essels, to the prejudice of our own countrymen, Mr
Vanslyperken was of Dutch extraction, but born in England long before
the Prince of Orange had ever dreamt of being called to the English
throne. He was a near relation of King William's own nurse, and even in
these days that would cause powerful interest. Previous to the
revolution he had been laid on the shelf for cowardice in one of the
engagements between the Dutch and the English, he being then a
lieutenant on board of a two-decked ship, and of long, standing in the
service; but before he had been appointed to this vessel, he had served
invariably in small craft, and his want of this necessary qualification
had never been discovered. The interest used for him on the accession
of the Dutch king was sufficient for his again obtaining the command of
a small vessel. In those days, the service was very different from what
it is now. The commanders of vessels were also the pursers, and could
save a great deal of money by defrauding the crew: and further, the
discipline of the service was such as would astonish the modern
philanthropist; there was no appeal for subordinates and tyranny and
oppression, even amounting to the destruction of life, were practised
with impunity. Smollett has given his readers some idea of the state of
the service a few years after the time of which we are now writing, when
it was infinitely worse, for the system of the Dutch, notorious for
their cruelty, had been grafted upon that of the English. The
consequence was, a combination of all that was revolting to humanity was
practised, without any notice being taken of it by the superior powers,
provided that the commanders of the vessels did their duty when called
upon, and showed the necessary talent and courage.

Lieutenant Vanslyperken's character may be summed up in the three vices
of avarice, cowardice, and cruelty. A miser in the extreme, he had
saved up much money by his having had the command of a vessel for so
many years, during which he had defrauded and pilfered both from the men
and the government. Friends and connections he had none on this side of
the water, and, when on shore, he had lived in a state of abject misery,
although he had the means of comfortable support. He was now fifty-five
years of age. Since he had been appointed to the Yungfrau, he had been
employed in carrying despatches to the States-General from King William,
and had, during his repeated visits to the