with the mess. My subscription was owing, and the caterer inflexible. Get money I must anyhow, and he advised me to borrow from the Captain. My greenness was not yet all rubbed off, and taking him at his word I applied without delay. "By God, sir," said the Captain, "but you have some brass. I am instructed to retain your pay as a punishment, and you have the impudence to ask me to hand you some money." Seeing me rather shut up at this attack, he ceased ringing the changes upon my audacity, and on learning my motive for applying, kindly accommodated me, and increased his kindness by making me always write my journal in his cabin, where I could be overlooked and instructed.

When the war broke out again in 1803, we were at Shields with other men-of-war, engaged in the impressment of men for the service. Our instructions were to spare no effort in procuring fresh hands, and we succeeded beyond our hopes. From Shields we went to Shetland, and I daresay there are people living there yet to whom a remembrance of our visit still clings. carried off every able-bodied male we could lay our hands upon. I think the number we captured in Shetland alone amounted to seventy1 fine young fellows. When the ship was on the point of leaving, it was a melancholy sight; for

We

boatloads of women-wives, mothers, and sisters-came alongside to take leave of their kidnapped relatives. Being young at the business, I was not always proof against some of the trials I encountered ashore, and often repented having made a capture when I witnessed the misery it occasioned in homes hitherto happy and undisturbed. Our gang was a most effective energetic party, and few escaped its vigilance. On one occasion, whilst prowling about in the execution of our duty, I espied a tall handsome lad coming into our vicinity unawares. On catching sight of me he fled like a deer. I was young and active too, and started off in pursuit; the race was becoming mine, when he made for a house and dashed through the open doorway. I was on his heels directly, but found myself arrested by a poor respectablelooking woman, who fell upon her knees, and beseeched me, with clasped hands and tears streaming down her face, to spare her boy. Her entreaties were joined by several young girls present, all of whom were exhibiting the same tearful propensity. I gave in at once, and left the spot with a queer sensation in the throat, and grumbling an incoherent anathema against the whole sex. These were strange times, when a youngster of my age could lay violent hands upon almost any man he came across and

tention, and all the necessary preparations were made for her reception. I was one of those deputed to meet our illustrious visitor, and enjoyed the privilege of handing her up the vessel's side. On reaching the deck, I remember well, she sat upon one of the carronade's sides, and received the officers presented to her with a dignity and grace becoming her station in life. The Second Lieutenant, a fine dashing fellow, was particularly favoured by her Ladyship, who selected his arm in descending to the gunroom, where all the dirty linen was made up into bundles for her to take ashore.

"Lady Rodney " was a sable washerwoman, and enjoyed a monopoly amongst the ships of war at Barbados. As black as a coal, and overflowing with her own importance, her visits on board, irrespective of their professional value, were always anticipated with no small degree of entertainment by the officers, who vied with each other in showing her that deference she never failed to exact from her clients. Her pseudonym had been acquired, I believe, from a trifling act of gallantry once paid her in former days by a noble sailor, whose name and title she thereupon assumed, and kept until the day of her death. In most tropical ports you are sure to find one or more noted characters of the same description. The votaries of the washing tub comprise an important class, and have ready access to the ships in

harbour, where they do not hesitate to make themselves quite at home, and strike up a lasting, and I wish I might add always platonic, friendship with their employers. They are desperately jealous of any rival, and it is an unpardonable crime in their eyes to be deprived of any share of their accustomed privileges. As a general rule, they are scrupulously honest if you happen to be friends; and who would not be on amicable terms with his washerwoman under such circumstances? In some other parts of the world this class of person is rather to be dreaded than trusted.

Apropos of their honesty, I may relate an event that happened to a brother officer of mine a few years later which will tend to illustrate it. We were at Gibraltar awaiting orders, and Parker, one of the Lieutenants, thought it a good opportunity to go in for a general cleansing of his wardrobe. He was a great dandy in his way, and morbidly addicted to superfine shirts with any quantity of pearl buttons down the bosoms, considered rather a luxury in those days. He never ventured into public assemblies without making a display of this conceit, and naturally was celebrated for it. During a run of gaiety on shore, these precious shirts had become exhausted, and were sadly in need of a "Lady Rodney's "good services. He therefore entrusted them to the care of an accommodating hand

any

maid, who undertook the responsible charge and promised to be extra punctual. A day or two later we received our orders to start at a few hours' notice, and Parker's consternation may be imagined. A summons was despatched to the washerwoman, but no answer was returned. The anchor was tripped-the sails bentParker distracted. At the very last moment a boat pushed alongside and a parcel was handed on board. Parker rushed forward to secure the treasure, and in the joy of the moment tendered a coin in excess of the expense incurred, and liberally declined change. We sailed, and everything went smoothly with Parker until his watch was over, and he repaired to his cabin to put away his shirts. His face was a picture when he appeared on deck, uttering the most terrible maledictions against the woman who had betrayed him. The shirts were safe, and washed almost to a fault, but the buttons-" Devil a one has that imp of Satan left on the whole lot," shouted poor Parker. The careful washerwoman, wise in her generation, and appreciating the value of pearl buttons, had made the most of a chance that might never fall to her lot again. As for Parker, unfortunate man, the joke was too good not to be enjoyed, and everyone laughed at his mishap, nor did he hear the last of it for many a long day. The convoy was abandoned

at Barbados, and we went cruising off Martinique, where I made my first acquaintance with an enemy's cannon balls. We were standing in towards the harbour, when the Captain, who was spying ashore, suddenly exclaimed, "They're going to fire!" and as he spoke a shot came whizzing over our foremast, followed by others, all well directed, but much too high to do us any harm. One only gave us the least concern: it passed between our main and foremast, about two or three feet above the hammock nettings. This was the occasion of a bit of pleasantry at the expense of a Midshipman, that we youngsters did not forget in a hurry. He was standing at the moment close under the spot where the shot passed, and instinctively bent down his head as it flew over. The Captain perceiving what he did, said, smiling, whilst he imitated the gesture with his finger, "That won't save you, Jerry, that won't save you.' Alas for Jerry, he had been a big man amongst us, but his day was gone. Every one of us took up the Captain's example, and on the slightest provocation would perform the same action and cry, "That won't save you, Jerry, that won't save you."

As nothing was to be gained by offering ourselves as a passing target for our friends on dry land, we wore off to a more agreeable distance. Near Martinique is a place called Diamond Rock.

It was in possession of