case of discipline that occurred while we were on board. The steamer was shockingly dirty, and in an almost filthy condition,--the deck affording no place where a woman could remain with unsoiled skirts. Indeed, excepting in the most miserable hovels of the foreign poor in the outskirts of the city of New York, I never met with such disgusting untidiness and want of cleanliness. With these surroundings personal neatness was out of the question, and my garments became shockingly soiled and unsightly. But _malgré_ this pitiable plight, with all its attendant exposure to the vulgar gaze and criticisms of the low and degraded men composing the officers and crew of the _Florida_, it was, with the exception of an occasional emotion of contempt and righteous indignation, entirely lost sight of in the absorbing thought and prayer for a speedy deliverance from such an unhallowed atmosphere. Saturday wore slowly away, and after another fearful night the Sabbath found us again chasing one of our vessels. On such a ship as the _Florida_ any appearance of properly regarding the day would have presented an anomaly,--the habits of both officers and men, and the iniquitious business in which they were engaged, being so thoroughly in keeping with their surroundings. The crew were at work as usual during the whole day, some scraping the masts, and all on the _qui vive_, and animated with the idea of bagging and burning another “Yankee.” Captain Maffit did not know that it was Sunday until the fact was alluded to by one of our number in his presence, which caused him to exclaim,--“Sunday! Is it Sunday? I did not think of its being Sunday!” The burden of our prayers during the day was for the final escape of their anticipated victim, which proved to be a schooner, and got rid of her pursuers by skilful management, obliging them to tack ship repeatedly. The crew of the pirate, not being experienced sailors, were awkward and slow in performing their duties. They were mostly composed of the lowest class of Irish, with some few English and Scotch,--most of whom had formerly been in the rebel army, and were mere tyros in nautical matters. Captain Maffit told us, however, that he had drilled them at the guns until they could manage them with great celerity and effect.