igate's deck, of which I had no previous conception, I saw a
broad-shouldered man, with large whiskers and a sunburnt countenance, in
the uniform of a master's mate, appear from below, and approach. He
touched his cap to the lieutenant, without looking at me, and asked for
what he wanted him.

"To take charge of this youngster, Mr Owen," answered the lieutenant.
"You must dispose of his traps as you best can. The superfluous ones
will, I doubt not, be soon expended. Introduce him to the mess, and see
that he gets into no mischief."

"Ay, ay, sir. I have had many a youngster to look after in my time
(some are now post-captains), and I know how to treat them," he
answered, glancing at me with as much indifference as if I were a lady's
poodle committed to his charge.

There was a sympathy between the lieutenant and the mate--the first
might have been an admiral as far as age was concerned, the second a
post-captain. Without speaking, he led me into the midshipman's berth.
There were a good many people seated round the table, of all ages--
assistant-surgeons, and clerks, and master's-assistants, besides
midshipmen and master's mates, as passed midshipmen were called.

"Let me introduce to your favourable notice, gentlemen, Mr Harry
Nugent," he said, leading me in by the hand with much ceremony, but
speaking in a tone which sounded somewhat sarcastic. It struck me as
odd at the time that he should have known my name, as the lieutenant had
not told him. "I must go and look after his traps," he added, as the
rest of the party made room for me.

They treated me kindly enough, offering me dinner, which had just been
placed on the table, but the food looked very coarse, and I was too sick
to touch anything. They soon drew from me all the information I had to
give about myself, and when they learned that I was an elder son, with
large expectations, and was to have what seemed an unlimited supply of
money, some of the older ones treated me with far more respect than at
first.

"I wonder what could have induced you to come to sea, to be kicked and
cuffed by your superiors, till you are big enough to kick and cuff
others in return," observed an oldster, John Pearson I found was his
name. "If I had had a tenth of your tin, I'd have stayed on shore to
the end of my days. The sea is only fit for poor beggars like you and
me, Owen. Isn't that the case?"

A curious expression passed over Owen's countenance, and a frown