including Passed-midshipmen), also drawing nearly half a million.
Considering the known facts, that some of these officers are seldom or
never sent to sea, owing to the Navy Department being well aware of
their inefficiency; that others are detailed for pen-and-ink work at
observatories, and solvers of logarithms in the Coast Survey; while the
really meritorious officers, who are accomplished practical seamen, are
known to be sent from ship to ship, with but small interval of a
furlough; considering all this, it is not too much to say, that no
small portion of the million and a half of money above mentioned is
annually paid to national pensioners in disguise, who live on the navy
without serving it.

Nothing like this can be even insinuated against the "_forward
officers_"--Boatswains, Gunners, etc.; nor against the _petty
officers_--Captains of the Tops, etc.; nor against the able seamen in
the navy. For if any of _these_ are found wanting, they are forthwith
disrated or discharged.

True, all experience teaches that, whenever there is a great national
establishment, employing large numbers of officials, the public must be
reconciled to support many incompetent men; for such is the favouritism
and nepotism always prevailing in the purlieus of these establishments,
that some incompetent persons are always admitted, to the exclusion of
many of the worthy.

Nevertheless, in a country like ours, boasting of the political
equality of all social conditions, it is a great reproach that such a
thing as a common seaman rising to the rank of a commissioned officer
in our navy, is nowadays almost unheard-of. Yet, in former times, when
officers have so risen to rank, they have generally proved of signal
usefulness in the service, and sometimes have reflected solid honour
upon the country. Instances in point might be mentioned.

Is it not well to have our institutions of a piece? Any American
landsman may hope to become President of the Union--commodore of our
squadron of states. And every American sailor should be placed in such
a position, that he might freely aspire to command a squadron of
frigates.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

EDGING AWAY.

Right before the wind! Ay, blow, blow, ye breezes; so long as ye stay
fair, and we are homeward bound, what care the jolly crew?

It is worth mentioning here that, in nineteen cases out of twenty, a
passage from the Pacific round the Cape is almost sure to be much
shorter, and atten