I went ashore with the boat, but the young
gemman's clothes warn't ready yet; so it was made up he was to come
aboard from Gravesend the day after. But his mother and an old lady, a
friend of theirs, would have it they'd go and see his bed-room, and take
a look at the ship. There was a bit of breeze with the tide, and the old
Indiaman bobbed up and down on it in the cold morning; you could hear
the wash of water poppling on to her rudder, with her running gear blown
out in a bend; and Missus Collins thought they'd never get up the dirty
black sides of the vessel, as she called 'em. The other said her husband
had been a captain, an' she laid claim to a snatch of knowledge.
"Sailor," says she to me, as we got under the quarter, "that there tall
mast is the main-bowsprit, ain't it? and that other is the gallant
bowling you call it, don't you?" says she. "No doubt, marm," says I,
winking to the boys not to laugh. "It's all right," I says. Howsoever,
as to the bed-room, the captain showed 'em over the cabin, and put 'em
off by saying the ship was so out of order he couldn't say which rooms
was to be which yet, though they needn't fear Master Ned would get all
comfortable; so ashore the poor woman went, pretty well pleased,
considerin' her heart was against the whole consarn.

Well, the next afternoon, lying off Gravesend, out comes a wherry with
young master. One of the men said there was a midshipman in it.
"Midshipman be blowed!" says I; "did ye ever see a reefer in a wherry,
or sitting out 'o the starn-sheets? It's neither more nor less nor the
greenhorn we've got." "Why don't the bo'sun pipe to man sideropes for
him!" says th' other; "but, my eye, Bob," says he to me; "what a sight
of traps the chap's got in the boat! 'twill be enough to heel the
Chester Castle to the side he berths upon, on an even keel. Do he mean
to have the captain's cabin, I wonder!" Up the side he scrambles, with
the help of a side-ladder, all togged out to the nines in a span-new
blue jacket and anchor buttons, a cap with a gould band, and white ducks
made to fit--as jemmy-jessamy a looking fellow as you'd see of a cruise
along London parks, with the waterman singing out alongside to send down
a tackle for the dunnage, which it took a pair of purchase-blocks to
hoist them out on board. "What's all this?" says the mate, coming
for'ard from the quarter-deck. "'Tis the young gemman's traps, sir," I
says. "What the devil!" says the mate, "d'ye think w