerging from the white smoke of the bow guns while the other men rushed on them from behind before they could recover from their surprise at the unexpected phenomenon observing the Spanish colors still flying Lord Cochran ordered one of his men to haul them down and the crew without pausing to consider by whose orders they had been struck and naturally believing it to be the act of their own officers gave in the total English loss was three men killed and one officer and 17 men wounded the gemos loss was the captain Bosen and 13 seamen killed with 41 wounded it became a puzzle what to do with 263 unhurt prisoners the speedy having only 42 sound men left promptness was necessary so driving the prisoners into the hold with their own guns pointed down the hatchway and leaving 30 men on the prize Cochran shaped the vessels course to Port Mahon which was reached safely some Barcelona gun boats spectators of the action did not venture to rescue the frigate the doctor on board a man of war has perhaps on the whole better opportunities and in times of peace more leisure than the other officers for noting any circumstances of interest that may occur doctor Stables in his interesting little work describes his cabin on board a small gunboat as a miserable little box such as at home he would have kept rabbits or guinea pigs in but certainly not pigeons he says that it might do for a Commodore Commodore nut it was ventilated by a small scuttle seven inches in diameter which could only be raised in harbor and beneath which when he first went to see he was obliged to put a leather hat box to catch the water unfortunately the bottom rotted out and he was at the mercy of the waves the cabin was alive with scorpions cockroaches and other crawling furlies that Eden to name him would be unlawful his dispensary was off the and sister cabin to the pantry to it he gained by a species of crab walking squeezing himself past a large brass pump edging in sideways the sick come one by one to the dispensary and there he saw and treated each case as it arrived dressing wounds bruises and putrifying sores there was no sick birth attendant but the lieutenant told off a little cabin boy for his use he was not a model cabin boy like the youngster you see in theaters he certainly managed at times to wash out the dispensary in the intervals of catching cockroaches and making poultices but in doing the work he broke half the bottles and making the latter either let them burn or put salt into them finally he smashed so much of the doctors apparatus that he was kicked out in both the dispensary and what doctor stables calls his burrow it was difficult to prevent anything from going to utter destruction the best portions of his uniform got eaten by cockroaches or molded by damp while his instruments required cleaning every morning just to not keep the rust at bay and then those terrible cockroaches to find when you awake a couple each two inches in length meandering over your face or even in bed with you to find one in a state of decay in the mustard pot to have to remove their droppings and eggs from the edge of your plate previous to eating your soup and so on ad nauseam but on small vessels stationed in the tropics as described by the doctor there were and doubtless sometimes are now other unpleasantnesses for instance you are looking for a book and you put your hand on a full grown scaly scorpion nice sensation the animal twining around your finger or running up your sleeve denouement cracking him under foot joy at escaping a sting you are enjoying your dinner but have been for some time sensible of a strange translating feeling about the region of your ankle you look down at last to find a centipede on your sock with his fifty hind legs you thank God not his four fifty a butting your shin tableau green to red light from the eyes of the many legged horror of yourself as you wait till he thinks proper to move on to awake in the morning and find a large healthy looking tarantula squatting on your pillow within ten inches of your nose with his basilisk eyes fixed on yours and apparently saying you're awake are you I've been sitting here all the morning watching you you think if you move he'll bite you somewhere and if he does bite you you'll go mad and dance ad libido so you twist your mouth in the opposite direction and ejaculate steward but the steward does not come in fact he is forward seeing after breakfast meanwhile the gentleman on the pillow is moving his horizontal mandibles in a most threatening manner and just as he moves for your nose you tumble out of your bed with a shriek and if a very nervous person probably run on deck in your shirt the doctor's last description of an accumulation of these horrors is fearful to even think about the bulkheads all around your birth are black with cock and roaches a few of which are nipping at your toe and running off with little bits of the skin of your leg while a troop of ants are carrying a dead one over your pillow mosquitoes and flies attacking you everywhere rats running in and rats running out your lamp just flickering and dying away into darkness with a delicious certainty that an indefinite number of earwigs and scorpions besides two centipedes and a tarantula are hiding themselves somewhere in your cabin all this is possible still Dr. Stables describes life on other vessels under more favorable auspices the important addition of a chaplain to the establishment on board our ships of war seems from the following letter of George Duke of Buckingham to have been first adopted in the year 1626 the Duke of Buckingham to the University of Cambridge after my heart accommodations his Majesty having given order for preachers to go in every of his ships to see choice hath been made of one Mr. Daniel Ambrose master of arts and fellow of your college to be one accordingly upon signification to me to come hither I thought good to intimate unto you that his Majesty is so careful of such scholars as are willing to put themselves forward in so good actions as that he will expect and I doubt not but that you will accordingly take order that the said Mr. Ambrose shall suffer no detriment in his place with you by this his employment but that you will rather take care that he shall have all immunities and emoluments with advantage which have been formally or may be granted to any upon service wherein not doubting of your affectionate care I rest your loving friend G. Buckingham your house July 29 1626 End of the service officers life on board part one recording by Pete McAlvin the perfect example is a rara avus everywhere the Spaniard speedily found out the disadvantage under which they were fighting and gave the orders to board the little English vessel but it was avoided twice by shearing off sufficiently then giving them a volley of musketry and a broadside before they could recover themselves chapter 13 part two of the sea it's stirring story of adventure peril and heroism volume one this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the sea it's stirring story of adventure peril and heroism volume one by Frederick Wemper the service officers life on board part two sailors in spite of their outbursts of recklessness have frequently the very nature of their perilous calling an amount of seriousness underlying their character which makes them particularly amenable to religious influences the chaplain on a large modern ironclad or frigate has as many men in his charge as regards spiritual matters as the vicar of a country town or large village whilst he has many more opportunities of reaching them directly many of our naval chaplains are fellow's and to them come the sailors in any distress of mine for the soothing advice so readily given he may not dare to interfere with the powers that be when they are in danger of punishment except in very rare cases but he can point them out their path of duty and how to walk in it making them better sailors and happier men he can lend them an occasional book or write for them an occasional letter home induce them to refrain from dissipation when on liberty cheer them in the hour of greatest peril while on the watery deep and give them an occasional reproof but in kindness not in anger to his brother officers he has even better opportunities of doing good then to the men on the smaller classes of vessels gunboats and the like the captain has to perform chaplain's duties by reading prayers on the Sabbath this is the case also on well regulated steamships or passenger sailing vessels of the merchant service the fine steamers of such lines as the canard or white star of the Royal Mail Company or of the PNO have of course frequently some clergyman minister or missionary on board who is willing to celebrate divine service a committee of the lower House of Convocation has recently collected an immense amount of statistics regarding the provision made by private ship owners for the spiritual welfare of their men and the result as regards England is not at all satisfactory and point of fact it is rarely made at all the committee seeks to encourage the growth of religion among sailors by providing suitable and comfortable church accommodation at all ports and urges owners to instruct their captains as to conducting divine service on Sunday and to furnish Bibles prayer books and instructive works of secular literature too much must not however be expected from Jack the hardships and perils through which he passes excuse much of his exuberance ashore it is his holiday time and so long as he is only gay and not abandoned the most rigid must admit that he has earned the right to recreation a distinguished French naval officer used to say that the sailor fortunately had no memory happy for him said he that he is thus oblivious did he remember all the gales and tempests the cold the drenching rain the misery the privations the peril to life and limb which he is endured he would never when he sets foot on shore go to sea again but he has no memory the clouds go away the sea is calm the sun shines the boat bears him to land the wine flows the music strikes up pretty girls smile he forgets all the past and lives only in the present while the chaplain may and no doubt generally does earn the respect and esteem of the men woe to any example of the Chad band order who shall be found on board this is in the Royal Navy almost impossible but it sometimes happens that on passenger ships some sanctimonious and fanatical individual or other has had a very rough time of it he is regarded as a kind of Jonah in a recent number of that best of American magazines the Atlantic monthly the woes and trials of one poor Joseph Primrose a well meaning minister who went out to America in 1942 are amusingly recounted there were aboard the Polly the vessel in which he took passage several of the crew who viewed their religious exercises a scance these men says he had been foremost in a general indignation uprising that it ensued upon the stoppage of their daily allowance of Rome which step had been taken on my earnest recommendation for this injurious drink I had substituted a harmless and refreshing beverage concocted of molasses vinegar and water from a choice receipt I had come upon in a medical book aboard the vessel the sailors to a man refused to touch it egged on by these contumatious fellows and more especially by one springer a daring villain who reviled me with bitter execrations infine the captain was obliged for our own safety to restore the cherished dram and I had the mortification to find myself from that time forth an object of dislike and suspicion to these men who were kept within decent bounds only by respect for their master I became convinced on reflection that I had gone the wrong way about this unfortunate piece of business having in fact made a very serious error in the beginning gentle argument and good example being more apt to bring about the desired end and compulsory measures these dulling the understanding by rousing the temper especially among persons of the meaner sort all my efforts and they were not few to place myself on a friendly footing with these men were of no avail they had conceived the notion that I was their enemy and met all my advances with obstinate coldness as captain Hewlett exacted the daily attendance at prayers of every soul on board these waves were compelled to be on hand with their fellows but they rarely failed to conduct themselves with such indecent levity as made me rue their presence playing covertly at cat's cradle jack straws and what not besides grinning familiarly in my face whenever they could contrive to catch my eye this unseenly behavior was as nothing to what followed a shore while addressing a large assemblage he noted the advent of unmanorly fellows who with a great deal of clatter elbowed their way to the front the moment I clapped eyes upon them says poor primrose I knew them for the sailors who had so persecuted me aboard the Polly and my heart sank at the bare side of them they song or rather bald ribald words to the music of the hymns and one of them when rebuked by some gentlemen present whipped out his cutlass and a general row ensued which broke up the assembly a little later primrose induced a tavern keeper to allow him to preach on his premises a West Indian vessel coming into port about the middle of April and a horde of roistering sailors gathering in the common room of the sailors rest to drink I announced a discourse on the subject of gin guzzling choosing one that I had delivered aboard the Polly and which seemed to fit the occasion to a nice city no sooner had the landlord seen the notice to this effect that I had attached to his door cheek then he sends for me to repair to the tavern without loss of time and on my appearance in great haste comes blustering up to me in a most offensive manner demanding whether I purposed the ruin of his trade by putting forth such a mischievous paper adding with astounding audacity that he should certainly lose all the custom I had been the fetching to his house that I persist in my intent marked the cunning of the nave he had encouraged my labors for none other purpose than to bringing off fresh gris to his mill and here was I blindly leading precious souls to destruction the poor dupe of a specious villain a wretch without bowels my agony of mind on being thus suddenly enlightened was of such a desperate sort that gnashing my teeth I leapt upon the miscreant and bearing him to the ground with an awful crash beat him about the head and shoulders with the stout cane I carried and with such good will that I presently found myself lying in the town gal covered with the blood of my enemy and every bone in my body aching from the unaccustomed exercise truly was I as forlorn and friendless a creature as the world ever saw my clothing had been rent beyond repair in the shameful struggle and yet worse one of my shoes was gone how and where I knew not and although I promised the gallors little at a penny in the event of his finding it nothing was ever heard of it from that day to this one thought alone cheered me in the dark abyss into which I was fallen I had administered wholesome and righteous correction in the proper season hip and thigh had I hewed my enemy and to reflect upon that was as a healing balm to my sore bones Mr. Primrose was at length released and returned to England another officer of the Royal Navy the engineer deserves particular notice for his position is becoming daily of more and more importance it is not merely the care and working of the engines which propel the vessel in which he is concerned the chief and his subordinates have charge of various hydraulic arrangements often used nowadays on large vessels in connection with the steering apparatus of electrical and gas producing apparatus the mechanical arrangements of turrets and gun carriages pumping machinery the management of steam launches and torpedoes take the great iron clad thunderer that on which the terrible boiler explosion occurred as an example she has twenty six engines for various purposes apart from the engines used to propel the vessel which have an actual power of six thousand horses the Temeraire has thirty four engines distinct from those required for propulsion a competent authority says that with the exception of the pay masters and surgeon stores he is responsible for everything in and outside the ship meaning the whole apart from the navigators duties to say nothing of his duties while under way and yet engineers of the navy do not yet either derive the status or emoluments fairly due to them considering the great and increasing responsibilities thrown upon him of late years Sir Walter Scott makes Rob Roy express his contempt of weavers and spinners and sick like mechanical persons and their pursuits and in the naval service some such feeling still lingers the first serious introduction of steam vessels into the Royal Navy occurred about the year eighteen twenty nine the navy list of that year showing seven of which three only were commissioned and these for home ports no mention is made of engineers they were simply taken over from the contractor with the vessel and held no rank whatever in eighteen thirty seven and Admiralty circular conferred warrants on engineers who were to rank immediately below carpenters they were to be assisted by boys trained by themselves three years later the standard was raised and they were divided into three classes in eighteen forty two a slight increase of pay was given and they were advanced to the magnificent rank of after captain's clerks and were given a uniform with buttons having a steam engine embossed upon them in eighteen forty seven the government found that the increasing demands of the merchant and passenger service took all the best men the engineers pay today is better on first-class steamship lines than in the navy and they were forced to do something the higher grades were formed into chief engineers and they were raised to the rank of commissioned officers taking their place after masters the first great revolution in regard to the use of steam in the Royal Navy took place in eighteen forty nine by means of the screw propeller in that year do pre delon conducted the Napoleon a screw vessel carrying one hundred guns and with engines of six hundred horsepower and England had to follow then came the Russian war the construction of iron clad batteries and finally the iron clad movement which commenced in England in eighteen fifty eight by the construction of the warrior and similar vessels it becomes a particularly serious question at the present time whether the system as regards the rank and pay of engineers does not deter the most competent men from entering the Royal Navy many very serious explosions and accidents have occurred on board iron clads which would seem to indicate that our great commercial steamship lines are far better engineered the Admiralty has organized a system for training students at the dockyard factories followed up by a course of study at the naval college Greenwich and it is to be hoped that these efforts will lead to greater efficiency in the service a naval engineer of the present day needs to be a man of liberal education and of considerable scientific knowledge both theoretical and practical and he should then receive on board that recognition which his talents would command assure at present a chief engineer are in ranks with the commander and other engineers with lieutenants it is probable that at some date in the not very distant future higher ranks will be thrown open to the engineer as his importance on board is steadily increasing the seaman of all nations it has an effect been said resemble each the other more than do the nations to which they belong as says a well-known writer the sea receives and amalgamates the waters of all the rivers which pour into it so it tends to amalgamate the men who make its waves their home the seaman from the United States is said to carry to the folksle a large stock of equality and the rights of man and to be unpleasantly distinguished by the inbred disrespect for authority which cleaves perhaps inseparably to a Democrat who believes that he is whipped mankind and that it is his mission at due intervals to whip them again but on board he to tones down to the color of blue water and is more a seaman than anything else painted by londel as the embodiment of the same frolic some light-heartedness carelessness of the future abandonment to impulse and devotion to his captain comrades and ship with which we are familiar in the English sailor on the stage but although depicted as much more polished than it is to be feared the average sailor could be in truth he finishes by saying it would seem then that the French sailor revenges the treatment of society on the soldiers of his country is there not a similar feeling existing perhaps to a more limited extent between the sailors and soldiers of our own country it hardly however extends to the officers of the united service another trait of the British sailors character Jack will forgive much to the officer who is ever ready brave and daring who is a true seaman in times of peace and a sailor militant in times of war Lord Nelson the most heroic seaman the world ever saw it is pleasant to remember was equally the idol of his colleagues of his subordinate officers and of his men for these very reasons after he had explained to his captains his proposed plan of attack just prior to the commencement of the battle of Trafalgar he took the opportunity into his confidence he walked over all the decks speaking kindly to the different classes of seaman and encouraging them with his usual affability praising the manner in which they had barricaded certain parts of the ship all was perfect deathlike silence till just before the action began three chairs were given his lordship as he ascended the quarter deck ladder he had been particular in recommending war without aim or precision and the event justified his lordship advice as the mass of his opponents came tumbling down on their decks and over the sides after the fatal bullet had done its work and Nelson was conveyed below the surgeon came and probed the wound the ball was extracted but the dying hero told the medical man how sure he was that his wound was fatal and begged when he addressed it that he would attend to the heroes equal sufferers with himself a bosons mate on board the brilliant frigate shortly afterwards when first acquainted of the death of Nelson paid a tribute of affection and honest feeling which shows how clearly he had gained the hearts of all the bosons mate then doing duty as boson was ordered to pipe all hands to quarters he did not respond and the lieutenant on duty went to inquire the cause the man had been celebrated for his promptness as well as bravery but he was found utterly unnerved and sobbing like a child I can't do it said he poor dear fellow that I have been in many a hard day with and to lose him now I wouldn't have cared so much for my old father mother brothers or sisters but to think of parting with poor Nelson and he broke down utterly the officer honoring his feelings let him go below who did not remember how when the body of Nelson lay in stated Greenwich a deputation of the victory's crew paid their last loving respects tearful and silent and could scarcely be removed from the scene or how when the two Union Jacks and St. George's ensign were being lowered into the grave at St. Paul's the colors shattered as was the body of the dead hero the brave fellows who had borne them each tore off a part of the largest kingdom ever after of England's greatest victory and England's greatest loss many and otherwise noble and brave officer has utterly failed in endearing himself to his men and there can be no doubt of the value of being thoroughly on rapport with them the more as it in no way need relaxed discipline it is an implied compliment to a crew from their commander to be taken at the proper time into his confidence the following anecdote such an action was decided by this and with hell little loss of life the Bologna of seventy four guns and five hundred fifty eight men with a most valuable freight on merchants account and commanded by the celebrated Captain R. Faulkner and the brilliant a thirty six gun frigate Captain Lodgy sailed from the Tagus in August seventeen sixty one when off Vico three sale were discovered approaching the land and the strangers continued their approach till they found out the character of the English vessels and then crowded on all sale in flight upon this the Bologna and brilliant pursued coming up with them next morning to find that they would have to engage one ship of seventy four guns the Courageau with seven hundred men and two frigates of thirty six guns each the Melissus and Hermine after exchanging a few broad sides the French vessels shot ahead when Captain Lodgy seeing that he could not expect to take either of the smaller vessels determined to maneuver and lead them such a wild goose chase that the Bologna should have to engage the Courageau alone during the whole engagement he withstood the United attacks of both the frigates each of them with equal force to his own and at last obliged them to share off greatly damaged meanwhile the Courageau and Bologna had approached each other very fast the Courageau when within musket shot fired her first broadside and there was much impatience on the Bologna to return it but they were restrained by Faulkner who called out to them to hold hard and not to fire till they saw the whites of the Frenchman's eyes adding take my word for it they will never stand the singeing of their whiskers his speech to the sailors just before the action is a model of sailor like advice gentlemen I have been bred a seaman from my youth and consequently am no orator but I promise to carry you all near enough and then you may speak for yourselves nevertheless I think it necessary to acquaint you with the plan I propose to pursue in taking this ship that you may be the better prepared I propose to lead you close on the enemies larbored quarter when we will discharge two broadsides and then back a stern and range upon the other quarter and so tell your guns as you pass I recommend you at all times to point chiefly at the quarters with your guns slanting for an aft this is the principal part of a ship if you kill the officers break the rudder and snap the braces she is yours of course but for this reason I desire you may only fire one round of shot and grape above and two rounds shot only below take care and send them home with exactness this is a rich ship they will render you in return their weight in gold this program was very nearly carried out almost every shot took effect the French still kept up a very brisk fire and in a moment the Bologna shrouds and rigging were almost all cut to pieces and in nine minutes her mizzen mast fell over the stern undaunted Faulkner managed to wear his ship round the officers and men flew to their respective opposite guns and carried on from the larbored side a fire even more terrible than they had hitherto kept up from the starboard guns it was impossible for mortal beings to withstand a battery so incessantly repeated and so fatally directed and in about twenty minutes from the first shot the French colors were hauled down and orders were immediately given in the Bologna to cease firing the enemy having struck the men had left their quarters and all the officers were on the quarter deck congratulating one another on their victory when unexpectedly a round of shot came from the lower tier of the Courageau it is impossible to describe the rage that animated the Bologna's crew on this occasion without waiting for orders they flew again to their guns and in a moment poured in what they familiarly termed two comfortable broad sides upon the enemy who now called out loudly for quarter and firing at length ceased on both sides. The Courageau was a mere wreck having nothing but her formast and bowsprit standing several of her ports knocked into one and her deck rent in a hundred places she lost two hundred forty killed and one hundred ten wounded men were put ashore at Lisbon on board the Bologna only six men were killed outright and about twenty-eight wounded the loss of her mizzen was her only serious disaster. End of The Service Officers Life on Board Part 2 Recording by Pete McKelvin Chapter 13 Part 3 of The Sea Its Starring Story of Adventure, Peril and Heroism Volume 1 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Rita Butros The Sea Its Starring Story of Adventure, Peril and Heroism Volume 1 by Frederick Wimper Chapter 13 Part 3 The Service Officers Life on Board One more possibility in the officer's existence although now nearly obsolete. The ceremony is formally attendant on crossing the line, i.e. passing over the equator so often described have of late years been more honored in the breach than in the observance. On merchant vessels they had become a nuisance as the sailors often made them an opportunity for levying blackmail on timid and nervous passengers. In the Royal Navy they afforded the one chance for getting even with unpopular officers and very roughly was it sometimes accomplished. They are for this reason introduced in this chapter as the officers had a direct interest in them. With trifling exceptions the program was as follows. The men stripped to the waist wearing only duck unmentionables prepared immediately after breakfast for the Saturnalia of the day. A day when the ship was on carnival and discipline relaxed. Early in the day a man at the masthead peering through a telescope would announce a boat on the weather bow and soon after a voice from the Jaboom was heard hailing the ship announcing that Neptune wished to come on board. The ship was accordingly hoved too when a sailor in fashionable coat, knee breeches and powdered hair came aft announced to the commander that he was gentlemen's gentlemen to the god of the sea who desired an interview. This accorded the procession of Neptune from the forecastle at once commenced. The triumphal car was a gun carriage drawn by half a dozen half-naked and grotesquely painted sailors, their heads covered by wigs of seaweed. Neptune was always masked as were many of his satellites but later that the officers should not know who enacted the leading roles. The god wore a crown and held out a trident on which a dolphin supposed to have been impaled that morning was stuck. He had a flowing wig and beard of oakum and was in all points made up for Neptune himself. His suite included a secretary of state, his head stuck all over with long quills, a surgeon with lancet, pillbox and medicines, his barber with a razor cut from an iron hoop and with an assistant who carried a tub for a shaving box. Mrs. Neptune was represented by the ugliest man on board who with seaweed hair and a huge nightcap carried a baby, one of the boys of the ship in long clothes. The latter played with a marlin spike and was fortunate to assist in cutting its teeth. The nurse followed with a bucket full of burgu, thick oatmeal porridge or pudding and fed the baby incessantly with the cook's iron ladle. Seeing nymphs selected from the clumsiest and fattest of the crew helped to swell the retinue. As soon as the procession halted before the captain, behind whom the steward waited, carrying a tray and a bottle of wine and glasses, Neptune and Amphitrite paid submission to the former as representative of Great Britain and the god presented him the dolphin. After the interview in which Neptune not unfrequently poked fun and thrust home truths at the officers, the captain offered the god and goddess a bumper of wine and then the rougher part of the ceremony commenced. Neptune would address his court somewhat as follows, Hark ye my tritons, you're here to shave and duck and bleed all as needed, but you've got to be gentle or we'll get no more fees. The first of ye's disobeys me, I'll tie to a ten-ton gun and sink him ten thousand fathoms below where he shall drink nothing but salt water and feed on seaweed for the next hundred years. The dolphin was usually employed for the ducking bath. It was lined with double canvas and boarded up so as to hold several butts of water. Marriott, in the first naval novel he wrote, says, many of the officers purchased exemption from shaving and physic by a bottle of rum, but none could escape the sprinkling of salt water which fell about in great profusion. Even the captain received his share. He was asked to perceive on this occasion who were favourites with the ship's company by the degree of severity with which they were treated. The Tyro was seated on the side of the cowpen. He was asked the place of his nativity and the moment he opened to his mouth the shaving brush of the barber, which was a very large paintbrush, was crammed in with all the filthy lather with which they covered his face and chin. He was roughly scraped off with the great razor. The doctor felt his pulse and prescribed a pill which was forced into his cheek and the smelling bottle, the cork of which was armed with sharp points of pins, was so forcibly applied to his nose as to bring blood. After this he was thrown backward into the bath and allowed to scramble out the best way he could. The first lieutenant, the reader may remember, was punched out of the way for some time, but at last was surrounded and plied so effectually with buckets of salt water that he fled down a hatchway. The buckets were pitched after him and he fell like the Roman virgin covered with the shields of the soldiers. Very unpopular men or officers were made to swallow half a pint of salt water. Those good old times. Pleasant is it to read of life on board a modern first class manna war. Where there are perhaps 30 officers in the wardrobe it would be hard indeed if one cannot find a kindred spirit. While on such a vessel the band will discourse sweet music while you dine and soothe you over the walnuts and wine after the toils of the day with selections from the best operas, waltzes and quadrilles. Then comes the coffee and the post-prandial cigar in the smoking room. At sea luncheon is dispensed with and the regular hour is half past two but in port both lunch and dinner are provided and the officers on leave ashore can return to either. Say that you have extended your ramble in the country. You will have established an appetite by half past five the hour when the officer's boat puts off from shore, wharf or pier. Perhaps the most pleasant evening is the guest's night one of which is arranged for every week when the officer can by notifying the mess caterer invite a friend or two. The mess caterer is the officer selected to super intend the victualing department as the wine caterer does the liquid refreshments. It is by no means an enviable position for it is the Englishman's conceded right to growl and sailors are equal to the occasion. Dr. Stable's remarks on the unfairness of this under the table stabbing when most probably the caterer is doing his best to please. But on a well-regulated ship where the officers are harmonious and either not extravagant or with private means the dinner hour is the most agreeable time in the day. After the cloth has been removed the resident with a due preliminary tap on the table to attract attention has given the only toast of the evening the queen. The bandmaster who has been peering in at the door for some minutes starts the national anthem at the right time and the rest of the evening is devoted to pleasant intercourse or visits a shore to the places of amusement or houses of hospitable residents. Before leaving for the nonce the Royal Navy its officers and men a few facts may be permitted particularly interesting at the present time. The Navy as now constituted has for its main backbone 54 iron clads. There are of all classes of vessels no less than 462 but more than a fourth of these are merely hulks doing harbor service etc. While quite a proportion of the remainder varying according to the exigencies of the times are out of commission. There are 78 steam gun boats and five fine Indian troops ships. These numbers are drawn from the official Navy list of latest state. It is said that since the iron clad movement commenced not less than 300 million pounds has been dispersed in about 20 years by the different countries of the world. Even Japan, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, the Argentine Confederation possess many of this class of vessel of more or less power. The British fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Hornby in the Mediterranean etc. though numerically not counting 20% of the fleets in the days of Nelson and Collingwood when a hundred sail of the line frequently assembled has cost infinitely more. A cool half million is not an exceptional cost for an iron clad. While one of the latest of our turret ships, the inflexible has cost the nation three quarters of a million sterling at the least. She is to carry four 80 ton guns. A recent correspondent of a daily journal states that next to Great Britain the iron clad fleet of the Sultan ranks foremost among the navies of the world. Be that as it may, there can be little doubt that if Russia had succeeded in acquiring it, it would with her own fleet have constituted a very powerful rival. The progressive augmentation in the size of naval vessels has been rapid in Great Britain. When Henry VIII constructed his Henry Grasse de Dieu of 1,000 tons, it was indeed a great giant among pygmies. For a vessel of two or three hundred tons was then considered large. At the death of Elizabeth she left 42 ships of 1,700 tons in all and 8,346 men, 15 of her vessels being 600 tons and upwards. From this period the tonnages of the navy steadily increased. The first really scientific architect, Mr. Phineas Pet, remodeled the navy to good purpose in the reigns of James I and Charles I. Previous to this time the vessels with their lofty poops and four castles had greatly resembled Chinese junks. He launched the Sovereign of the Seas of vessel 232 feet in length and of a number of tons exactly corresponding to the date 1637 when she left the slips. Cromwell found a navy of 14 two-deckers and left one of 150 vessels of which one third were line of battle ships. He was the first to lay naval estimates before parliament and obtained 400,000 pounds per annum for this service. James II left 108 ships of the line and 65 other vessels of 102,000 tons with 42,000 men. William III brought it to 272 ships of 159,020 tons. George II left in 1760 412 ships of 321,104 tons. 22 years later the navy had reached 617 vessels and in 1813 we had the enormous number of 1,000 vessels of which 256 were of the line measuring 900,000 tons carrying 146,000 seamen and marines and costing 18 million pounds per annum to maintain. But since the peace of 1815 the number of vessels has greatly diminished while an entirely new era of naval construction has been inaugurated. In the 17th century a vessel of 1,500 tons was considered of enormous size. At the end of the 18th 2,500 was the outside limit whilst there are now many vessels of 4,000 tons and the navy possesses frigates of 6,000 and upwards. Several of our enormous iron clads have a tonnage of over 11,000 tons while the Great Eastern of course a very exceptional case has a tonnage of 22,500. Whilst we have efficient military volunteers enough to form a grand army our naval volunteers do not number more than the contingents for a couple of large vessels. There are scarcely more than a thousand of the latter and only three stations. London, Liverpool and Brighton divide the honour between them of possessing core. The writer believes that he will be doing a service to many young men who in their turn may do good service for their country in briefly detailing the conditions and expenses of joining. In a very short period of time the members have become wonderfully efficient and the sailor-like appearance of the men is well illustrated by the fact that at a recent reception at the mansion house a number of them were taken for men of war's men and so described in several daily journals. There prowess is illustrated by the prizes distributed by Lady Ashley at the inspection of the first London Corps in the West India Docks on February 9th last. Badges were won by the gunner making the best practice with the heavy gun at sea and by the marksmen making the greatest number of points with the rifle. The Lord Ashley Challenge Prize for the best guns crew at sea was won by 14 men of number two battery who fired 42 rounds at 1,300 yards in 37 minutes scoring 411 points out of a possible 504 points. The official report says that further comment on the men or their instructor is superfluous. The list included rifle, battery and boating prizes. The Royal Navy artillery volunteers are raised under an act passed in 1873 and are directly subject to the authority of the Admiralty. They may be assembled for actual employment. Their duties then consisting of coast or harbor service. They are not required to go aloft or to attend to the engine fires but in regard to birthing and messing must conform to the arrangements usual with semen. The forces formed into brigades. Each brigade consisting of four or more batteries of from 60 to 80 men. Each brigade has a lieutenant commander and each battery a sublutinent chief petty officer, first and second class petty officers, buglers, etc. While the staff includes a lieutenant instructor, first class petty officer instructor, surgeon, bugle major and armorer. Those desiring to join a corps should communicate with the secretary of the Admiralty. The annual subscription to the first London corps is one guinea while each member has to provide himself with two white frocks, one blue surge frock, one pair of blue trousers, one blue cloth cap, etc. Black handkerchief, flannel, knife, lanyard and monkey jacket, costing in the neighborhood of six pounds. When on a cruise in gunboat the volunteer requires in addition surge trousers and jumpers, flannel shirt, towels and brush and comb, canvas bags, etc. The officers uniforms are the same as those of the Royal Navy with the exception of silver for the most part taking the place of gold. It is more expensive to join the naval than the military volunteers and the class composing the corps are generally well-to-do young men, a large number of them employed in shipping offices and mercantile pursuits connected with the sea. The drills consist of practice with great guns, rifle, pistol and cutlass exercises. Efficient volunteers are entitled to a badge while men returned five times as efficient may wear one star and those returned ten times two stars above said badge. Every volunteer must attend at least two drills a month until he has obtained the standard of an efficient. When on actual service the Royal Naval Artillery volunteers will receive the same pay, allowances and victuals as those of relative rank in the Navy and when embarked on any of Her Majesty's ships for more than 48 hours in practice will either be victualed or receive a money compensation. The cruises in gun boats, etc. usually last ten days and the vessel visits many of the channel ports, etc. more especially off points where gun practice is practicable. A volunteer wounded either on drill or in actual service is entitled to the same compensation as any seaman in the Navy would be under similar circumstances and if killed his widow if any to the same gratuities out of the Greenwich Hospital funds as would a Royal Navy seaman's widow. Members who are able to take advantage of the crews in gun boats must have attended drill regularly for three months previously. It must be remembered that each man costs the government from eight to ten pounds for the first year in the expenses incurred in great gun and other practice and it is therefore made a point of honor to those joining that they will devote sufficient time to their drills to make themselves thoroughly efficient. The London Naval Artillery volunteers have a fine vessel, the President, now in the West India docks, on which to exercise while to accustom them to living on board ship, the old rainbow off Temple Pier is open to them under certain conditions as a place of residence. A number avail themselves of this sleep on board in hammocks and contribute their quota of the mess expenses. The writer is the last to decry other manly exercises such as cricket, football, racing, or pedestrianism. But naval volunteering has the advantage of not merely comprising a series of manly exercises but in being directly practical and specially health giving and to prevent the need of impressment the government did well in establishing the Royal Navy Reserve. The latest estimates provided 140,000 pounds for the year. The number which at present is about 20,000 men is not to exceed 30,000. The service is divided into two classes, the first class consisting of seamen of the merchant service and the second, fishermen on the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. Both divisions are practical sailors and the value of their services in a time of war would be inestimable. They are required to drill 28 days in each year for which they receive about six pounds per annum and sundry allowances for traveling, etc. The former class can be drilled at our stations abroad so that a merchant seamen is not necessarily tied to England or to mere coasting trade.