th the accurate eye
of an engineer, raised his cat high in the air with his left hand, his
right still holding the tips of the tails, as if to restrain their
impatience; when, giving his arm and body a full swing, embracing
three-fourths of the circle, he inflicted a tremendous stroke on the
back of the unfortunate culprit. This specimen seemed to satisfy the
amateur captain, who nodded approbation to the inquiring look of the
amateur boatswain. The poor man lost his respiration from the force of
the blow; and the tails of the cat coming from an opposite direction to
the first four dozen, cut the flesh diamond-wise, bringing the blood at
every blow.

I will not wound the feelings of my readers with a description of the
poor wretch's situation. Even at this distance of time, I am shocked at
it, and bitterly lament the painful necessity I have often been under of
inflicting similar punishment; but I hope and trust I never did it
without a cause, or in the wanton display of arbitrary power.

The last dozen being finished, the sum-total was reported by the
master-at-arms, "Five dozen."

"Five dozen!" repeated Captain G---; "that will do--cast him off. And
now, sir," said he to the fainting wretch, "I hope this will be a
warning to you, that the next time you wish to empty your beastly mouth,
you will not spit on my quarter-deck."

"Heavens!" thought I, "is all this for spitting on the quarter-deck?
And this from the moralist of yesterday, who allowed neither oaths nor
execrations, and has uttered more blasphemy in the last ten minutes than
I have heard for the last ten weeks!"

I had not yet caught the captain's eye--he was too intent on his
amusement. As soon as the prisoner was cast loose, he commanded to pipe
down, or in other words, to dismiss the people to their usual
occupations, when I went up to him, and touched my hat.

"Oh! you are come, are you? Pipe belay there--send everybody aft on the
quarter-deck."

My commission was then read--all hats off in respect to the sovereign,
from whom the authority was derived. After this, I, being duly
inaugurated, became the second lieutenant of the sloop; and the captain,
without condescending to give me another word or look, ordered his gig
to be manned, and was going on shore. I was not presented by him to any
of the officers, which in common courtesy he ought to have done. This
omission, however, was supplied by the first lieutenant, who invited me
down int