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Updated: May 4, 2025
Mr Thomas, up to the main; and I say, you youngster, stealing off, perch yourself upon the spanker-boom, and let me know when you've rode to London. By God! the service is going to hell. I don't know what officers are made of now-a-days. I'll marry some of you young gentlemen to the gunner's daughter before long. Quarter-deck's no better than a bear garden.
Wind South-East by South; course South 58 1/2 degrees West; distance 119 miles; latitude 14 degrees 44 minutes South; longitude 261 degrees 40 minutes West. Saturday, 2nd. A Fresh Trade, and mostly fair weather. Departed this life Daniel Roberts, Gunner's Servant, who died of the Flux.
The other chest I found had some clothes in it, but of little value; but by the circumstances, it must have belonged to the gunner's mate, as there was no powder in it, but about two pounds of glazed powder in the three flasks, kept, I suppose, for charging their fowling-pieces on occasion.
If we had remained for a week at the foot of the Gunner's Coin we could have obtained supplies of all kinds from Doolana, and we should have enjoyed excellent sport through the whole country. Our total bag was now wretchedly small, considering the quantity of ground that we had passed over. We had killed nine elephants and two deer.
I felt horribly vexed that we should all have allowed ourselves to be hoodwinked so completely; for although the device was undoubtedly quite clever, the conviction would insist upon forcing itself upon me that I had attached altogether too little importance to the gunner's story of those mysterious flashes, seen "out of the corner of his eye."
Though the lights of the city were few and very far between, so many search-lights played back and forth above the water that there seemed a hundred of them. I judged it impossible for the smallest boat to pass unseen and I wondered whether it was difficult or easy to shoot with great guns by aid of search-lights, remembering what strange tricks light can play with a gunner's eyes.
Once when I visited an English line-of-battle ship, the gunner's gang were fore and aft, polishing up the batteries, which, according to the Admiral's fancy, had been painted white as snow. Fidgeting round the great thirty-two-pounders, and making stinging remarks at the sailors and each other, they reminded one of a swarm of black wasps, buzzing about rows of white headstones in a church-yard.
Holding the long gunner's match lighted in his hand, he waited for the exact second when the schooner's bow was lifted on a wave and swinging in the right direction, then touched the powder train. There was a hiss and flare, and at the end of a second or two a terrific roar as the charge was fired.
"I'll tell you what, Tom, I am much more likely to marry you to the gunner's daughter," he answered. "That is very cruel treatment," exclaimed Tom; "you'll drive me to quit the service and expatriate myself for ever." Jack only laughed louder.
"Again I saw him raised to his hands and knees and the men stand away from him, and old Jorge stoop glancing along the gun. "'Left a little. Right an inch. Por Dios, senor, stop this trembling. Where is your strength? "The old gunner's voice was cracked with emotion. He stepped aside, and quick as lightning brought the spark to the touch-hole.
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