scorn the rations since you won't have.-Come, your honour, after all it is but bobbing twice at a cherry.-Hark! there sir, as I live, there's the leaftenant o' the watch singing out my name-I shall be in for it; quick,-lay hold of it your honour-that's the beef, and this case contains the grog. For the sake o' Tim Collins take the most possible care o' that grog case,-I set more store by that than any other part o' my living body, and that's no flea-bite. Cause ye see-Hark! there he calls again-make haste and scoff it your honour. I wish one of that fellow's teethasking his pardon-would fall and choke his hatchway, he wouldn't be so fond of calling names, and no harm to him;" and, without an instant's further delay, the generous hearted seaman moved off to answer the lieutenant of the watch, while the young officer, finding that the provisions were left upon his hands, fulfilled the request of their kind donor, and, coarse as the meat was, he enjoyed it as a luxury which he had not known for days.

The hour was fast approaching noon. The seventy-four's white sails furled in as little bulk as possible, the exact symmetry and right-angles

of her gigantic spars, the taut (tight) ropes and freshly set-up shrouds and ratlines, as well as the polished monkey-tails, carronade-screws, brass belaying pins, binnacle-plates, and other metal ornaments, all bespoke the prevalence of the strictest naval discipline on board. Indeed, had any proof been wanting to corroborate the above symptoms, it would have been found in the savage and martinet-like features of the Captain, then waiting at the gangway to receive the Admiral on board; the servile and spiritless looks of his surrounding officers, the scowl of hatred and contempt curling around the lips of the boatswain who piped the side, the scared and fear-stricken appearance of the two men who hurriedly essayed to finish the sweeping of the quarter-deck, and make their escape forward before the Admiral came up the side, and lastly in the sullen and portentous silence that seemed to hang over the whole ship; broken in upon by the suppressed whisperings of the junior officers, and the tossingin of the oars below as the barge swept up alongside. That noise had ceased, to be succeeded by a second pipe, in the midst of which entered the Admiral. Simultaneously every hat was lifted,

the Captain, with his head uncovered, advanced a step forward and bowed, but without grace. Planting his feet firmly on the gangway, his superior paused for a moment, eyed with a severe and scrutinizing glance the officers around, slowly raised the point of his sheathed sword towards his gold-laced hat, and bending stiffly to his second-in-command, as much as to say, follow me, walked with a firm step towards the poop.

Nature is but too frequently overcome by art, and many have lost, in assumed and fictitious characters, those which were originally and naturally their own. Whether this had been the case to its fullest extent with the flag-officer who has just been introduced to the reader,—and to whom I shall forbear giving any name, for reasons of mine own,-matters little, but so long had he trained his features to their wonted cast of expression, that now, when the fire of youth began to subside, they exhibited little more than pride, austerity, and choler. Now and then, it was true, a transitory gleam of sunshine shot across, and hinted that the soul within was yet redeemed by some few noble traits; but this was rarely seen.

"You are now ready for sea, of course?" he

remarked to the captain, interrupting the silence as he reached the break of the poop, and turned to walk forward once more.

No, not quite, sir, I fear," returned the latter, with some hesitation, looking rather confused.

"Not ready? Captain Grummet! How is this, sir? It is four days since I told you that my wishes were to sail at once, and that you would use all possible despatch!"

"I have done so, Admiral. But you must remember that this sudden change in our destination required many alterations. We have been unceasingly busy till to-day, and so I should have continued up to this moment; but, immediately after breakfast, the master shipwright, with two of his foremen, came off from the shore, and having, unknown to me, gone round the ship with the carpenter, to examine what defects stood in need of repair, he has reported her to be altogether unfit to encounter the voyage home; and that, if not surveyed and condemned now, she will go down in the next squall."

"Sir, he is an infernal stupid old fool! and deserves to have his black hide visited with the cat!"-broke forth the Admiral in a passion;

"What does he know about the defects of my ship? She is old, it is true, so am I; but I can do my duty yet, sir, and, by G-, I will, and so shall she: after carrying me through storm and breeze, wreck and battle, for many a long day, she's not to be broken up for an old hulk in this way." "But, Sir "-"Don't answer me, Captain Grummet. Who dared to admit him? Who dared to shew the prying black rascal round my ship without my especial knowledge? Both of us ought to have been present at a survey of this importance."

Seeing that the Admiral was in one of his fits of ire, the captain, to whom long cringing had taught submission, made no direct reply; but, turning towards the opposite side of the quarterdeck, where stood the mate of the watch, he said, "Mr. Stevens!"

"Sir?" replied the latter, starting at the summons, and respectfully touching his hat.

"Who had the watch when the master shipwright came on board?"

"I had, sir."

"Then come here." With a trembling step the young officer obeyed the summons, which