s either to be
drowned or was to break my neck; for the latter I took my chance pretty
fairly, going up and down the rigging like a monkey. Few of the topmen
could equal me in speed, still fewer surpass me in feats of daring
activity, could run along the topsail-yards out to the yard-arm, go from
one mast to the other by the stays, or down on deck in the twinkling of
an eye by the topsail halyards; and, as I knew myself to be an expert
swimmer, I cared little about the chance of being drowned; but when I
witnessed the fate of the poor marine, who I saw could swim as well if
not better than myself, I became much more cautious. I perceived that
there might be situations in which swimming could be of no use; and
however beloved I might have been by the sailors, it was evident that,
even if they had the inclination, they might not always have the power
to relieve me; from this time, I became much more guarded in my
movements aloft.

A circumstance occurred shortly after we got to sea which afforded me
infinite satisfaction. Murphy, whose disposition led him to bully every
one whom he thought he could master, fixed a quarrel on a very quiet,
gentlemanly young man, a supernumerary midshipman, who had come on board
for a passage to his own ship, then down in the Bay of Biscay. The
young man, resenting this improper behaviour, challenged Murphy to
fight, and the challenge was accepted; but as the supernumerary was
engaged to dine with the captain, he proposed that the meeting should
not take place till after dinner, not wishing to exhibit a black eye at
the captain's table. This was considered by Murphy as an evasion; and
he added further insult by saying that he supposed his antagonist wanted
Dutch courage, and that if he did not get wine enough in the cabin, he
would not fight at all.

The high-spirited youth made no reply to this insolence; but, having
dressed himself, went up to dinner; that over, and after the muster at
quarters, he called Mr Murphy into the steerage, and gave him as sound
a drubbing as he ever received in his life. The fight, or set-to,
lasted only a quarter of an hour, and the young supernumerary displayed
so much science, and such a thorough use of his fists, as to defy the
brutal force of his opponent, who could not touch him, and who was glad
to retreat to his berth, followed by the groans and hisses of all the
midshipmen, in which I most cordially joined. After so clear a proof of
the advant