In this were seated six or seven officers and gentlemen, some
twenty-five to thirty years of age, called mates, meaning what are now
called sub-lieutenants. They were drinking rum and water and eating
mouldy biscuits; all were in their shirtsleeves, and really, considering
the circumstances, seemed to be enjoying themselves exceedingly.

On my appearance it was evident that I was looked upon as an interloper,
for whom, small as I was, room must be found. I was received with a
chorus of exclamations, such as, 'What the deuce does the little fellow
want here?' 'Surely there are enough of us crammed into this beastly
little hole!' 'Oh, I suppose he is some protégé of the captain's,' &c.
&c.

At last one, more kindly disposed than the rest, addressed me: 'Sorry
there is no more room in here, youngster;' and calling a dirty-looking
fellow, also in his shirtsleeves, said, 'Steward, give this young
gentleman some tea and bread and butter, and get him a hammock to sleep
in.' So I had to be contented to sit on a chest outside the midshipmen's
berth, eat my tea and bread and butter, and turn into a hammock for the
first time in my life, which means 'turned out'--the usual procedure
being to tumble out several times before getting accustomed to this, to
me, novel bedstead. However, once accustomed to the thing, it is easy
enough, and many indeed have been the comfortable nights I have slept in
a hammock, such a sleep as many an occupant of a luxurious four-poster
might envy. At early dawn a noise all around me disturbed my slumbers:
this was caused by all hands--officers and men--being called up to
receive the captain, who was coming alongside to assume his command by
reading his official appointment.

I shall never forget his first words. He was a handsome young man, with