When it is desired to “house” or send down the topgallant-mast, the man at the top-masthead pulls out the fid on which the topgallant-mast rests. The fid is composed of wood, shod with iron in parts, and for the purpose of extraction is fitted with a “grummet” of rope, or hemp handle. In ordinary weather there is not much difficulty in extracting the fid, and most Able-seamen, holding on with their legs, manage to get both hands on to the grummet and pull out the fid; on this occasion, however, continuous rain had caused the mast to swell, and the fid was embedded tightly; as the ship rolled heavily in the trough of the sea, the man at the top-masthead did not care to trust to his legs, and therefore put only one hand on the fid-grummet. We were losing time, and Burgoyne, with strong language at the man for his want of courage, ran smartly aloft, and pushing him aside, put both hands on to the fid and attempted to withdraw it; at first he failed, for the swollen wood defeated his efforts. [Illustration: MR. E. WOOD, R.N., 1852] The Marines on deck, who had the weight of the mast on their arms during the several minutes which elapsed while the Bluejacket was making half-hearted efforts with one hand, had got tired of supporting three-quarters of a ton of dead weight, and thus it happened that just as Burgoyne, getting his fingers inside the hole, had slightly moved the fid, the Marines “coming up”--that is, slacking their hold--let the topgallant-mast down on Burgoyne’s hand, which was imprisoned by the tips of the fingers. He felt his hand could not be extricated until the weight was off it; if he had screamed, the fifty men on the topgallant-fall, _i.e._ the hoisting-rope, would have looked up, and he would have remained with his hand still imprisoned. With extraordinary fortitude and self-command, Burgoyne putting his disengaged hand to his mouth, hailed the deck, making himself heard above the gale. “On deck there.” “Ay, ay.” “Sway again.” The Marines throwing all their weight on the rope, lifted the mast, Burgoyne withdrew his hand, and then becoming unconscious, we sent him down in the bight of a rope. It is curious that[12] he and two others of our Mess were lost when in command. CHAPTER III 1853–4--LIFE ON BOARD A MAN OF WAR Her Majesty Queen Victoria with a steam fleet defeats a squadron of sailing line-of-battle ships--Rough weather in the Channel--Ship nearly wrecked in Grecian Archipelago--My first command--At Sinope--Captain Michell’s seamanship--I become a Midshipman--William Peel--Cholera in the Fleet--Reconnaissance of the Crimea. The young Bluejackets of H.M.S. _Queen_, trained under zealous and efficient officers, improved rapidly in seamanship, and on the 11th August 1853, did well in a Royal Review off the Isle of Wight.