"And what do you mean by it, sir? What do you mean by it?" he exclaimed, waxing more and more wroth. "I thought, sir--" I began. "You thought, sir!" "Yes, sir," continued I, my Highland blood getting uppermost, "I _did_ think that, the case being one of ulcer of an _erysipelatous_ nature, I was--" "Erysipelatous ulcer!" interrupting me. "Oh!" said he, "that alters the case. Why did you not say so at first? I beg your pardon;" and he trotted off again. "All right," thought I, "old Gruff. I guess you are sorry you spoke." But although there are not wanting medical officers in the service who, on being promoted to staff-surgeon, appear to forget that ever they wore less than three stripes, and can keep company with no one under the rank of commander, I am happy to say they are few and far between, and every year getting more few and farther between. It is a fine thing to be appointed for, say three or four years to a home hospital; in fact, it is the assistant-surgeon's highest ambition. Next, in point of comfort, would be an appointment at the Naval Hospital of Malta, Cape of Good Hope, or China. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Note 1. The acting assistant-surgeons are those who have not as yet served the probationary year, or been confirmed. They are liable to be dismissed without a court-martial. CHAPTER SIX. AFLOAT. A STORM IN BISCAY BAY. A WORD ON BASS'S BEER. For the space of six weeks I lived in clover at Haslar, and at the end of that time my appointment to a sea-going ship came. It was the pleasure of their Lordships the Commissioners, that I should take my passage to the Cape of Good Hope in a frigate, which had lately been put in commission and was soon about to sail. Arrived there, I was to be handed over to the flag-ship on that station for disposal, like so many stones of salt pork. On first entering the service every medical officer is sent for one commission (three to five years) to a foreign station; and it is certainly very proper too that the youngest and strongest men, rather than the oldest, should do the rough work of the service, and go to the most unhealthy stations.