"Well, sir, o' condition you has me again, sir, you know, sir,--and my name's McDonald;" and he pocketed the money, which I afterwards discovered was a _leetle_ too much. "McDonald," thought I--"my grandmother's name; the rascal thinks to come round me by calling himself a Scotchman--the idea of a McDonald being a waterman!" "Sir," said I, aloud, "it is my unbiassed opinion and firm conviction that you are--" I was going to add "a most unmitigated blackguard," but I noticed that he was a man of six feet two, with breadth in proportion, so I left the sentence unfinished. We were now within sight of the bristling sides of the old `Victory,' on the quarter-deck of which fell the great and gallant Nelson in the hour of battle and triumph; and I was a young officer about to join that service which can boast of so many brave and noble men, and brave and noble deeds; and one would naturally expect that I would indulge in a few dreams of chivalry and romance, picture to myself a bright and glorious future, pounds' weight of medals and crosses, including the Victoria, kiss the hilt of my sword, and all that sort of thing. I did not. I was too wretchedly cold for one reason, and the only feeling I had was one of shyness; as for duty, I knew I could and would do that, as most of my countrymen had done before me; so I left castle-building to the younger sons of noblemen or gentry, whose parents can afford to allow them two or three hundred pounds a year to eke out their pay and smooth the difficulties of the service. Not having been fortunate enough to be born with even a horn spoon in my mouth, I had to be content with my education as my fortune, and my navy pay as my only income. "Stabird side, I dessay, sir?" said the waterman. "Certainly," said I, having a glimmering idea that it must be the proper side. A few minutes after--"The Admiral's gig is going there, sir,--better wait a bit." I looked on shore and _did_ see a gig, and two horses attached to it. "No," said I, "decidedly not, he can't see us here, man. I suppose you want to go sticking your dirty wet oars in the air, do you?"--(I had seen pictures of this performance). "Drive on, I mean pull ahead, my hearty"--a phrase I had heard at the theatre, and considered highly nautical. The waterman obeyed, and here is what came of it. We were just approaching the ladder, when I suddenly became sensible of a rushing noise. I have a dim recollection of seeing a long, many-oared boat, carrying a large red flag, and with an old grey-haired officer sitting astern; of hearing a voice--it might have belonged to the old man of the sea, for anything I could have told to the contrary--float down the wind,-- "Clear the way with that (something) bumboat!" Then came a crash, my heels flew up--I had been sitting on the gunwale--and overboard I went with a splash, just as some one else in the long boat sang out. "Way enough!"