"Careless scoundrel! he shall have four-water grog for a week; and, steward, take three bags of bread on shore, and forty pounds of flour."

"Yes, sir."

"That's all. Oh no-don't forget to send some pease on shore for the pig."

"No, sir," and the steward departed to execute his variety of commissions.

The King's Own.

III

THE HARDSHIPS OF IMPRESSMENT

HERE we were interrupted-"I say, you waterman, have you a mind for a good fare?" cried a dark-looking, not over clean, square-built, short young man, standing on the top of the flight of steps.

"Where to, sir?"

"Gravesend, my jokers, if you a'n't afraid of salt water.” "That's a long way, sir," replied Tom; "and for salt water, we must have salt to our porridge.'

"So you shall, my lads, and a glass of grog into the bargain."

"Yes; but the bargain a'n't made yet, sir. Jacob. will you go?"

"Yes, but not under a guinea."

"Not under two guineas," replied Tom, aside. "Are you in a great hurry, sir?" continued he, addressing the young man.

"Yes, in a devil of a hurry; I shall lose my ship. What will you take me for?"

"Two guineas, sir."

"Very well. Just come up to the public-house here, and put in my traps."

We brought down his luggage, put it into the wherry, and started down the river with the tide. Our fare was very communicative, and we found out that he was master's mate1 of the Immortalité, forty-gun frigate, lying off Gravesend, which was to drop down the next morning and wait for sailing orders at the Downs. We carried the tide with us, and in the afternoon were close to the frigate, whose blue ensign waved proudly over the taffrail. There was a considerable sea arising from the wind meeting the tide, and before we arrived close to her, we had shipped a great deal of water; and when we were alongside, the wherry, with the chest in her bows, pitched so heavily, that we were afraid of being swamped. Just as a rope had been made fast to the chest, and they were weighing it out of the wherry, the ship's launch with water came alongside, and, whether from accident or wilfully I know not, although I suspect the latter, the midshipman who steered her, shot her against the wherry, which was crushed in, and immediately filled, leaving Tom and me in the water, and in danger of being jammed to death between the launch and the side of the frigate. The seamen in the boat, however, forced her off with their oars, and hauled us in, while our wherry sank with her gunnel even with the water's edge, and floated away astern.

As soon as we had shaken ourselves a little, we went up the side, and asked one of the officers to send a boat to pick up our wherry.

"Speak to the first-lieutenant-there he is," was the reply.

I went up to the person pointed out to me: "If you please, sir

1 Not a quartermaster or master's assistant, but a one-time midshipman, weary of waiting for a commission and willing to qualify for a master's warrant in order to secure an increase of pay,

"What the devil do you want?" "A boat, sir, to"

"A boat! the devil you do!"

"To pick up our wherry, sir," interrupted Tom.

"Pick it up yourself," said the first-lieutenant, passing us, and hailing the men aloft. "Maintop there, hook on your stays. Be smart. Lower away the yards. Marines and after-guard, clear launch. Boatswain's mate!”

"Here sir."

"Pipe marines and after-guard to clear launch."
"Ay, ay, sir."

"But we shall lose our boat, Jacob," said Tom to me. "They stove it in, and they ought to pick it up.” Tom then went up to the master's mate, whom we had brought on board, and explained our difficulty.

"Upon my soul, I darn't say a word. I'm in a scrape for breaking my leave. Why the devil didn't you take care of your wherry, and haul ahead when you saw the launch coming?"

"How could we, when the chest was hoisting out?" "Very true. Well, I am very sorry for you, but I must look after my chest." So saying, he disappeared down the gangway ladder.

"I'll try it again, anyhow," said Tom, going up to the first-lieutenant. "Hard case to lose our boat and our bread, sir," said Tom, touching his hat.

The first-lieutenant, now that the marines and afterguard were at a regular stamp and go, had, unfortunately, more leisure to attend to us. He looked at us earnestly, and walked aft to see if the At that moment, up came the master's mate, who had not yet reported himself to the first-lieutenant.

wherry was yet in sight.

"Tom," said I, "there is a wherry close to,-let us get into it, and go after our boat ourselves."

"Wait one moment to see if they will help us, and

get our money at all events," replied Tom; and we both walked aft.

"Come on board, sir," said the master's mate, touching his hat with humility.

"You've broke your leave, sir," replied the firstlieutenant, "and now I've to send a boat to pick up the wherry through your carelessness.'

"If you please, they are two very fine young men," observed the mate. "Make capital foretopmen. Boat's not worth sending for, sir."

This hint, given by the mate to the first lieutenant, to regain his favour, was not lost. "Who are you, my lads?" said the first-lieutenant to us.

"Watermen, sir."

"Watermen, heh! Was that your own boat?" "No, sir," replied I; "it belonged to the man that I serve with."

"O! not your own boat? Are you an apprentice, then?” "Yes, sir, both apprentices."

"Show me your indentures1."

"We don't carry them about with us.'

"Then how am I to know that you are apprentices?" "We can prove it, sir, if you wish it."

"I do wish it; at all events, the captain will wish it." "Will you please to send for the boat, sir? she's almost out of sight."

"No, my lads; I can't find king's boats for such service."

"Then we had better go ourselves, Tom," said I; and we went forward to call the waterman, who was lying on his oars close to the frigate.

"Stop-stop; not so fast. Where are you going, my lads?"

1 Apprentices were exempt from impressment for three years from the date of their indentures.

C. A.

18

"To pick up our boat, sir."

"Without my leave, heh?"

"We don't belong to the frigate, sir.”

"No; but I think it very likely that you will, for you have no protections."

"We can send for them, and have them down by to-morrow morning."

"Well, you may do so, if you please, my lads; but you cannot expect me to believe everything that is told me. Now, for instance, how long have you to serve, my lad?" said he, addressing Tom.

"My time is up to-morrow, sir."

"Up to-morrow? Why, then I shall detain you until to-morrow, and then I shall press you."

"If you detain me now, sir, I am pressed to-day." "O no! you are only detained until you prove your apprenticeship, that's all.”

"Nay, sir, I certainly am pressed during my apprenticeship."

"Not at all, and I'll prove it to you. You don't belong to the ship until you are victualled on her books. Now I shan't victual you to-day, and therefore you won't be pressed."

Jacob Faithful.

IV

WEATHERING THE CAPE, AND A CHAT
WITH THE BO'S'N

ON deck the superior officers were in conversation with the captain, who had expressed the same fear that O'Brien had in our berth. The men, who knew what they had to expect for this sort of intelligence is soon communicated through a ship—were assembled in knots,