CHAPTER I. MEN-OF-WAR. PAGE Our Wooden Walls—The _Victory_—Siege of Toulon—Battle of St. 4 Vincent—Nelson’s Bridge—Trafalgar’s Glorious Day—The Day for such Battles gone—Iron _v._ Wood—Lessons of the Crimean War—Moral Effect of the Presence of our Fleets—Bombardment of Sebastopol—Red-hot Shot and Gibraltar—The Ironclad Movement—The _Warrior_—Experiences with Ironclads—The _Merrimac_ in Hampton Roads—A Speedily-decided Action—The _Cumberland_ sunk and _Congress_ burned—The First Monitor—Engagement with the _Merrimac_—Notes on Recent Actions—The _Shah_ and _Huascar_—An Ironclad tackled by a Merchantman CHAPTER II. MEN OF PEACE. Naval Life in Peace Times—A Grand Exploring Voyage—The Cruise of 28 the _Challenger_—Its Work—Deep-sea Soundings—Five Miles down—Apparatus employed—Ocean Treasures—A Gigantic Sea-monster—Tristan d’Acunha—A Discovery Interesting to the Discovered—The Two Crusoes—The Inaccessible Island—Solitary Life—The Sea-cart—Swimming Pigs—Rescued at Last—The Real Crusoe Island to Let—Down South—The Land of Desolation—Kerguelen—The Sealers’ Dreary Life—In the Antarctic—Among the Icebergs CHAPTER III. THE MEN OF THE SEA. The Great Lexicographer on Sailors—The Dangers of the Sea—How 42 Boys become Sailors—Young Amyas Leigh—The Genuine Jack Tar—Training-Ships _versus_ the old Guard-Ships—“Sea-goers and Waisters”—The Training Undergone—Routine on Board—Never-ending Work—Ship like a Lady’s Watch—Watches and “Bells”—Old Grogram and Grog—The Sailor’s Sheet Anchor—Shadows in the Seaman’s Life—The Naval Cat—Testimony and Opinion of a Medical Officer—An Example—Boy Flogging in the Navy—Shakespeare and Herbert on Sailors and the Sea CHAPTER IV. PERILS OF THE SAILOR’S LIFE. The Loss of the _Captain_—Six Hundred Souls swept into Eternity 54 without a Warning—The Mansion and the Cottage alike Sufferers—Causes of the Disaster—Horrors of the Scene—Noble Captain Burgoyne—Narratives of Survivors—An almost Incredible Feat—Loss of the _Royal George_—A Great Disaster caused by a Trifle—Nine Hundred Lost—A Child saved by a Sheep—The Portholes Upright—An Involuntary Bath of Tar—Rafts of Corpses—The Vessel Blown up in 1839-40—The Loss of the _Vanguard_—Half a Million sunk in Fifty Minutes—Admirable Discipline on Board—All Saved—The Court Martial CHAPTER V. PERILS OF THE SAILOR’S LIFE (_continued_). The Value of Discipline—The Loss of the _Kent_—Fire on Board—The 67 Ship Waterlogged—Death in Two Forms—A Sail in Sight—Transference of Six Hundred Passengers to a Small Brig—Splendid Discipline of the Soldiers—Imperturbable Coolness of the Captain—Loss of the _Birkenhead_—Literally broken in Two—Noble Conduct of the Military—A Contrary Example—Wreck of the _Medusa_—Run on a Sand-bank—Panic on Board—Raft constructed—Insubordination and Selfishness—One Hundred and Fifty Souls abandoned—Drunkenness and Mutiny on the Raft—Riots and Murders—Reduced to Thirty