department of these mysterious store-rooms
is the armoury, where the spikes, cutlasses, pistols, and belts,
forming the arms of the boarders in time of action, are hung against
the walls, and suspended in thick rows from the beams overhead. Here,
too, are to be seen scores of Colt's patent revolvers, which, though
furnished with but one tube, multiply the fatal bullets, as the naval
cat-o'-nine-tails, with a cannibal cruelty, in one blow nine times
multiplies a culprit's lashes; so that when a sailor is ordered one
dozen lashes, the sentence should read one hundred and eight. All these
arms are kept in the brightest order, wearing a fine polish, and may
truly be said to _reflect_ credit on the Yeoman and his mates.

Among the lower grade of officers in a man-of-war, that of Yeoman is
not the least important. His responsibilities are denoted by his pay.
While the _petty officers_, quarter-gunners, captains of the tops, and
others, receive but fifteen and eighteen dollars a month--but little
more than a mere able seamen--the Yeoman in an American line-of-battle
ship receives forty dollars, and in a frigate thirty-five dollars per
month.

He is accountable for all the articles under his charge, and on no
account must deliver a yard of twine or a ten-penny nail to the
boatswain or carpenter, unless shown a written requisition and order
from the Senior Lieutenant. The Yeoman is to be found burrowing in his
underground store-rooms all the day long, in readiness to serve
licensed customers. But in the counter, behind which he usually stands,
there is no place for a till to drop the shillings in, which takes away
not a little from the most agreeable part of a storekeeper's duties.
Nor, among the musty, old account-books in his desk, where he registers
all expenditures of his stuffs, is there any cash or check book.

The Yeoman of the Neversink was a somewhat odd specimen of a
Troglodyte. He was a little old man, round-shouldered, bald-headed,
with great goggle-eyes, looking through portentous round spectacles,
which he called his _barnacles_. He was imbued with a wonderful zeal
for the naval service, and seemed to think that, in keeping his pistols
and cutlasses free from rust, he preserved the national honour
untarnished. After _general quarters_, it was amusing to watch his
anxious air as the various _petty officers_ restored to him the arms
used at the martial exercises of the crew. As successive bundles would
be deposite