tting up in
his dressing-gown and slippers, to quiet a daybreak tumult in his
populous nursery.

Having now descended from Commodore to Middy, we come lastly to a set
of nondescripts, forming also a "mess" by themselves, apart from the
seamen. Into this mess, the usage of a man-of-war thrusts various
subordinates--including the master-at-arms, purser's steward, ship's
corporals, marine sergeants, and ship's yeomen, forming the first
aristocracy above the sailors.

The master-at-arms is a sort of high constable and school-master,
wearing citizen's clothes, and known by his official rattan. He it is
whom all sailors hate. His is the universal duty of a universal
informer and hunter-up of delinquents. On the berth-deck he reigns
supreme; spying out all grease-spots made by the various cooks of the
seamen's messes, and driving the laggards up the hatches, when all
hands are called. It is indispensable that he should be a very Vidocq
in vigilance. But as it is a heartless, so is it a thankless office. Of
dark nights, most masters-of-arms keep themselves in readiness to dodge
forty-two pound balls, dropped down the hatchways near them.

The ship's corporals are this worthy's deputies and ushers.

The marine sergeants are generally tall fellows with unyielding spines
and stiff upper lips, and very exclusive in their tastes and
predilections.

The ship's yeoman is a gentleman who has a sort of counting-room in a
tar-cellar down in the fore-hold. More will be said of him anon.

Except the officers above enumerated, there are none who mess apart
from the seamen. The "_petty officers_," so called; that is, the
Boatswain's, Gunner's, Carpenter's, and Sail-maker's mates, the
Captains of the Tops, of the Forecastle, and of the After-Guard, and of
the Fore and Main holds, and the Quarter-Masters, all mess in common
with the crew, and in the American navy are only distinguished from the
common seamen by their slightly additional pay. But in the English navy
they wear crowns and anchors worked on the sleeves of their jackets, by
way of badges of office. In the French navy they are known by strips of
worsted worn in the same place, like those designating the Sergeants
and Corporals in the army.

Thus it will be seen, that the dinner-table is the criterion of rank in
our man-of-war world. The Commodore dines alone, because he is the only
man of his rank in the ship. So too with the Captain; and the Ward-room
officers, warrant off