Presently I saw a blue boat-cloak, surmounted by a gold-laced cocked hat, and a sword protruding. I stepped on one side and saluted. “Who are you, youngster? and what’s your name?” I soon squeaked out that I belonged to His Majesty’s ship _Tweed_, just returned from leave, and was going to report myself. Name Keppel. “Come along with me.” I was shortly ushered out of the cold into the presence of Mrs. Hunn and two charming young ladies in a warm drawing-room, and dinner ready. Never was such good fortune! Never was I so hungry! [Illustration: _Meeting the Captain._] The coxswain was sent for my clothes, a bed made up on the sofa. The next day I was installed “gig’s midshipman.” Rather a good beginning, which I fully appreciated. I did not trouble myself about the fitting out. Just before starting we were supplied with a proportion of smugglers, whose penalty for defrauding His Majesty was to serve before the mast on board a man-of-war. They were equal to our best seamen. We sailed from Portsmouth on April 12, Mrs. Hunn and my playfellows with us. We saluted the flag of our Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Sir James Hawkins Whitshed, and anchored at Spithead, which we left on 18th, anchoring successively at Cowes, Yarmouth Roads, and Plymouth Sound, saluting the flag of the Hon. A. J. Cochrane. Among the frequent anchorings and departures I learnt some of the various duties expected of officers of my particular rank. One of these was to hold a dip in the tier while the great hempen cable attached to the anchor was being hove in, and stowed by quartermasters below the reach of daylight. It was a neat piece of seamanship, on which the best and the least experienced of petty officers were employed. The tier was a large oblong space. The end of the working cable was secured in the bottom of the ship, frequently round the heel of the mainmast. To heave in the cable with anchor attached required a “messenger” without an end. This was a small cable of proper proportions passed round the capstan and forebits, so that one side ran parallel to the cable, to which it was secured by nippers that held it until near the hatchway above the cable tier. As the nippers were taken off, boys were stationed to carry them forward to be reapplied; the capstan bars were manned by marines and seamen not stationed aloft. We youngsters had to hold the dips to enable the petty officers to see that each bend was closely packed, the centre, where they worked, being clear. The coil in the tier not exceeding three or four feet, according to size and space, we had to jump smartly with our dips on the words, “Side out for a bend.” The expression was used long after chain cables were introduced. “Purser’s dip” was a strip of cotton soaked in tallow until it grew into a young candle. Bumboats were the delight of us youngsters. If one wanted to enjoy a pot of clotted cream, the best way was to carry it aloft, taking a foot of pigtail to propitiate the captain of the top.