"Where's the gunner? Mr Hutt, bring up the keys from my cabin, and have all ready for clearing the magazines if required. Firemen, get your buckets to bear; carpenters, rig the pumps. Silence there, fore and aft." But the confusion became very great, and there evidently was a panic. The captain then interposed, calling out to the boatswain and his mates to send every man aft on the quarter-deck. This order was obeyed; the men came thronging like a flock of sheep, huddling together and breathless. "Silence there, my men," cried Captain Delmar--"silence. I say; is this the conduct of men-of-war's-men? Every man of you sit down on deck-- pass the word there for every man to sit down." The order was mechanically obeyed, and as soon as the ship's company were all seated, the captain said-- "I tell you what, my lads, I'm ashamed of you: the way to put out a fire is to be cool and calm, obeying orders and keeping silence. Now collect yourselves, all of you, for until you are all quiet and cool, you will sit where you are." After a pause of a few seconds-- "Now, my men, are you more steady? Recollect, be cool, and keep silence. Carpenter, are the pumps rigged?" "Yes, sir," replied the carpenter. "Now, firemen, go for your buckets; let nobody else move. Silence--not a word: three foremast guns main-deck, to your quarters. Silence and quiet, if you please. Now, are you all steady?--then, to your quarters, my men, and wait for orders." It was astonishing how collected the ship's company became by the judicious conduct of the captain, who now continued to command. When the men had gone down to their stations, he directed the two junior lieutenants to go and examine where the fire was, and to be careful not to lift the hatches if they discovered that it was in the spirit-room. I had been on the quarter-deck some time, and, being aware of the cause, of course was not at all alarmed: and I had exerted myself very assiduously in keeping the men cool and quiet, shoving the men down who were unwilling to sit down on the deck, and even using them very roughly; showing a great deal more _sang froid_ than any other of the officers, which of course was not to be wondered at. Mr Culpepper, who was most terribly alarmed, had come up on deck, and stood trembling close to the side of the captain and first lieutenant; he had pulled on his wig without discovering that it had been burnt, and as I passed him, the burnt smell was very strong indeed; so thought the captain and the first lieutenant, who were waiting the return of the officers. "I smell the fire very strong just now," said the captain to the first lieutenant. "Yes, sir, every now and then it is very strong," replied the first lieutenant. The purser's wig was just between them,--no wonder that they smelt it. After two or three minutes the officers came up, and reported that they could discover no fire, and that there was very little smell of fire down below.