ean time my poor father may starve," said Newton, with a
sigh, not addressing those around him, but giving utterance to his
thoughts.

The captain turned away, and paced the quarter-deck with the
first-lieutenant. At last he was overheard to say--"It's a very hard
case, certainly. Forster, can you navigate?" continued the captain,
addressing Newton.

"Yes, sir, I can work up a dead reckoning, and take the sun's altitude."

"Very well, that will do.--Mr Pittson, you may dismiss them. Are they
put into messes?"

"All, sir."

"It's twelve o'clock, sir," said the master, touching his hat, with his
quadrant in his hand.

"Make it so, and pipe to dinner."

Newton was stationed in the foretop. In a few days the awkwardness
arising from the novelty of the scene and from the superior dimensions
of every variety of equipment on board of the frigate, compared to the
small craft to which he had been accustomed, passed away. The order
which was exacted to preserve discipline, the precision with which the
time was regulated, the knowledge of the duty allotted to him, soon made
him feel that no more was exacted than what could easily be performed,
and that there was no hardship in serving on board of a man-of-war; the
only hardship was, the manner in which he had been brought there.
Although he often sighed as he thought of his father and mother, he did
his duty cheerfully, and was soon distinguished as a most promising
young sailor.

Captain Northfleet was a humane and good officer, and his
first-lieutenant followed in his steps, and equally deserved the
character. Before the ship's company had been six weeks together, they
were in a tolerable state of discipline; and proved such to be the case,
by acknowledging that they were happy. This, added to the constant
excitement of chasing and capturing the vessels of the enemy with the
anticipation of prize-money, soon made most of those who had been
impressed, forget what had occurred, or cease to lament it as a
hardship. The continual exercise of the guns was invariably followed up
by a general wish that they might fall in with an enemy of equal force,
to ascertain whether such constant drilling had been thrown away upon
them. The Terpsichore received supplies of provisions and water from
other ships, and for nine months continued a successful cruise.

Several prizes had already been captured, and sent home to England. The
complement of the frigate was materially re