ow totally
altered, and that under the present regime every officer, whatever his
rank, is treated like a gentleman, or he, or his friends, can know 'the
reason why.'

I am writing of a period some fifteen or twenty years after Marryat had
astonished the world by his thrilling descriptions of a naval officer's
life and its accompanying troubles. At the time of which I write people
flattered themselves that the sufferings which 'Midshipman Easy' and
'The Naval Officer' underwent while serving the Crown were tales of the
past. I will show by what I am about very briefly to relate that such
was very far from being the case.

Everything being prepared, and good-bye being said to my friends, who
seemed rather glad to be rid of me, I was allowed to travel from London
on the box of a carriage which contained the great man who had given me
the nomination (captains of men-of-war were very great men in those
days), and after a long weary journey we arrived at the port where
H.M.S.---- was lying ready for sea. On the same night of our arrival the
sailing orders came from the Admiralty; we were to go to sea the next
day, our destination being South America.

Being a very insignificant individual, I was put into a waterman's boat
with my chest and bed, and was sent on board. On reporting myself, I was
told by the commanding officer not to bother him, but to go to my mess,
where I should be taken care of. On descending a ladder to the lower
deck, I looked about for the mess, or midshipmen's berth, as it was then
called. In one corner of this deck was a dirty little hole about ten
feet long and six feet wide, five feet high. It was lighted by two or
three dips, otherwise tallow candles, of the commonest
description--behold the mess!

In this were seated six or seven officers and gentlemen, some
twenty-five to thirty years of age, called mates, meaning what are now
called sub-lieutenants. They were drinking rum and water and eating
mouldy biscuits; all were in their shirtsleeves, and really, considering
the circumstances, seemed to be enjoying themselves exceedingly.

On my appearance it was evident that I was looked upon as an interloper,
for whom, small as I was, room must be found. I was received with a
chorus of exclamations, such as, 'What the deuce does the little fellow
want here?' 'Surely there are enough of us crammed into this beastly
little hole!' 'Oh, I suppose he is some protege of the captain's,' &c.
&c.

At last