rs, who used to stow themselves away in it when
playing hide-and-seek about the house.

Soon after the chest arrived the tailor brought my uniform.

It certainly was a contrast to the comical suit I had hitherto been
wearing. I put it on with infinite satisfaction, and girded to my side
a new dirk, which my uncle had given me, instead of my grandfather's old
sword. The latter, however, my uncle recommended me to take on board.

"You may want it, Terence, maybe on some cutting-out expedition," he
said; "and you'll remember that it belonged to your ancestors, and make
it do its duty."

As the chest was already full, I had a difficulty in stowing away the
things the tailor had brought. I therefore began to unpack it while he
was waiting, and I observed that he cast a look of supreme contempt on
most of the articles it contained. He even ventured to suggest that he
should be allowed to replace them with others which he could supply.

"The boy has enough and to spare, and I should like to know how many of
them will find their way back to Cork," said my uncle.

Some of them I found, on consideration, that I should be as well
without. Among other things were a pair of thick brogues, which Molly
the cook had put in to keep my feet from the wet deck, and a huge cake;
this, though, I guessed would not be sneered at in the mess, and would
travel just as well outside. At length I found room for everything I
required, and the chest was once more locked and corded.

I don't believe I slept a wink that night with thinking of what I should
do when I got on board the frigate. It was a satisfaction to remember
that the ice had been broken, and that I should not appear as a perfect
stranger amongst my messmates. I already knew Tom Pim, and he had told
me the names of several others, among whom were those of Jack Nettleship
the old mate and caterer of the mess, Dick Sinnet the senior midshipman,
Sims the purser's clerk, and Donald McPherson the assistant-surgeon.
The others I could not remember. The lieutenants, he said, were very
nice fellows, though they had their peculiarities. None of the officers
were Irishmen, consequently I had been dubbed Paddy.

CHAPTER SIX.

I COMMENCE MY NAVAL CAREER.

The morning came. My chest and my other strat things had been carried
down in a cart to the river, where they were shipped on board a
shore-boat. As we walked along following it, my uncle, after being
silent for a minute