must one day be at the head of his profession. Make a friend of
him by your good conduct, and you will do well.' The _Winchelsea_
was manned with good seamen, with scarcely a landsman on board; and
the first lieutenant, senior master's mate, and boatswain, were all
excellent practical seamen; so that the midshipmen and youngsters,
to the number of nearly thirty, could not be in a better situation
for obtaining a knowledge of practical seamanship. We soon found
that the activity of our captain would not allow us an idle hour,
and there was so much kindness of heart, and cheerfulness of
manner, blended with daring exertion in the performance of his
duties, that we were all happy to imitate his example to the best
of our abilities. In the course of our passage to Newfoundland we
encountered much blowing weather, and at all hours of the day or
night, whenever there was exertion required aloft, to preserve a
sail, or a mast, the captain was foremost at the work, apparently
as a mere matter of amusement; and there was not a man in the ship
who could equal him in personal activity. He appeared to play
amongst the elements in the hardest storms, and the confidence this
gave to those under his command, on many occasions, is not to be
described.

"The reduced peace complement of the crew made it necessary that
they should work watch-and-watch, and one part of his system was,
that the watch on deck, assisted by the idlers, should be in the
habit of making themselves equal to every call of duty, without
trespassing on the rest of those whose turn it was to be below. I
remember relieving the deck one night after eight o'clock, when the
captain was carrying on the duty, and shortening sail upon the
quick approach of a severe gale, and being an old sailor for my
age, being then sixteen, he ordered me to the mizentop, to close