its accompanying jollification ashore. But
when the request for it was made Captain Pigot point-blank refused in
language of the most intemperate and abusive character, stigmatising the
whole crew as, without exception, a pack of skulking, cowardly ruffians.
He added a pretty broad hint that in his opinion the officers were
nearly, if not quite as bad as the men, and finished up by swearing
roundly that not a man or boy, forward or aft, should set foot on shore,
even though the ship should remain in harbour until she grounded upon
her own beef-bones.

This was exasperating enough in all conscience, even for the hands
forward, who, though there were certainly some rough characters among
them, were by no means _all_ bad--indeed a full half of the entire crew
were really as smart willing fellows as one need wish to see; but it was
even worse for the officers, for we had all been looking eagerly forward
to a certain ball which was about to be given by the governor, to which
every one of us had received an invitation. The disappointment was so
keen and so general that good-natured "old David"--as our genial "first"
was dubbed by all hands--took it upon himself to respectfully
remonstrate with the skipper upon so arbitrary and high-handed a
treatment of the ship's company, with no result, however, except that
the first lieutenant received an unmitigated snubbing for his pains.

The revictualling of the ship was completed about five o'clock in the
evening upon which the ball was to take place; there was plenty of time,
therefore, for us aft to have availed ourselves of the governor's
invitation had the skipper seen fit, but he remained obdurate, and we
consequently had to content ourselves with watching the departure of the
officers from the other ships, and framing such excuses as came
uppermost at the moment in reply to the inquiries of such of them as
passed near us as to why we were not going. This was made all the more
difficult from the fact that, though we were under orders to sail at
daybreak next morning, there were no less than three other ships in
harbour similarly circumstanced, the officers of which were nevertheless
going to be present at the ball. The only consolation we could find was
in the reflection that, whereas the others would commence the duties of
the next day fagged out with a long night's dancing, we should rise to
them refreshed, with a more or less sound night's rest; and with this
small crumb