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Updated: June 4, 2025
I took care, however, to provide myself with books, and, on the whole, was perhaps better employed than I should have been in my berth below. Handstone, though a martinet, was a gentleman; and as he felt a great interest in the young officers in the ship, so he took much pains in the instruction and improvement of them.
I had been about ten days doing duty in the fore-top, and it was the intention of Mr Handstone, to which the captain seemed not disinclined, to have given me a flogging at the gun, as a gratuity for losing the men. This part of the sentence, however, was not executed.
"In the meantime," he said, "as it is now only eleven, you may go aboard, and show yourself to Mr Handstone, the first lieutenant, who will cause your name to be entered on the books, and allow you to come back here to dine." I arrived safely at Mutton Cove, where two women, seeing my inquiring eye and span-new dress, asked what ship they should take "my honour" to.
"It is all right, sir," said Mr Handstone. "Here, Mr Flyblock, do you take this young gentleman into your mess; you may show him below as soon as you please, and tell him where to hang his hammock up."
He called to the three men in the top, and inquired where I was? They replied at the mast-head. "What!" exclaimed Handstone, with an oath; "did I not see him this moment go up by the topsail-tie?" "No, sir," said the men; "he is now asleep at the mast-head." "Come down here, you lying rascals, every one of you," said the lieutenant, "and I'll teach you to speak the truth!"
I afterwards learnt that Mr Handstone had received a reprimand for his harsh treatment of me; he observed, that I should one day turn out a shining character, or go to the devil.
"I wish to speak with Mr Handstone, the first lieutenant," said I. He informed me that the first lieutenant was then gone down to frank the letters, and, when he came on deck, he would acquaint him with my being there. After this dialogue, I was left on the larboard side of the quarter-deck to my own meditations.
He called to the three men in the top, and inquired where I was? They replied at the mast-head. "What!" exclaimed Handstone, with an oath; "did I not see him this moment, go up by the topsail-tie?" "No, sir," said the men; "he is now asleep at the mast-head." "Come down here, you lying rascals, every one of you," said the lieutenant, "and I'll teach you to speak the truth!"
I was lying on it as sick as a whale the first lieutenant and mate of the lower deck came down to see if the men's berths were clean; I and my Noah's ark, lay slap in the way `Who have we here? said Mr Handstone. `Only Mr Mildmay, and his chest, sir, said the sergeant of marines, into whose territory I acknowledged I had made very considerable incroachments. `Only! repeated the lieutenant, `I thought it had been one of the big stones for the new bridge, and the owner of it a drunken Irish hodman. I was too sick to care much about what they said."
The boats prepared for the service were manned; the officers had taken their seats in them; the oars were tossed up; the eyes of the young warriors beamed with animation, and we waited for Mr Handstone, who still walked the deck, absorbed in his own reflections.
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