of the Fore and Main holds, and the Quarter-Masters, all mess in
common with the crew, and in the American navy are only distinguished
from the common seamen by their slightly additional pay. But in the
English navy they wear crowns and anchors worked on the sleeves of
their jackets, by way of badges of office. In the French navy they
are known by strips of worsted worn in the same place, like those
designating the Sergeants and Corporals in the army.

Thus it will be seen, that the dinner-table is the criterion of rank
in our man-of-war world. The Commodore dines alone, because he is the
only man of his rank in the ship. So too with the Captain; and the
Ward-room officers, warrant officers, midshipmen, the master-at-arms'
mess, and the common seamen;--all of them, respectively, dine
together, because they are, respectively, on a footing of equality.



CHAPTER VII.

BREAKFAST, DINNER, AND SUPPER.


Not only is the dinner-table a criterion of rank on board a man-
of-war, but also the dinner hour. He who dines latest is the
greatest man; and he who dines earliest is accounted the least.
In a flag-ship, the Commodore generally dines about four or five
o'clock; the Captain about three; the Lieutenants about two;
while _the people_ (by which phrase the common seamen are
specially designated in the nomenclature of the quarter-deck) sit
down to their salt beef exactly at noon.