nant, who
had joined him. "You must box her off, sir, if you please."

But Captain Carrington, although he could put the ship in irons, did not
know how to take her out.

"The ship is certainly most cursedly out of trim," observed he; "she'll
neither wear nor stay. Try her yourself, Mr Nourse," continued the
captain, "I'm sick of her;"--and with a heightened colour he handed the
speaking-trumpet over to the first-lieutenant.

"York, you're wanted," observed the lieutenant abaft to the
marine-officer, dropping down the corners of his mouth.

"York, you're wanted," tittered the midshipmen, in whispers, as they
passed each other.

"Well, I've won your grog, Jim," cried one of the marines, who was
standing at the forebrace; "I knew he'd never do it."

"He's like me," observed another, in a low tone; "he left school too
arly, and lost his edication."

Such were the results of injudicious patronage. A fine ship intrusted
to a boy, ignorant of his duty, laughed at, not only by the officers,
but even by the men; and the honour of the country at stake, and running
no small risk of being tarnished, if the frigate met with a vigorous
opponent. [It is true that an officer must now serve a certain time in
the various grades before promotion, which time as supposed to be
sufficient for him to acquire a knowledge of his profession; but whether
that knowledge is obtained, depends, as before, upon the young officer's
prospects in life. If from family interest he is _sure_ of promotion,
he is not quite so sure of being a seaman.] Thank God, this is now over!
Judicious regulations have put a stop to such selfish and short-sighted
patronage. Selfish, because those who were guilty of it risked the
honour of the nation to advance the interests of their _proteges_;
short-sighted, because it is of little use making a young man a captain
if you cannot make him an officer. I might here enter into a discussion
which might be of some use, but it would be out of place in a work
intended more for amusement than for instruction; nor would it in all
probability be read. I always make it a rule myself, to skip over all
those parts introduced in a light work which are of denser materials
than the rest; and I cannot expect but that others will do the same.
There is a time and place for all things; and like the master of
Ravenscourt, "I bide my time."

The frigate dashed gallantly through the water, at one time careening to
an adverse wi