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THE PERILOUS ADVENTURES AND VICISSITUDES OF A NAVAL OFFICER ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

There is a tradition in the family of the writer of this narrative, ViceAdmiral George Vernon Jackson, that he was the prototype of Peter Simple. At any rate, it seems certain that Captain Marryat was acquainted with Jackson's youthful escapades and adventurous early life. As his name was entered in the books of the Trident on 5th May 1795 at eight years of age, his official connection with the Navy may be said to have lasted eighty-one years. He died in 1876, aged eighty-nine.

AT the age of fourteen, in the year 1801, I entered the Royal Navy. My name had been successively borne since 1795 upon the books of the Trident, Minerva, Princess Augusta, and Maidstone. A cadetship had now been obtained for me by my father from an old schoolfellow of his, named Sir Edward Hamilton, commanding the Trent, thirty-six guns; and so I left home in charge of my father for Portsmouth, where, with a £2 note in my pocket, I embarked in a cutter en route to join the Trent, then lying off St Malo, watching the movements of two French frigates. From the cutter I was shifted several times to other vessels, and after twelve days' cruising about found myself safely deposited at last on board the good ship Trent.

The appearance of the big ship awed and astonished me. Like all novices, I felt awkward and nervous among so many strange things and strange faces; but a midshipman is never left long alone to moralise over

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first impressions, and I was soon introduced after a fashion to my fellow-messmates, and initiated into the mysteries of a Midshipman's berth. Here I enjoyed the usual entertainment bestowed upon fresh arrivals, and formed in consequence anything but an encouraging opinion of the career before me.

Being a stranger, I was invited to dine with the Captain. Just before I joined, a Midshipman had been flogged and turned out of the ship, and this fact gave my associates a capital foundation for enlarging upon the Captain's character. At the proper time I repaired to my chest to get rigged out for the occasion, accompanied by such of the Midshipmen as were not on duty, all anxious to lend a hand and overhaul the possessions of a new-comer. Every one knows the economy with which a younger son's naval outfit is regulated, and the providence of my tailor was no exception to the rule: my uniform would have suited a shape twice my dimensions.

We wore knee breeches then, and I can laugh now at the absurd picture I presented in a pair that nearly eclipsed me. Do what I would, there was no help for it: the upper part of the abominable things were close under my arms, and the legs hung dangling about within a few inches of my heels. My appearance seemed to afford my companions unqualified pleasure, who, when they had duly supplied me with a coat and vest to correspond, declared with one accord that I was perfect. "You must take your dirk," said one, "and this," said another; and so on until I became so confused that I was quite at a loss what to do. By nature I was below the average height of boys of my age, and, moreover, had a pale face and by no means robust aspect, which defects considerably increased my ungainliness under the circumstances.

My toilet finished, I joined the Second Lieutenant, who had also been invited, on his way to the Captain's cabin. On entering we were met by Sir Edward, who in no wise reassured my failing nerves by exclaiming as his eyes fell upon me, “Why, what the devil have we got here? He looks as if he had been swallowed and thrown up again." My miseries had only begun. The ordeal of dinner was to be gone through, and how I was to act or what to do, I couldn't for the life of me determine. The bare thought of sitting at the same table with such an

VOL. CCXX.-NO. MCCCXXXIII.

ogre was enough to stupefy one with terror.

Whilst the covers were being removed, Sir Edward turned sharply towards me and said, "Take a glass of wine, sir." "No, sir, thank you," I replied timidly; but was electrified by his shouting out savagely, "What, sir. Devil take it! Take one directly." I mechanically filled a glass, and gulped down the contents, which might have been physic for all I knew at the moment. "Now, sir," rejoined my tormentor, do

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you ever drink grog?" No, sir, never," I gasped out faintly, expecting an order forthwith to drink a hogshead on the spot; but I was spared so much by his adding, Then I shall give orders that you are to have some every day; you look as if you needed it." I did not dare to make a worse exhibition of myself, but would have given a great deal to enjoy a jolly good cry.

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The sight of the dessert cheered me; at last dinner was coming to a close. I scarcely recollect how I managed to get thus far through the meal, but can easily call to mind being sensibly moved by the presence of a small bottle full of delicious green "plums that stood in front of my plate. I resolved to make them compensate for my previous abstinence. It struck me as rather odd that they were not touched for some time, and much as I longed to be at them, I could not summon up courage enough to begin the attack. When

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the bottle was on the move I was again surprised at observing that no one took more than one, or two at the outside. I was not so moderate, but when my turn came, boldly sent five or six rolling on to my plate. "Put all those back again sir, but one," thundered our host, "and if you like that you shall have all the rest." I believe that I replaced them with my fingers, but I will not be certain, and then put the remaining one in my mouth, only to find myself in a ridiculous predicament with every one at the table enjoying the joke. As all things have an end, so had my memorable dinner with the Captain of the Trent, and right glad I was when dismissed. Sir Edward would not let me depart in peace. Ere I had gained the cabin door he cried, "Look ye here, sir, go at once to the ship's tailor and have a fathom cut off those infernal tails of yours."

It was not long before I learnt the characters and dispositions of my messmates. There were six or seven of us, two only of whose names I can remember one being a kindhearted and gentlemanly youth, and the other as much the reverse as he could possibly be. I will call the latter Wiggins for the sake of his descendants, who would not be proud of his history. He was cock of the walk, and a disagreeable tyrannical fellow hated, but feared by all in the Midshipmen's mess. Had it not been for

a dread of the Captain, we should have got to blows much sooner than we did. The men were cleaning the steerage one morning and I wished to go to my chest, but I was forbidden to do so by Wiggins. I persisted, and was about to accomplish my purpose when he ran up as I was stooping to raise the lid and brutally inflicted a kick upon my face. This was a casus belli with a vengeance, and without one instant's consideration I sprang upon him with the ferocity of a young tiger. He was not prepared for the assault, never dreaming that one so inferior to him in size would show fight. He was mistaken-the sequel proved his worth, and stamped him always afterwards as a coward. He was overpowered in a few seconds, and went forth from the affray with a sound drubbing and with a very conspicuous eye. The fight was hardly over when I repented my rashness, and positively trembled in my shoes lest it should reach the ears of the Captain. My alarm doubled as Wiggins's eye grew blacker, and a council was held to debate what was best to be done. The Midshipmen were on my side, and a solemn promise was extorted from Wiggins that the cause of his disfigurement should be kept a secret, and some plausible story invented to account for it. Unfortunately for my peace of mind, Wiggins had the afternoon watch with me, and when the Captain went on deck it would

be next to impossible to avoid discovery.

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Sir Edward was one of those men who allow nothing to escape them. He could see through a plank a little farther than most of his fellow-creatures, and, seeing, would follow up his observations with pertinacity that defied interruption. Despite the agreement between us, I knew that Wiggins was not to be trusted. He had pledged himself under compulsion, and, like all vanquished bullies, had done so with a very bad grace. There was a surly hang-dog look about that damaged eye that promised mischief, and I prepared myself to guard against treachery. Our watch had begun, and with it my new troubles, for Wiggins lost no opportunity of making the object of his grievance apparent to everybody. Many were the dodges and shifts to which I resorted in order to get between him and the dangerous side of the quarter-deck, but without avail. The Lieutenant of the watch soon remarked it, and called out, "Halloa, Mr Wiggins, where did you get that black eye?'

"Mr Jackson gave it to me, sir." "Well, I must say you have begun early, youngster," rejoined the Lieutenant; whilst Wiggins, with a triumphant leer, rolled the discoloured orb towards me. I stood aghast, not knowing what was about to happen, looking first at the Lieutenant and then at the paltry fellow at my side. At this juncture the

Captain appeared, and the Lieutenant left us. Wiggins gave an avenging grin, and seemed vastly to relish my discomfiture. But his malice was frustrated, for the Lieutenant, I have reason to think, was my friend. Wiggins gained no profit by his breach of faith, and no more notice was taken of the occurrence.

This contretemps was of use to me, as it secured me during the remainder of my stay on board from fresh disturbance, and effectually reduced Wiggins to his proper level.

I should be loth to say what my opinion of Sir Edward Hamilton might have become had I stopped much longer in the Trent. As each day passed, so did I conceive new terrors of this man. A more uncompromising disciplinarian did not exist, or one less scrupulous in exacting the due fulfilment of his orders, whatever they were. To give a notion of what he could say in a comparatively sober moment, I will relate part of a conversation which I overheard between him and a Lieutenant as they paced the deck together one afternoon. The Lieutenant remarked in a quiet tone of voice, in reply to some expression from the Captain, "You are mistaken, sir, I assure you; I had not the slightest intention to offend you.' "Offend me, sir!" cried Sir Edward, stopping short and confronting him, "offend me, sir! By God, if I suspected such a thing, I would go down to my cabin

and fetch a sword and cut you down to the deck!" Sir Edward was subsequently relieved of all future command because of his excessive severity.

The Trent was in excellent order; indeed, as regards discipline and the general efficiency of her company she was equal, if not superior, to any other frigate afloat; but these qualities had all been promoted at no small sacrifice of humanity. No sailor was allowed to walk from one place to another on deck, and woe betide the unfortunate fellow who halted in his run aloft, unless expressly bidden to do so for some particular purpose. The "cat" was incessantly at work. Did a man approach at a walk when called by a Midshipman, instead of running for his life, the penalty he paid for this offence was a "starting starting" at the hands of the Boatswain's mate.

After I had been some time in the Trent, Sir Edward declared himself incapable of fulfilling his promise to my father of giving me a permanent rating on his ship, and I was handed over without much more ado to Captain Rotheram of the Lapwing, 28 guns, to which vessel I was transferred-not at all sorry for the exchangeand rated accordingly.

On board the Lapwing I found nothing in the shape of mess traps in the Midshipmen's berth but a large wooden bowl. Like the plan adopted at the thieves' ordinary, the food was placed on the table, and the

means for its consumption left entirely to the resources of the consumers. Clasp-knives prevailed at meal times, and such other aids to dissection as the Midshipmen might have at hand. Being minus such property, but gifted with an excellent appetite, I dispensed with ceremony of every kind, and made a grab at the contents of the bowl. This proceeding, however, was summarily denounced by the others, who declared such conduct unbecoming the society of gentlemen, and they threatened to chalk my fingers if I repeated it. The Sergeant of Marines charitably lent me a knife and spoon until I could supply myself, taking care at the same time to keep them always in sight and reclaim them when done with, a precaution he excused himself for taking by referring to the propensities of the boy who attended our mess.

After remaining inactive for some weeks, the Lapwing was ordered to Plymouth, and as the Captain's wife was living there, strange to say the order was obeyed with alacrity. We started in almost a gale of wind, in which we could only just lay our course. The Captain must have had a very pleasant lady for his wife, and despite the weather he carried a very heavy press of sail. In this trip we were struck by one of those extraordinary seas for which there is no accounting, and against which it is impossible to guard. They seem to be caused by the waves

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