Though the captain lived on shore, the first lieutenant had taken up his quarters on board; Jack finding plenty to do, and being economically inclined followed his example. A fine-looking corvette, the _Tudor_, was fitting out a little way higher up the harbour. Jack scanned her with a seaman's eye, and thought that had he not been appointed to the frigate he should like to belong to her. It was still uncertain to what station the _Plantagenet_ would be sent. No great difficulty, however, was found in getting men to enter for her. Sailors look more to the captain and officers than to the part of the world to which they are to go. One clime to them is much the same as another. They are as ready to go to the North Pole as to the coast of Africa, if they like the ship and the commander. Captain Hemming bore a good character, as did Lieutenants Cherry and Rogers, among those who had ever sailed with them. No persons are more thoroughly discussed than are naval officers by seamen; the wheat is completely sifted from the chaff, the gold from the alloy; and many who pass for very fine fellows on shore are looked upon as arrant pretenders afloat. Jack was making his way towards the shop of Mr Woodward the bookseller, when two seamen in a happy state of indifferentism to all sublunary affairs came rolling out of the street which debouches on the Common Hard near the Dockyard gates. "I say, Dick, if that bean't Jack Rogers, say I never broke biscuit!" exclaimed one of the men, pointing ahead with out-stretched arm. "No doubt about it, Ben," answered his companion, "I'd a known him a mile off, and I see'd last night in the paper that he's appointed to the _Plantagenet_ along with Captain Hemming. (Dick pronounced all the syllables long.) What say you? my pockets are pretty well cleaned out, and so, I've a notion, are yours. Shall we go and enter at once? It must come to that afore long." "I'm agreeable, Dick--when a thing's to be done, it's best to do it like men," said Ben, just as they arrived in front of the bookseller's shop, where they waited the reappearance of the lieutenant, Jack soon came out, and at once recognising two former shipmates in the _Dugong_, Dick Needham and Ben Snatchblock asked them if they were willing to join the _Plantagenet_. An affirmative being given, he begged them to pick up any other prime hands they could come across. By the evening, when he returned on board, he had, much to his satisfaction, obtained ten good men.