“Where the deuce have you been, youngster, all this time? and what possessed you to go cruising about amongst the whole fleet at such a rate?” “I hope I shall learn to do better, sir,” I stammered out. “There is much room for improvement, I am sure,” he cried. I was made painfully sensible, by the tartness of this reproach, that there was no very extraordinary degree of professional sagacity in what I had recently done about the fire near the magazine. I had been taking some credit to myself for not bawling out ‘fire! fire!’ and especially for having thought of the pots of beer—but this brilliant piece of service seemed now all forgotten! Officers, and other persons in authority, should therefore be careful how they strike young folks with their tongues; for, although the wounds made do not shew upon the skin like those caused by steel or lead, they often sink deeper into the feelings, and frequently remain rankling there much longer than was intended, or than is useful. Of course, I was excessively mortified; but the justice of the officer’s censure was so obvious, and the ridicule of the seamen in the boat, even subdued as it was, so fair, that I soon saw I had nothing to do but to set about learning to steer forthwith, and to lose no time in finding out what ‘striking top-gallant-masts’ could possibly mean. CHAPTER III. SPECIMENS OF COCK-PIT DISCIPLINE. I skip over many other anecdotes at Portsmouth, in order to get fairly out to sea; for I never felt completely disengaged from the thraldom of school, and fully adrift on the wide world of independent life, till we had left the white cliffs of old England many leagues astern. The following brief despatch was penned just before starting; and I can remember the mixture of exultation, and undefined dread of something that was to come which I experienced, while I was writing it:— _“H. M. S. Leander, Spithead, July 11, 1802._ “Yesterday the captain received his sailing orders, and we have now got up a Blue Peter at the fore-top, which is a signal for immediate sailing. We are just going to unmoor ship, and shall sail for Halifax immediately. So, farewell to England!”