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For this unpardonable offence he was broken. Having no fortune, and no other profession than the sea, upon his disgrace he entered the merchant-service as a chief mate; but his love of strong drink still pursuing him, he was again cashiered at sea, and degraded before the mast by the Captain. After this, in a state of intoxication, he re-entered the Navy at Pensacola as a common sailor.
Accomplished officers and men can be drawn from the merchant-service at short notice; but we cannot create steamers in a moment.
He returned in a few minutes with a complete budget of information. The clergyman was well known as the rector of a place situated some few miles inland. The dark man with him was his wife's brother, commander of a ship in the merchant-service. He was supposed to be staying with his relatives, as their guest for a short time only, preparatory to sailing on another voyage.
The Dartmouth's consort, the Russell, pursuing the Spaniard, captured her after a warm engagement. As an encouragement and relief to disabled and wounded seamen in the merchant-service, an Act of Parliament was passed in this year authorising the masters of merchant-vessels to detain sixpence per month from the wages of seamen.
'You used to have a brother in the army, I think? What was his name John? A very fine fellow, if I recollect. 'Yes, cap'n; he's there still. 'And you are in the merchant-service? 'Late first mate of the brig Pewit. 'How is it you're not on board a man-of-war? 'Ay, sir, that's the thing I've come about, said Bob, recovering confidence. 'I should have been, but 'tis womankind has hampered me.
The Marine Society at the peace came to the resolution of receiving and making provision for all boys under sixteen years of age who had been, or might be, discharged from his majesty's service, by putting them out apprentices in the merchant-service. 295 boys made application for employment, and were provided for.
He was at best a sea-soldier, a marine, not brought up from the start in the merchant-service and then polished into the complete blue-jacket and able seaman of the navy.
When the time comes that the drum-tap calls to quarters, and the decks are strewn with sand, when with silence as of the grave, fore and aft, the frigate moves stately and proud into the line of her adversaries' fire, then it is that the officer and the man meet face to face, and the awful truth of battle compels them to own their common brotherhood. The merchant-service has few such exigencies.
I should have been glad, for some reasons, to have had the power of sending you into the Royal Navy; but I have no interest to get you in, and still less any to advance you in it. The merchant-service should not be looked on as less noble and less creditable a profession. It is one of the chief means by which England's greatness and prosperity is maintained.
It was also enacted that sixpence per month should be deducted from the wages of all seamen both in the merchant-service as well as in the Royal Navy, for the support of Greenwich Hospital. A composition was invented to be laid on the bottoms of ships to preserve them against worms. The experiment was ordered to be tried on his majesty's ship the Sheerness.
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