er boys, and partakes of his food in the 'thieves' mess.

Now before leaving this subject, I may tell my readers that all local
boys are styles 'Cossacks'; consequently I was one. The Cossacks
were allowed to have a night's leave every alternate Saturday,
provided the parents of the boy wrote a request to the Commander for
it. The Cossacks generally brought aboard with them from their homes
a large handkerchief full of good things, and they were met by the
non-Cossacks in the gang-way ladder with this expression:--"Tally
you your tack and plush," which being interpreted, is: "Let me have
your allowance of bread and tea." It was understood that all Cossacks
would have their tea ashore, and therefore would not require the
naval tea when returning on board. Hence readers will now understand
why it is the boys who hail from London and the provinces grow so
stout in the training ship--it is because they eat, in addition to
their own allowance, the Cossacks' share.

Boys who were noted for being smart and clean wore a gold badge as a
token of the same. The advantages reaped from this badge were two in
number (V12): an extra half day's leave on Saturday, and one penny a
week additional pay. There were two other sets of boys who were
entitled to the first of these privileges (V12): the advanced
scholars in school, and members of the drum and fife band.
Accordingly, on Saturdays during the dinner-hour the boatswain's
mate would pipe: "Leave for badge-boy, advanced class, and drum and
fife band;" As I was a badge boy, and an advanced scholar, and a
flute-player, I nestled under the wing of this threefold privilege,
and used to think in my boyish pride, Who indeed has more right to go
ashore than I?

Before any boy is supposed to be ready for sea, he has to undergo in
addition to the 'Impregnable' studies, a course of gunnery, and from
ten to twelve weeks on a training brig. I underwent my gunnery course
in H.M.S. 'Foudroyant,' one of Nelson's flagships, which lay at that
time in close proximity to the 'Impregnable,' and I returned every
evening to the mother-ship. The two brigs which trained her boys were
the 'Nautilus' and the 'Pilot.' I was drafted to the latter for three
months. Speaking generally, daily sea trips were taken--that is to
say, that after making sail and slipping the buoy, we would leave
Plymouth Sound for the Channel, drill all day, and return to our
mooring in the evening, weary and fatigued, although, even