in the Medway. One afternoon a little fellow was
brought on board by one of the officers, and it was said that he was the
captain's nephew; but the captain was on shore, and there was nobody to
look after him. He walked the deck up and down, looking very miserable,
but not crying, as some boys would have done--not he. That wasn't his
way at any time. When the captain did come on board, and he saw his
nephew, he shrugged his shoulders, as much as to say that he didn't
think he was fit for a sea-life. No more he did look fit for it, for he
was a sick, weakly-looking little fellow. However, it wasn't long
before he showed what a great spirit there was in him."

"Ay," said I, "there is a story I have heard which proved that, when he
was merely a child. He and another little fellow had gone away
bird's-nesting from his grandmother's house, and he not coming back, the
servants were sent to look for him. He was found seated by the side of
a brook, which he could not get over. `I wonder, child,' said the old
lady, when she saw him, `that hunger and fear did not drive you home.'
`Fear, grandmamma!' answered the boy, `I never saw fear! What is it?'"

"True, true!" exclaimed the old man. "Fear! I don't think he ever felt
it either. Well, as I was going to tell you, my father followed Captain
Suckling into the `Triumph,' and young Nelson went with him; but as she
was merely to do duty as guard-ship in the Thames, the captain sent his
nephew out in a merchant-vessel to the West Indies, to pick up some
knowledge of seamanship. When he came back he soon showed that he had
not lost his time, and that he was already a good practical seaman.
Soon after this an expedition was fitted out for a voyage of discovery
towards the North Pole, under Captain Phipps and Captain Lutwidge, in
the `Racehorse' and `Carcass.' My father volunteered, and so did Mr
Nelson, who got a berth as captain's coxswain with Captain Lutwidge.
The ships, after entering the polar seas, were quickly beset with ice.
Mr Nelson, who had command of a boat, soon showed what he was made of.
My father was in another boat, and as they were exploring a channel to
try and find a passage for the ships into the open sea, one of the
officers fired at a walrus. `Ah, I've hit him!' he exclaimed, `not a
bad shot!' and he thought no more about the matter. But the brute gave
a look up with a face like a human being, as much as to say, `We'll see
if more than one can pl