apprenticeship began, and I soon made myself at home among our sailors,
who all of them, officers, petty officers, and seamen alike, not only
showed me an affection which won my heart from the very outset, but took
every pains to make my stay amongst them a pleasant one, while each in
his own special sphere initiated me into all the details of my duty.

The Arthemise was a fine sailing frigate, of fifty-two guns, with huge
spars--one of the most elegant types of the old-fashioned ships, but an
old-fashioned ship she was indeed. We even had hempen cables instead of
chain ones! The crew, drawn almost exclusively from the lists of
registered seamen, was active and bold on the rigging, but somewhat
insubordinate. The words of command were given amidst volleys of oaths,
and carried out under a hail of blows dealt by the petty officers. The
superior officers, who had all belonged to the old Imperial Navy, clung
to that detestable habit, which has cost us so many reverses, of
completely neglecting the military side of the ship's drill. The only
thing they looked to was navigation. There was indeed a routine of
regulation practice carried out, but it was utterly ridiculous. The ne
plus ultra of perfection in artillery drill, for instance, was supposed
to be when at the word "Ram" all the thirteen rammers of the ship's
battery struck the bore of the guns with irreproachable simultaneity!
Now and then there was a rehearsal of the drill book, but it was always
done amidst universal sleepiness and inattention. There never was one
day's practice, nor even one shot fired, during the whole cruise.

The commander gave me boatswains and sailors to teach me the various
details of my duty, and I soon learnt to give things their right names,
to tie knots, and to climb about the rigging too, though I did not
manage that, the first time, without being horribly frightened. I
remember, when I got as far as the topgallant crosstrees, clinging on,