f promotion--not but what Dicky had a very kind
feeling for the said third lieutenant. He was always ready to do him
any service, to lend him his books or money; the latter the lieutenant
was most fond of borrowing: still Dicky and he were very good friends;
Dicky had plenty of money, and Peter Sims, the third lieutenant, had
none. How he had got his promotion was surprising to those who knew
him, till it was whispered about that he had a very near relative in a
high position, who had no difficulty in obtaining it for him. Sims was,
however, generally liked; he was very inoffensive, he never talked about
himself or his friends, seemed to wish to be let alone, and to let
others alone. He was always ready to do a good-natured action, to take
a brother officer's watch, or to give up his own leave to accommodate
another.

Before the mast there were several hands who had served in the "Thisbe,"
when commanded by Captain Courtney. Two had attached themselves
especially to Ronald--one was Job Truefitt, and the other Bobby Doull.
No men could have been more faithful or attached than they were to him--
Job regarded him as his son, and constituted himself his guardian, while
Bobby looked up to him as to a superior being whom it was an honour to
follow and obey.

The frigate was bound out to the land so famed for tigers, and curry,
palanquins, pagodas, and prize-money--the East Indies; she had a quick
run down Channel, when a northerly breeze carried her almost to the
tropics.

Rio was visited; the frigate touched at the Cape, and finally anchored
at the mouth of the Hooghly, near the flag-ship of the admiral on the
station.

The usual compliments passed, the sails were furled, and shore-boats,
manned by strange-looking natives, with stranger-looking fruits and
vegetables, chattering unknown tongues intended to be English, came
alongside. The admiral himself was up at Calcutta, and everybody on
board the "Thisbe" was anxious to pay a visit to the city of palaces.
Sims offered to stop, but Rawson bluntly told him that he could not
trust the ship to his charge; so he, pocketing the compliment,
accompanied the captain and Morton, with two or three more of the
gun-room officers, and Glover and several of the midshipmen, up to the
city. They luckily took their full-dress uniforms with them; and having
lionised the city in palanquins all the day, they found themselves in
the evening at a magnificent ball, given by one of the