CHAPTER X.

'He that has sail'd upon the dark blue sea
Has view'd at times, I ween, a full fair sight;
When the fresh breeze is fair as breeze may be,
The white sail set, the gallant frigate tight.

And, oh! the little warlike world within!
The well-reeved guns, the netted canopy,
The hoarse command, the busy humming din,
When, at a word, the tops are mann'd on high.”
BYRON.

A GUN was now reported, and immediately our signal for a midshipman-" Pipe the first cutter away! send for Mr. Sims! lower the cutter!" Up came Mr. Sims, a smartish-looking mid, in not the smartest of dresses, having untogged himself for sea-work, he being mate of the main-deck.

"Take the order-book, and answer the signal on board the Admiral. If a shore-boat comes near you, as you pass the point, give the fellow this half-crown to go wherever the gig may be; and hand that note to the coxswain, to be immediately given to the captain-the coxswain knows where he is."

“Ay, ay, sir."

And away dived Mr. Sims below.

The cut

ter was lowered-the mast ordered to be stepped. In less than no time up came Sims, quite a different-looking young man-coated, cocked-hatted, and bedirked-with a roll of canvass in his hand, which, I afterwards learned, was the covering of the order-book. While the boat, with its crew, was scudding under a big sail on this duty, the second lieutenant, Mr. Train, asked me if I would like to go over the ship, and see the men at dinner for it was not yet two bells, or one o'clock-an offer which I accepted with pleasure.

Nothing could exceed the cleanliness, the order, or the appearance of the main-deck, on

which, outside the captain's cabin, were mounted twelve long eighteen-pounders on each side, and, I was told, two more in the cabin. She was what was then called an eight-and-thirty—a rating that, of late years, has been abolished-the present system approximating nearer to the number of guns carried.

The Rokeby,' carronades and all, mounted forty-eight, with a spare port in the eyes of the main-deck and forecastle. I was much struck with the fine appearance of this deck, which was then almost clear; so that one could see from end to end; only a few men and a tame sheep being on one side round the grog-tub, the allowance of rum-and-water being served out, the sheep butting one and the other for his share of the last, or clearing out of the tub, which I saw the quadruped drink with as much apparent gusto as a biped would have done under similar circumstances.

Apropos to tame sheep in men-of-war some of our regiments are distinguished by animals

VOL. I.

R

—goats, deer, dogs; nay, even elephantswho are always great pets, and on marches generally take the lead. I found that, on board ship, Jack usually managed to make a friend of one or other of the captain's sheep, ordinarily a horned one, who was allowed to do what he liked, his food being mostly biscuit at sea, but in the harbour, anything that the sailors had to give him.

The woolly favourite was frequently learnedcould do tricks, had peculiar habits-always resenting even a look from those who offended him, and almost fondling those who were kind to him. Some were not averse to getting drunk, if Jack would give them enough, and not unfrequently some would 'chaw,' not swallow, tobacco, the remains of a quid—an accomplishment which I was told belonged to the one in question.

The rule in most ships was, if the poor sheep escaped being killed in action, after it was over, he was sacrificed for the benefit of the wounded, when able to take nourishment;

and I am afraid to repeat the length of years some of them, always fat pets, attained in some of our men-of-war, whose ill or good luck had not brought them to loggerheads with an enemy afloat, or his batteries on shore.

From the main we descended to between decks; where the men, in messes of about a dozen, from the after-hatchway forward, were talking over their grog, which they were drinking in tins from a 'kid' on each table, made with oak, fastened with remarkably bright copper hoops. The men rose as we came near them; but Mr. Train told them to be seated; and, apparently not to disturb them, did not further forward.

go

I noticed that the after-tables were filled with marines, and two men, with each one foot shackled to a bar, and a sentry over them. I did not inquire the cause; but, as we dived below to where the 'middies' messed, Mr. Train told me that, the night before, they had attempted to swim to a merchant-ship in the act of getting under weigh, which she did be