se most interested in it knew of its progress.

To day he was to hoist his flag as full admiral for the first time; and
on this morning a deputation of the ship's company awaited on him in his
cabin to make the presentation. The captain, in a few suitable words,
having introduced the representatives, and the admiral having responded
to their presentation address in simple, unaffected, heartfelt language,
the flag was soon fluttering in lazy folds aloft, to be saluted at
"eight bells" by the shore battery and foreign men-of-war in harbour. A
most innocent thing that flag, and scarcely could we conceive that it
was destined to become the occasion of newspaper paragraphs,
parliamentary questionings, admiralty minutes, and that sort of thing,
but it was so to be. By one of the regulations of the service no officer
may receive presents or testimonials from his men--hence the
correspondence. It is, however, satisfactory to know that in the present
instance the admiralty allowed the admiral to retain our flag.

January 7th.--To-day's mail proved a complete hoax. By it we were
speedily to be relieved--so said all our private letters, so
corroborated the officers, and even the admiral seemed to give a certain
amount of credence to the rumour. But need I say it was a chimera. The
papers are to blame for all this; for they stated that Admiral Willes
had inspected the "Swiftsure" and had found her in every way fit for his
flag-ship. This was all true; but what wasn't, was--that she is to come
out to relieve us.

February 16th.--A month since--and if anyone had asked us where we
should be bound when next we slipped from the buoy, we should have
answered with a joyful "_homeward_!" To-day we know better. We are
speeding Singapore-ward, it is true, but not to meet our relief. The
voyage into those torrid seas was not momentous, and a week afterwards
we lay alongside the coaling jetty before spoken of.

And now we became aware that quite an unexpected and perhaps in some
respects--judging from after experience--not altogether a welcome change
was about to be made in our executive. The admiral, of course, leaves
under any circumstances; but, further, the captain, commander, and
staff-commander were to be superseded, their reliefs being already on
the passage out. In addition, the chaplain and Mr. Clarke were to leave,
though at their own request.

By the mail of the 26th the first instalment of our fresh officers
arrived. These wer