him that the discipline on board her was worse than on a
privateer, and that he would neither punish for insubordination nor have
the decks washed. "In consequence of which," continued the Admiral, "I was
obliged to order a Court of Inquiry. The report was to his disadvantage;
he was advised to go on shore, to which, after some hesitation, he
consented, and another captain was applied for. You have superseded him,
and I make no doubt you will soon make her once more a man-of-war." I
thanked him for his kind communication, and assured him that zeal on my
part should not be wanting to make her equal to one of his best cruisers.
On rejoining the ship, as I had been the first lieutenant for five years
in former ships, I told the officers I wished to make my own observation
on the men's conduct, and I would endeavour to effect a reform when I
found it necessary. The officers, with the exception of the master, who
was a rough, practical seaman, were gentlemanly, well-informed men, and I
was not surprised at their wishing to get rid of their insane chief,
although, in any other case, it might have proved to them a difficult and
probably a dangerous experiment. A few days afterwards I called on him. I
found him in small lodgings in an obscure part of the town. I was
accompanied by Captain J., an old messmate of his in former times. He
neither knew us nor asked us to take a seat. He had a large loaf under his
left arm, and in his right hand a dinner knife. He appeared to wear the
same chocolate-coloured chemise and beard, his stockings were down over
his shoes, and his clothes all over flue. We wished him health and
happiness, to which he returned no answer, but began cutting his loaf. The
people of the house told us he would neither wash himself nor take his
clothes off when going to bed, but that he was perfectly quiet. I
understood, before I sailed, that his sister had come from the north of
England to stay with him, and that she had been of great use to him.

CHAPTER XXII.

OFF BOULOGNE.

Sent to watch the French flotilla off Boulogne--Monotonous
duty--Return to Sheerness to refit--Story of Billy Culmer--More
cruising off Boulogne--Return to England.

On the ninth day after joining, we sailed to cruise off Boulogne. The
vessel I now commanded was a brig sloop of fourteen 24-pounders, the
ship's company by no means a ba