ample was worthy of imitation; but Peter observing my
tendency, very soon put their conduct in its true light.

"You see, Jack," said he, "those fellows are, in the first place, acting
a sneaking, unfair part, to their shipmates. The duty has to be got
through, and so the willing, good men, have to do the work which those
knaves neglect. Then they benefit by the laws of the country; and the
country would go to ruin if it was without a navy, and the navy could
not be kept up without the rules and regulations which they are always
trying to break through. As to their drunkenness, it unfits them for
duty. No man knows what he may do when he is drunk; and besides making
him ill at the time, he who drinks to excess is guilty of suicide, as so
doing will most certainly shorten his life. Just think what excuse will
a man have to offer when he has thus hurried himself into the presence
of his Maker! How awful will be the doom he cannot fail to receive!
Then, again, those idle fellows who try to avoid work, are always
getting into trouble, for no officer will find any excuse for them, or
attempt to shield them; and they thus spend a much longer time than they
idle away in the black list, or with the tingling of the cat on their
backs. But, Jack, I don't want any of these to be your motives for
acting rightly. One motive should be sufficient for us all--and that
is, the wish to do our duty to our God."

I repeat here my kind friend's advice, but it was long, very long,
before it seemed to sink into the sandy soil of my heart, and to bring
forth fruit. I am very glad that the press-gang system no longer
exists. No man can any longer be forced to serve on board a man-of-war.
The case, such as I have described, may appear hard when the master of
a merchantman was deprived of a considerable portion of his crew--hard
to him, and hard to the pressed-men, and harder in a pecuniary point of
view to the underwriters, the property they had insured being thereby
made much more liable to shipwreck; but still it was not one-tenth part
as hard as numberless cases which I have known during my career afloat.

Little did I think when, from the mast-head of the _Dolphin_, I first
saw the _Syren_ heave in sight, that before that time on the following
day I should form one of her crew. Such is the ever-changing scene of a
sailor's life!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

JACK A MAN-OF-WAR'S-MAN.

There is a time of life when a person feels tha