I was serving as second lieutenant in a despatch boat, the _Foxhound_, in the Mediterranean, commanded by the Honourable A. C. Hobart, afterwards Hobart Pasha, who served in the Turkish Navy for some years. The Commander-in-Chief had been for some three or four days inspecting my ship, and we had arrived at the last subject of inspection--the boats manned and armed. I was ordered to take all our boats alongside the flagship, to be examined in detail. No sooner was I alongside than Captain Stewart came down the accommodation ladder to confer about my boats. Just at that moment the pipe went on board the _Marlborough_ to cross royal yards and loose sails. The ship had been refitting; her topmasts were struck; the yards were down and across the hammock nettings. Thus, as all sailors will understand, the evolution about to be performed was a very big business. No sooner was the pipe given than 1300 men forming the crew were rushing to their stations up ladders and hatchways; and, beyond the pit-a-pat of feet, not a sound was to be heard. Stewart, bored to death at having to inspect my boats at that moment, instead of being at his post on the poop, said to me, by way of consolation, “Montagu, can you hear a pin drop?” He meant to indicate how proud he felt that his 1300 men were rushing to their stations in perfect silence. “Well, sir,” I answered, “it’s a remarkable sign of the order of your ship that not a sound is to be heard.” “Yes, Montagu: this is the ship you ought to be in,” he said. Beyond an occasional order from the Commander aft, or from the first lieutenant forward, no human voice, as a rule, was heard; and most of the orders were carried out by flag-signals. If any voice was heard, or the slightest confusion arose on any part of the deck, or aloft, the bugle immediately sounded the “Still”; and not a soul moved. It was curious to see the strange positions of arms and legs at such moments. I believe that the bugle on deck was first used in the _Marlborough_; and, to my mind, it did heighten immensely the discipline of a ship’s company. If a dilemma occurred, the bugle was sounded; and the men were so trained to it that all orders could be spoken quietly, steadying everything on the spot. I need not say that my inspection ended soon. Captain Stewart glanced into the boats, and, not being able to resist the temptation to go on to his poop, whispered to me, “Go back to your ship: your boats are all correct.” On being appointed to the _Raleigh_, Keppel was given the rank of Commodore, as second in command of the China station, our destination. Consequently, we flew a blue broad pennant at the fore; and I was very proud of this, as, on joining, I was made his signal midshipman. The other midshipmen in command of boats very soon had the blue burgee painted on the bows of their craft.