ly shall not," replied I; but as I could not prove who
ordered the tarts, and did not think it fair that the woman should lose
her money, I went up and paid the bill, with a determination never to
open an account with anybody again.

But this left my pockets quite empty, so I wrote to my father, stating
the whole transaction, and the consequent state of my finances. My
father, in his answer, observed that whatever might have been their
motives, my messmates had done me a friendly act; and that as I had lost
my money by my own carelessness, I must not expect that he would allow
me any more pocket-money. But my mother, who added a postscript to his
letter, slipped in a five-pound note, and I do believe that it was with
my father's sanction, although he pretended to be very angry at my
forgetting his injunctions.

A few days before this, Mr Falcon, the first lieutenant, ordered me to
put on my side-arms to go away on duty. I replied that I had neither
dirk nor cocked hat, although I had applied for them. He laughed at my
story, and sent me on shore with the master, who bought them, and the
first lieutenant sent up the bill to my father, who paid it, and wrote
to thank him for his trouble. That morning, the first lieutenant said
to me, "Now, Mr Simple, we'll take the shine off that cocked hat and
dirk of yours. You will go in the boat with Mr O'Brien, and take care
that none of the men slip away from it and get drunk at the tap."

This was the first time that I had ever been sent away on duty, and I
was very proud of being an officer in charge. I put on my full uniform,
and was ready at the gangway a quarter of an hour before the men were
piped away. We were ordered to the dockyard to draw sea-stores. When
we arrived there, I was quite astonished at the piles of timber, the
ranges of storehouses, and the immense anchors which lay on the wharf.
There was such a bustle, everybody appeared to be so busy, that I wanted
to look every way at once. Close to where the boat landed, they were
hauling a large frigate out of what they called the basin; and I was so
interested with the sight, that I am sorry to say, I quite forgot all
about the boat's crew, and my orders to look after them. Two of the
men: belonging to the boat slipped away, and on my return they were not
to be seen, I was very much frightened, for I knew that I had neglected
my duty, and that on the first occasion on which I had been entrusted
with respons