ification,
when I was thus accosted in an angry and menacing tone by the oldest of
the officers--"Pray, sir, what ship do you belong to?"

"Sir," said I, proud to be thus interrogated, "I belong to His Majesty's
ship the _Le ---_" (having a French name, I clapped on both the French
and English articles, as being more impressive.)

"Oh, you do, do you?" said the veteran, with an air of conscious
superiority; "then you will be so good as to turn round, go down to
Mutton Cove, take a boat, and have your person conveyed with all
possible speed on board of His Majesty's ship the _Le ---_" (imitating
me); "and tell the first lieutenant it is my order that you be not
allowed any more leave while the ship is in port; and I shall tell your
captain he must teach his officers better manners than to pass the
port-admiral without touching their hats."

While this harangue was going on, I stood in a circle, of which I was
the centre, and the admiral and the captains formed the circumference:
what little air there was their bodies intercepted, so that I was not
only in a stew, but stupefied into the bargain.

"There, sir, you hear me--you may go."

"Yes, I do hear you," thinks I; "but how the devil am I to get away from
you?" for the cruel captains, like schoolboys round a rat-trap, stood so
close that I could not start. Fortunately, this my blockade, which they
no doubt intended for their amusement, saved me for that time. I
recollected myself, and said, with affected simplicity of manner, that I
had that morning put on my uniform for the first time; that I had never
seen my captain, and never was on board a ship in all my life. At this
explanation, the countenance of the admiral relaxed into something that
was meant for a smile, and the captains all burst into a loud laugh.

"Well, young man," said the admiral--who was really a good-tempered
fellow, though an old one--"well, young man, since you have never been
at sea, it is some excuse for not knowing good manners; there is no
necessity now for delivering my message to the first lieutenant, but you
may go on board your ship."

Having seen me well roasted, the captains opened right and left, and let
me pass. As I left them I heard one say, "Just caught--marks of the
dogs' teeth in his heels, I warrant you."

I did not stop to make any reply, but sneaked away, mortified and
crest-fallen, and certainly obeyed this, the first order which I had
ever received in the service,