the United States I became acquainted with a large
portion of the senior officers of the American navy, and I found them
gifted, gentleman-like, and liberal. With them I could converse freely
upon all points relative to the last war, and always found them ready to
admit all that could be expected. The American naval officers certainly
form a strong contrast to the majority of their countrymen, and prove,
by their enlightened and liberal ideas, how much the Americans, in
general, would be improved if they enjoyed the same means of comparison
with other countries which the naval officers, by their profession, have
obtained. Their partial successes during the late war were often the
theme of discourse, which was conducted with candour and frankness on
both sides. No unpleasant feeling was ever excited by any argument with
them on the subject, whilst the question, raised amongst their "free and
enlightened" brother citizens, who knew nothing of the matter, was
certain to bring down upon me such a torrent of bombast, falsehood, and
ignorance, as required all my philosophy to submit to with apparent
indifference. But I must now take my leave of the American navy, and
notice their merchant marine.

Before I went to the United States I was aware that a large proportion
of our seamen were in their employ. I knew that the whole line of
packets, which is very extensive, was manned by British seamen; but it
was not until I arrived in the states that I discovered the real state
of the case.

During my occasional residence at New York, I was surprised to find
myself so constantly called upon by English seamen, who had served under
me in the different ships I had commanded since the peace. Every day
seven or eight would come, touch their hats, and remind me in what
ships, and in what capacity, they had done their duty. I had frequent
conversations with them, and soon discovered that their own expression,
"We are all here, sir," was strictly true. To the why and the
wherefore, the answer was invariably the same. "Eighteen dollars
a-month, sir." Some of them, I recollect, told me that they were going
down to New Orleans, because the sickly season was coming on; and that
during the time the yellow fever raged they always had a great advance
of wages, receiving sometimes as much as thirty dollars per month. I
did not attempt to dissuade them from their purpose; they were just as
right to risk their lives from contagion at thi