iction I
had of my peculiar position, together with the advice of Bob Cross, had
very much subdued my spirit; perhaps the respect created by discipline,
and the example of others, which produced in me a degree of awe of the
captain and the lieutenants, assisted a little--certain it is, that I
gained the goodwill of my messmates, and had not been in any scrape
during the whole cruise.

The first lieutenant was a stern, but not unkind man; he would blow you
up, as we termed it, when he scolded for half an hour without ceasing.
I never knew a man with such a flow of words; but if permitted to go on
without interruption, he was content, without proceeding to further
punishment. Any want of respect, however, was peculiarly offensive to
him, and any attempt to excuse yourself was immediately cut short with,
"No reply, sir."

The second day after our return to Spithead, I was sent on shore in the
cutter to bring off a youngster who was to join the ship; he had never
been to sea before; his name was Green, and he was as green as a
gooseberry. I took a dislike to him the moment that I saw him, because
he had a hooked nose and very small ferrety eyes. As we were pulling on
board he asked me a great many questions of all kinds, particularly
about the captain and officers, and to amuse myself and the boat's crew,
who were on the full titter, I exercised my peculiar genius for
invention.

At last, after I had given a character of the first lieutenant, which
made him appear a sort of marine ogre, he asked how it was I got on with
him:--

"O, very well," replied I; "but I'm a freemason, and so is he, and he's
never severe with a brother mason."

"But how did he know you were a mason?"

"I made the sign to him the very first time that he began to scold me,
and he left off almost immediately; that is, when I made the second
sign; he did not when I made the first."

"I should like to know these signs. Won't you tell them to me?"

"Tell them to you! oh no, that won't do," replied I. "I don't know you.
Here we are on board--in bow,--rowed of all, men. Now, Mr Green, I'll
show you the way up."

Mr Green was presented, and ushered into the service much in the same
way as I was; but he had not forgotten what I said to him relative to
the first lieutenant; and it so happened that, on the third day he
witnessed a jobation, delivered by the first lieutenant to one of the
midshipmen, who, venturing to reply, was ordered to the m