drously dry and
comfortable in a sea-way. Her armament had been, like her ballast,
removed to the wharf, and I understood from the foreman in charge that
it was to be replaced by one somewhat lighter; but when I stepped on
shore and saw the guns--eight long eighteens, with a long thirty-two
mounted on a pivot for the forecastle--I inwardly resolved that, since
she had been able to carry them so far, she should continue to do so if
my powers of persuasion could be made to avail anything with the
admiral. She had accommodation for eighty men forward, and a cabin
abaft which for size and elegance of fittings would not have disgraced a
frigate. Poor Courtenay was so completely overwhelmed with admiration
that I really felt quite sorry for him; hitherto there had been nothing
approachable in his opinion to the felucca--which, by the bye, I have
forgotten to say was called the _Esmeralda_--but now she was dwarfed
into insignificance in every respect by the _Dolphin_, and her young
skipper quite put out of conceit with her. However, I consoled myself,
if not him, with the reflection that, the _Dolphin_ once out of sight,
he would forget all about her. Having given the craft a thorough
overhaul, we sauntered off to the naval hospital, only a short distance
from the dockyard gates, to see how our wounded were progressing, and
also--to tell the whole truth--that my boat's crew might have an
opportunity to take a good look at the schooner, which I felt sure would
so favourably impress them that I should have little difficulty in
persuading them to enter for her.

We remained in the hospital about an hour, and on our return to the
dockyard I just caught a glimpse of my men tumbling over the schooner's
side back into their boat, so I had good hopes of finding that they had
one and all swallowed my bait.

Shoving off, I put Courtenay on board his craft and then proceeded to
the _Foam_, where I was kept pretty busy for the remainder of the day
preparing to pay off, as I had no clerk to help me. I allowed the hands
to go to dinner without saying anything to them, to give the "gigs" an
opportunity to discuss the _Dolphin_ with their shipmates, as I felt
sure they would, but before they turned-to after dinner I sent for them
aft and made my maiden speech, which ran somewhat as follows:

"My lads," said I, "I have sent for you to tell you that the _Foam_ will
be paid off to-morrow. And I wish to take advantage of the opportunity