never been my lot to see or hear of. I was disgusted beyond measure, and rushed upon deck to rid me of this waking incubus. The air was sharp and bracing, and after I had immersed my head and hands in a bucket of water drawn from alongside, I felt refreshed. The men dispersed themselves about various duties, but no one noticed me. The captain and officers had not yet come on board, and I found myself subjected to a similar disregard when mealtime came, so that I ran a pretty good chance of being starved within sight of my native mud; a termination to my adventures of which I felt by no means ambitious. Accordingly, at the mid-day meal, I inquired of a set of fellows who were sitting with naked feet around a mess-kid of beef and potatoes, to which they appeared to be paying their respects with considerable zest, where I could amuse my jaws in the same agreeable exercise. The fellows grinned, but were at a loss how to advise me. "D-n it all," said I, "I can't afford to starve altogether, and reluctant as I feel to intrude upon your commons, if you'll just pass me the kid, I'll try and hold out till I see what the devil's to become of me.” One of the men by this time had coaxed the kid between his legs, and after surveying its contents with a wistful air, he suddenly caught hold of a shoe that happened to be lying within his reach, and first moistening the upper leather with his spittle, vigorously stropped his knife thereon, and with unabated zeal attacked the beef. He was like a fresh soldier to the breach, and notwithstanding the disgust I felt at the way he prepared his weapon, I could not but entertain

CHANCE OF STARVING.

9

reasonable apprehensions for any renewed assault on the part of his comrades: however, my fears proved groundless; the kid was relinquished to my grasp, and, carefully eschewing the side of the meat that had received the incision from the last carnivorous blade, I helped myself sparingly, resolving for the future to come in for my share of first cuts, no matter how or where I obtained them.

The following day I received the same degree of attention, but on the next the captain and some of the officers came on board, and I had to undergo a painful interview with some of my friends, who endeavoured, in vain, to shake my resolution. One kind-hearted friend saw into my position, and wanted to arrange for my passage in the cuddy; but I had passed the Rubicon, and by unflinchingly submitting to the ordeal I had voluntarily subjected myself to, I thought I should the better prepare myself to encounter future hardships; nevertheless, this generous friend would not take my word, but endeavoured to make arrangements with the captain. His efforts, however, proved unavailing, as the captain explained that his cabins had been entirely taken up by the government; but he promised to treat me well, as I should be of service to him on the voyage, and when my friend had taken his departure, he sent for me, and regretting his inability to alter my position, promised to make me as comfortable as possible, so soon as he could get the ship to rights. This was encouraging, and as night again approached, thoroughly out of conceit with hammocks, I selected one of the unoccu

pied cribs or bunks, as sailors call them, for my future resting-place.

"All hands to unmoor" was the meaning of the hoarse roar that came rushing down the hatchway, as day broke the next morning, and one of the mates, following up the cry, came blundering in amongst the boxes with "Tumble up there, tumble up; don't you hear the news? Show a leg or a black stocking." The capstan was manned and the anchor was soon swinging at the bows. I paid very little attention to the scenery as we proceeded down the river, my whole soul being taken up with the past; and so intense were my reminiscences, that I forgot the present and took no heed for the future. Once only I was aroused to a sense of what was going on around me, by a little spurt that took place at the helm. The pilot was training his son to the river; and his son, a stout young man, had got hold of the spokes of the wheel. "Port," growled the pilot. "Port, sir ?" was the response. "Port, I say," shouted the pilot like an outraged bear. "Port it is,” angrily rejoined the son. "And port it should be, d-n your eyes," was the paternal benediction. The son stood rebuked, and notwithstanding the ominous scowl depicted in the sire's countenance, I could not refrain from bursting into a shout of laughter, which ill-timed levity by no means added to the amiability of the old sea-bear's expression.

Arrived at Spithead, where we were to take in the convicts, the order was passed that no one was to leave the vessel; and now I found the time had come when either I must help myself or go to the wall.

All the crew destined for the voyage were on board, and most of them at the outset were rough, surly, and selfish; there were no regular watches, and it appeared to be every man for himself and God for us all. I was very thin and pallid, my hands and face being delicate as a woman's, totally differing from those of the rude beings around me. "I say, you sir," shouted one of these hairy monsters who was securing some spare spars on the long-boat, "give us a handful of grease, will ye?" "Certainly:" and I walked for

ward, dipped my hand into the cook's slush tub, and literally gave him what he asked for. I never moved a muscle, and the innocent amazement depicted in the fellow's face was so rich, that I enjoyed a quiet internal chuckle. He never troubled me with any more commands; but on the very night of this occurrence, on going below, I found my mattress and bedding tumbled about anywhere, and the dirty bedding of one of the seamen stowed in my bunk. "Hallo! who the devil's had the impudence to do this? Stand clear!" and I flung the intruder's dirty rags right and left; and having again introduced my own clothes, "Now let's see the man," said I, "that'll venture to take 'em out. Not a word was uttered, and I never discovered who it was that had so coolly usurped possession; but this display of determination to stand no nonsense saved me from further molestation of this nature.

We had not long been anchored at Spithead, before a detachment of the 80th regiment came on board, consisting of forty-five soldiers and five or six women, wives to some of the men; and now devolved

upon me the honourable office of marking the blankets and other articles destined for the use of the convicts. For the information of those who have never seen a prison-ship, let me describe it. The whole body of the vessel between decks, from the after-hatch to the fore-hatch, is partitioned off by strong stanchions studded with heavy clout nails, placed so as to prevent the possibility of their being sawn or cut through, apertures being left in the stanchions to admit of the discharge of musketry upon the prisoners in case of their proving refractory. Two tiers of bunks or standing bed-places are ranged one above the other on either side of the space so partitioned off, each bunk being allotted for five men; and down the centre of the vessel run two ranges of hammocks. Part of the crew were berthed abaft the after-hatchway in the dark hole already alluded to, and the remainder had their abode forward of the fore hatchway, which I subsequently learnt was called the forecastle. From curiosity I did penetrate the saturnine region, and, if possible, the murky den was worse than the dark hole. A man's house is called his castle, but why these gloomy, dark, pestiferous pits should receive the name, I am at a loss to determine. The prisoners' lodgings were better than the crew's. Two cooking ranges, or galleys, as they are called, occupied the bow of the vessel, covered in by a deck from the high bulwarks which rejoices in the stately name of top gallant forecastle; the after part of the vessel was occupied by a raised deck called the poop, corresponding with the top gallant forecastle, and beneath this poop were the cuddy and state rooms for the