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Updated: May 21, 2025
Long before this hour, the greater number of the whole ship's company have dressed themselves and are ready for muster; but the never-ending sweepers, the fussy warrant-officers' yeomen, the exact purser's steward, the slovenly midshipmen's boy, the learned loblolly boy, and the interminable host of officers' servants, who have always fifty extra things to do, are often so sorely pressed for time, that at the first tap of the drum beating to divisions, these idlers, as they are technically much miscalled, may often be seen only then lugging their shirts over their heads, or hitching up their trousers in all the hurry-scurry of a lower-deck toilet.
The Admiral stumped all over her, and examined all the new inventions, and went into the midshipmen's berth, which was a very natty one; and he sat down and talked of old times during the war, and told a good story or two, and made himself perfectly at home, and introduced Jack "as a fellow who would speak for himself by and by;" and when he went away he was voted a regular trump, and no small share of his lustre fell on Jack.
"And you have the true nautical pronunciation also, I perceive. Mr Johnson," to a master's mate who happened to be passing at the moment "this is Mr Hawkesley. Kindly take him under your wing and induct him into his quarters in the midshipmen's berth, if you please. Don't stop to stow away your things just now, Mr Hawkesley," he continued. "I shall have an errand for you in a few minutes."
"I shall never forget your kindness, whatever happens, my lady," said Mrs Hargrave. After some further conversation, the marchioness took her departure, accompanied by Lady Julia, still, however, in considerable doubt whether she had done much to settle the vexed question. The time of the two midshipmen's stay at Elverston Hall was drawing to a close.
Following him came Tom, who dived down into the midshipmen's berth to have a talk with his old friends. Jack expressed himself well pleased with the steamer, though he had never belonged to one before.
True, there was some faint attempt at jocularity among a few of the occupants of the midshipmen's berth as we sought our hammocks, but it was manifestly braggadocio, utterly lacking the true ring of heartiness that usually characterised such attempts, and it was speedily nipped in the bud by Gowland, the master's mate, who gruffly recommended the offenders to "say their prayers and then go to sleep, instead of talking nonsense."
Billy, as much as he was disinclined to leave his bed, did not like to be left behind, and forgetting that his clothes had been taken away, began hunting for them. "If you cannot find them, you must come as you are. Wrap yourself up in a sheet; you will help to scare the enemy, at all events," said Roy. Desmond at last returned, followed by the waiter bringing the midshipmen's uniforms.
As the commander had no reason for keeping his plans secret they were soon known about the ship, and every one in the midshipmen's berth hoped to be employed in the service. Boat expeditions are always popular among men-of-war's men, notwithstanding the privations they entail, as a change from the regular routine of life on board ship.
From the surgeon's cabin I made my way to the midshipmen's berth, where I received as boisterously hearty a welcome as mid could desire; but I had been there scarcely five minutes when San Domingo, who had already installed himself in his former berth, popped his head in at the door and said, with a broad grin: "Mistah Grenvile, sah, de first leptenant wishes to see you on deck, sah."
Accordingly I took a double handful of those small, broken, flinty bits of biscuit which generally go by the name of 'midshipmen's nuts', and thrust them into the bosom of my frock in which same simple receptacle I had previously stowed away several pounds of tobacco and a few yards of cotton cloth articles with which I intended to purchase the good-will of the natives, as soon as we should appear among them after the departure of our vessel.
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