As soon as we received our orders to proceed to
Spithead, Mr Somerville, who had kept his house at Blackheath while the
ship was fitting, in hopes that my promotion might have taken place
before she was ready, now prepared to quit the place to the renewed
application of my father, the answer was that I must go abroad for my
promotion. This at once decided him to break up his summer quarters,
very wisely foreseeing that unless he did so my services would be lost
to my ship; and if he and Emily did not leave me behind at Woolwich I
should probably be left behind by my captain: he therefore announced his
intended departure within twenty-four hours.

Emily was very sorry, and so was I. I kindly reproached her with her
cruelty; but she replied with a degree of firmness and good sense, which
I could not but admire, that she had but one counsellor and that was her
father, and that until she was married she never intended to have any
other; that by his advice she had delayed the union: and as we were
neither of us very old people, "I trust in God," said she, "we may meet
again." I admired her heroism, gave her one kiss, handed her into her
carriage, and we shook hands. I need not say I saw a tear or two in her
eyes. Mr Somerville saw the shower coming on, pulled up the glass,
gave me a friendly nod, and the carriage drove off. The last I saw of
Emily, at that time, was her right hand, which carried her handkerchief
to her eyes.

After the dear inmates were gone, I turned from the door of the house in
disgust, and ran direct to my boat, like a dog with a tin-kettle. When
I got on board I hated the sight of everybody and the smell of
everything; pitch, paint, bilge-water, tar, and rum, entering into
horrible combination, had conspired against me, and I was as sick and as
miserable as the most lovesick seaman can conceive. I have before
observed that we had arrived at Spithead, and as I have nothing new to
say of that place, I shall proceed to sea.

We sailed for the North American station, the pleasantest I could go to
when away from Emily. Our passage was tedious, and we were put on short
allowance of water. Those only who have known it will understand it.
All felt it but the captain, who, claiming privilege, took a dozen
gallons every day to bathe his feet in, and that water when done with
was greedily sought for by the men. There was some murmuring about it
which came to the captain's ears, who only observed wit