would have wished to
retain, and their vacancies were soon filled up with better men.

Chapter XLII

We sail for the West Indies--A volunteer for the ship refused and set on
shore again, for reasons which the chapter will satisfactorily explain
to the reader.

We were very glad when the master-attendant came on board to take us
into the Sound; and still more glad to perceive that the brig, which had
just been launched before O'Brien was appointed to her, appeared to sail
very fast as she ran out. So it proved after we went to sea; she sailed
wonderfully well, beating every vessel that she met, and overhauling in
a very short time everything that we chased; turning to windward like
magic, and tacking in a moment. Three days after we anchored in the
Sound the ship's company were paid, and our sailing orders came down to
proceed with despatches, by next evening's post, to the island of
Jamaica. We started with a fair wind, and were soon clear of the
channel. Our whole time was now occupied in training our new ship's
company at the guns, and learning them _to pull together;_ and by the
time that we had run down the trades, we were in a very fair state of
discipline. The first lieutenant was rather an odd character; his
brother was a sporting man of large property, and he had contracted,
from his example, a great partiality for such pursuits. He knew the
winning horses of the Derby and the Oaks for twenty years back, was an
adept at all athletic exercises, a capital shot, and had his pointer on
board. In other respects, he was a great dandy in his person, always
wore gloves, even on service, very gentlemanlike and handsome, and not a
very bad sailor; that is, he knew enough to carry on his duty very
creditably, and evidently, now that he was the first lieutenant, and
obliged to work, learnt more of his duty every day. I never met a more
pleasant messmate or a more honourable young man. A brig is only allowed
two lieutenants. The master was a rough, kind-hearted, intelligent young
man, always in good humour. The surgeon and purser completed our mess;
they were men of no character at all, except, perhaps, that the surgeon
was too much of a courtier, and the purser too much of a skin-flint; but
pursers are, generally speaking, more sinned against than sinning.

But I have been led away, while talking of the brig and the officers,
and had almost forgotten to narrate a circumstance which occurred two
days before we s