My short stay with my great-uncle, Sir Peregrine, proved to be a source
of very great mutual satisfaction. He was a confirmed old bachelor,
with a perfect horror of women and children, and by his persistent
avoidance of both had gained for himself a character for moroseness and
ill-temper. My mother, however, happened to be somewhat of a favourite
with him--if a man possessed of such an unpromising character could be
considered capable of so much warmth of feeling as to justify the
expression--and having, for her sake, interested himself so far as to
launch me in my profession, curiosity prompted him to keep me in view.
He was greatly gratified to see my name appear in connexion with the
capture of the "Sans-Culotte;" and when the "Scourge" arrived in
Plymouth so speedily with her second prize, and he heard of my being
wounded, he posted down from town, determined to see Captain Brisac for
himself, and ascertain by actual word of mouth how I had behaved. My
kind skipper was so lavish with his praises that Sir Peregrine was in an
ecstasy of delight; and from that time he became a different man; in
consequence, I presume, of his having stumbled upon an object which
excited within him a genuine interest. During the week of my stay with
him in town he went everywhere with me, though his normal condition was
that of martyrdom to gout; and on my receiving my appointment to the
"Juno" he insisted on presenting me with an entire new rig-out from stem
to stern; including a very fine and powerful telescope, the best sextant
that could be bought for money, and one or two other matters of use in
my profession. It had been intimated to me that, in consideration of my
scarcely-healed wound, I need not join my ship until the last moment;
but Sir Peregrine insisted on my going down at once, in order that I
might not lose the chance which the fitting-out of the ship presented
for increasing my knowledge of practical seamanship. "It is not that I
am tired of your company, Ralph: do not think that, my dear boy," he
earnestly said; "but you have now an opportunity which may perhaps never
occur again for acquiring knowledge which is only to be gained in this
way; and it is a species of knowledge which may at any moment be of the
utmost service to you. You will have to endure a week or two of
discomfort, but that is a trifling matter compared with the lasting
advantage which you will thereby obtain, and you will live to bless the
day when your old uncle hurried you away from the pleasures of town to
the discomforts of a ship passing through the riggers' hands. One word
more, my boy. Your father cannot, I suppose, afford you a very liberal
allowance of pocket-money; I shall therefore supplement what he gives
you by an allowance of a hundred a year out of my own pocket for the
present, that being in my opinion quite as much as a lad of your age
ought to spend. At the same time, understand me, if you should by any
chance be in difficulties and require a further sum, you may freely draw
on me; provided of course that the difficulty is not of your own making,
or of a dishonourable nature--but there, I do not think I need fear that
of you, Ralph."
This was on the day previous to my starting for Portsmouth. It was
arranged that I should go down by the coach; Sir Peregrine at that time
strongly disapproving of midshipmen driving down in private carriages,
or even posting down to join their ships--"it would be quite time enough
for that sort of thing when I had a ship of my own," he considered. We
were both accordingly on the move early next morning, the old gentleman
insisting on going with me to the coach-office, and seeing me fairly
under way. While sitting at breakfast he handed me a letter for Captain
Hood, my new skipper, who it appeared was an intimate friend of Sir
Peregrine's--with the contents of which, however, I was not made
acquainted. He ate very little, devoting the limited time at our
disposal to the bestowal upon me of such good advice as his knowledge
and experience of the service suggested--advice, the value and benefit
of which, I had frequent after occasion to acknowledge. As we rose from
the table, he opened a drawer in his secretary, and drew from it a
sealed packet which he handed me, saying, "Slip this into your pocket,
Ralph, and take care of it; you may open it as soon as you like after
you have joined your ship."
We drove to the coach-office in his own carriage, both of us being
unusually silent on the way. For my own part, I candidly confess I felt
the parting keenly, the dear old boy having completely won my heart by
his altogether unexpected kindness; and that organ was too full to
permit of my then entering upon a light and trivial conversation; while
false shame prevented my giving utterance to those feelings of reverence
and regard which were agitating my breast. Just at the last moment Sir
Peregrine brightened up again, seeming to have a lot of things to say
which he had forgotten until then; his last injunction, however, was, to
stick by the ship until she should be "all ataunto;" when I might apply
with a clear conscience for leave to run home for a day, just to say
good-bye previous to sailing.
Punctual to the second, our coach weighed, and stood out of the inn-yard
in tow of four spanking bays, who rattled and jolted us over the stones
at the rate of a good honest twelve knots an hour. The morning--early
in June--was brilliantly fine; the air delightfully warm and pleasant;
and as we left town behind us, mother earth, arrayed in delicate green,
was looking her loveliest. The roads were in splendid condition, a
smart thunder-shower or two during the previous night having thoroughly
laid the dust, from which, therefore, we suffered no annoyance whatever.
The rain had also washed every particle of dust from the hedges and the
foliage of the trees, while it had refreshed the flowers in the villa
and cottage-gardens which were scattered along the roadside, causing
them to diffuse their sweets so bountifully that the atmosphere was
heavy with perfume. The sun shone brilliantly; the sky was a dazzling
blue, flecked here and there with thin white fleecy clouds, the shadows
of which, chasing each other over the landscape, imparted additional
variety and charm to the scene. My depression of spirits soon yielded
to the exhilarating influence of the day, and enabled me to enjoy
thoroughly the drive down, the pleasure of which left upon my mind an
agreeable impression, to which I often afterwards reverted with much
satisfaction.
We reached Portsmouth about 3 p.m., and the coach stopping at the
"George," I decided to stop there also, for that night at least; I
accordingly ordered dinner and a room; and then strolled down to the
harbour while the former was being got ready. As, however, I had no
intention of reporting myself until the following day, I satisfied
myself with ascertaining the whereabouts of my new ship, and taking a
distant look at her; after which I returned to the hotel, sat down to
dinner, strolled as far as Southsea Common afterwards, and got back to
the hotel and turned in about ten o'clock, determined to make a good
long night of it, as I did not know when I should next have the
opportunity of taking a whole night's undisturbed repose.
I was on board the "Juno" by nine o'clock the next morning, and reported
myself to Mr Annesley, the first lieutenant, who, early as it was,
already appeared to have been hard at work for some time.
"So you are come down to join?" he said, on my presenting myself. "I am
very glad to see you, Mr Chester; and I wish one or two more of the
young gentlemen would follow your example. I am entirely alone here;
not a soul to help me, and I am wanted in half-a-dozen places at once;
so I shall really be glad of your assistance. I suppose you are
prepared to commence duty at once? That's right; then be good enough to
take the launch, and go to the dockyard with this order for stores, and
bring them off as quickly as possible. Just give them an overhaul,
however, before taking them over, and satisfy yourself that they are
good, sound, serviceable stuff. Those dockyard people have been trying
to palm off upon me a lot of old junk, which must have been in store for
the last twelve years at least. It is simply rotten, and would go like
so much burnt thread in our first breeze of wind. Of course I refused
to receive it, and have consumed a great deal of valuable time in
getting sound stuff in place of it. Do not let them take you in; but
_insist_ on having everything of the best. Now go; get back as quickly
as possible, and remember, I shall trust to you to do your very best for
the ship."
The boat was alongside, ready manned. I accordingly slipped down the
side, and took command, with the feeling that I had suddenly become a
personage of considerable importance.
On reaching the dockyard I found that I was only one of many who were
there upon a similar errand to my own, and I had to await my proper
turn. This occasioned a very serious loss of time; and when at length
my turn came, the stuff which they offered me was so unmistakably bad,
that even my comparative inexperience was not to be imposed upon, and I
refused point-blank to accept it. I was thereupon told in a very off-
hand way that I was quite at liberty to please myself as to whether I
took or left it; but if I declined what was offered me, I should get
nothing else; and without waiting for a reply, the storekeepers coolly
left me, and began issuing to the midshipman whose turn came after mine.
So thorough a snubbing as this clearly showed me that my own unaided
efforts would be wholly insufficient to enable me to carry out my
instructions to Mr Annesley's satisfaction, and I was debating within
myself whether it would not be better to go on board again and report my
non-success, when an officer who was passing stopped, eyed me sharply,
and then held out his hand. It was my old skipper, Captain Brisac.
"Ah, Chester!" he exclaimed; "I am glad to see you, my lad--glad too
that you are on your pins once more, though you are looking very thin
and pale about the gills. How is the wound; pretty well healed up?
That's right; but you ought not to be standing about in this hot sun.
Are you here on duty?"
I told him I was, mentioning at the same time the annoyance and
inconvenience to which I had just been subjected.
"Where is the stuff they offered you?" said he; "I should like to have a
look at it."
It was still lying on the wharf, close at hand, and I pointed it out to
him. It was a quantity of hemp cordage, for use principally as
standing-rigging. He turned it over, inspecting it carefully, laying
open the strands here and there, and testing its quality both by sight
and smell. Finally he turned upon one of the storekeepers who happened
to be passing, and said,--
"Here, you sir, is this the best stuff you have in store?"
The man hesitated and looked confused for a moment; then put a bold face
upon the matter, and replied, "Yes, sir, it is; and rare good stuff it
is, too; it's the best that's made."
"Oh! it is, is it?" retorted the skipper. "Then I think it is about
time that the Admiral's attention should be directed to the quality of
the rigging upon which the safety of his Majesty's ships and the lives
of their seamen depend. Just lay that coil aside for half an hour, if
you please; and if any one asks why you have done so, you may say it was
at the request of Captain Brisac of the `Audacious.'"
The man's visage lengthened out to a portentous extent. He saw he had
brought his pigs to the wrong market for once, and he hurriedly
exclaimed,--
"Beg pardon, sir, I'm very sorry the stuff is not to your liking; but I
think we _can_ suit you, if you'll be so good as to step this way.
Perhaps that other _is_ rather old, but we've a lot of it in store, and
we're bound to get rid of it somehow. Now here, sir, is some cordage
that was only brought in fresh last week from the ropemaker's; how'll
that do, sir?"
"Ah!" said the captain, examining it critically, "that is nearer the
mark, decidedly. That ought to do for you, ought it not, Mr Chester?"
turning to me.
"Perfectly well, sir," I replied. "I should be quite satisfied to be
served with rope of that quality."
"Have you your order with you?" asked Captain Brisac.
"Yes, sir," I replied; "here it is."
"Then serve this young gentleman at once," he said authoritatively to
the storekeeper; "and be careful what you are about with that old
`junk,' or you will be getting yourselves into serious trouble over it."
The storekeeper went away to get some assistance, and while he was gone,
I availed myself of the opportunity to thank the skipper for the service
he had just rendered me; after which he shook hands, saying he was in a
great hurry: but if I could get leave that evening, he would be very
happy if I would dine with him at the "George" at six, sharp. I thanked
him duly for his kind invitation, but declined it, as I felt that my
absence might possibly be a source of inconvenience to Mr Annesley,
which I explained.
"Quite right, Mr Chester--quite right," returned he; "_never_ allow
pleasure to interfere with duty, if you wish to make headway in your
profession. I shall perhaps be seeing Captain Hood--who is your new
captain, I believe--this evening, and if so, I will put a spoke in your
wheel for you. Good-bye!"
I was alongside the "Juno" with my cargo, just in time to get it hoisted
out before the men went to dinner. Mr Annesley met me at the gangway,
as I climbed up the side, and asked me how I had got on, and what sort
of stuff I had brought with me? I related my morning's adventures, and
told him how Captain Brisac had helped me out of my difficulty with the
dockyard storekeepers, winding up by calling his attention to the
quality of the rope, which was just then being hoisted in.
"Capital!" he exclaimed; "nothing could be better. This is by far the
best we have ever had served out to us; it is of first-rate quality, as
every inch of rope served out to the navy should be. One can trust to
this upon a pinch, without much fear of being disappointed. I am very
much obliged to you, Mr Chester, for the way in which you have executed
your first duty on board here. I hope you will discharge all your
duties equally well; and if you do, I feel sure we shall get on
capitally together. I believe I have rather a reputation for strictness
and severity, but no one who strives to do his duty well will find me
either strict or severe. But are you the Mr Chester who was with
Captain Brisac in the `Scourge' during his last cruise?"