-chest his
invaliding suit.

Whatever impression this anecdote may make on the reader, if it be one
injurious to the doctor, we beg to tell him, that he proved a very
blessing to the ship,--the kind friend, as well as the skilful and
tender physician, the promoter of every social enjoyment, the soother of
conflicting passions, the interceder for the offending, and the
peace-maker for all.

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

PAVING-STONES SOMETIMES PROVE STUMBLING-BLOCKS--A DISQUISITION ON THE
FIGURATIVE, ENDS BY RALPH FIGURING AT THE MAST-HEAD, THUS EXTENDING HIS
VIEWS UPON THE SUBJECT.

The next morning at daylight we weighed, and, by the aid of much firing
of guns, and the display of unmeasured bunting, we got the whole of the
convoy out of the cove by noon, with two men-of-war brigs bringing up
the rear. Shortly after losing sight of land, bad weather came on, in
which poor Gubbins was drowned, as I have before narrated.

By the time that we had reached Madeira, the ship's company had settled
into good order, and formed that concentrated principle which enabled
them to act as one man. It was a young and a fine crew, made up of
drafts of twenties and thirties from different vessels, thanks to the
nepotism of the treasurer of the navy.

We also began to understand each other's characters, and to study the
captain's. Mischief was his besetting sin. Naturally malignant he was
not, but inconsiderate to a degree that would make you think that his
heart was really bad. One of his greatest pleasures was that of placing
people in awkward and ludicrous situations. He very soon discovered the
fattest men among the masters of the merchant vessels; and, when we had
run far enough to the southward to make sitting in an open boat very
unpleasant, he would in light winds, make a signal for one of his jolly
friends to come on board, the more especially if he happened to be far
astern. Then began Captain Reud's enjoyment. After two hours' hard
pulling, the master would be seen coming up astern, wiping his brows,
and, when within hail, Reud would shout to him to give away--and, just
as he reached the stern ladder, the main-topsail of the frigate would be
shivered, and the boat again be left half a mile astern. Another
attempt, and another failure, the captain meanwhile gloating over the
poor man's misery with the suppressed chuckle of delight, in which you
would fancy a monkey to indulge after he had perpetrated some
irreparab