tools for
the various departments, and muskets, and cutlasses, and pistols, and
bullets. No powder, however, came; and Ben learned that that would not
be brought on board till the ship was out at Spithead. This rule was
made because of accidents which had occurred formerly, ships having been
blown up in the harbour, and been not only themselves destroyed, but
caused the destruction of others, and the lives of very many people.
Ben, however, saw the place where it was to be kept--a room lined with
iron, with two doors. Between the doors was a sort of anteroom, and the
outer door had an iron grating in it. There were means of flooding the
magazine, in case of the ship catching fire. Last of all, the
provisions and water were got on board--casks of beef and pork, and
flour, and groceries, and spirits; and there were candles, and clothing,
and (more necessary than most other things) water came alongside in
lighters, and was pumped up into large iron tanks at the bottom of the
ship. These tanks were large enough to allow a person to get into them
to clean them out. They were in the inside coated with lime, and Ben
was told that the water was kept in them fresh and pure for years.

The tools and stores were under the charge of three different
warrant-officers--the gunner, the boatswain, and the carpenter. The
first had everything connected with the guns, the shot, and powder; the
boatswain had charge of all the ropes, sails, anchors, and cables; and
the last of all, the woodwork, and spars, and pumps.

The provisions and clothing were under charge of the purser, who was an
officer of superior rank, living with the lieutenants and surgeon.
There was another officer, called the master, who also ranked with the
lieutenants. He had charge of the navigation of the ship.

When the ship was completely fitted out, a body of soldiers called
marines, under the command of a lieutenant, came on board. There was
also one cabin full of young gentlemen, called midshipmen, their ages
varying from thirteen up to five or six-and-twenty; with them, however,
were the captain's and purser's clerks, and master's assistants, and
assistant surgeons. They had two or three boys to attend on them. Ben
was very glad that he was not selected for the duty, as the young
gentlemen were frequently somewhat thoughtless in the way they treated
the boys.

Above all the rest was the captain, who was answerable to no one on
board; but he was boun