wer deck called, I know not why, the steerage. I ought to
have mentioned that before the cabins of the officers, and abaft those
of the sailors, lie the berths of the marines; but, of course, those
mess-places of the men are not partitioned off, being merely denoted
by the tables and shelves. The boatswain, gunner, and carpenter, have
their cabins in the steerage.

The captain peeps into each of these dens as he moves along. In that
of the midshipmen he may probably find a youth with the
quarantine-flag up; that is, in the sick-list. His cue, we may
suppose, is always to look as miserable and woe-begone as possible. If
he have had a tussle with a messmate, and one or both his eyes are
bunged up in consequence, it costs him no small trouble to conceal his
disorderly misdeeds. It would be just as easy, in fact, to stop the
winds as to stop the use of fisty-cuffs amongst a parcel of
hot-blooded lads between thirteen and nineteen, although, of course,
such _rencontres_ are held to be contrary to the laws and customs used
at sea, and are punishable accordingly. The captain, pretending
ignorance, however, merely grins; and, without exposing the boy to
the necessity of getting up a story, remarks:--

"I suppose, Master Peppercorn, you fell down the after-hatchway
ladder, and struck your eye against the corner of a chest? Didn't you?
And, what is odd enough, I dare say, when I cross to the starboard
berth, I shall find Mr. Mustardseed, who has met with exactly the same
accident about the same time. What do yo think? Eh?"

"I don't know, sir," answers the badgered youngster; "Mr. Mustardseed
and I are not on speaking terms."

"Very likely not," chuckles the skipper, as he proceeds to thrust his
nose curiously into the warrant officers' little boxes. On arriving at
the gun-room, he merely glances, with a well-bred air of assumed
indifference, at the apartment of the officers, with whose habits and
arrangements he scarcely ever ventures to meddle. He next dives into
the cockpit, which in a frigate is used only for the purser's
store-room, leading to the bread-room, both of which he examines
carefully. The spirit-room hatchway, too, is lifted up for his
inspection, as well as that of the after-hold. He then takes a survey
of the cable tiers, which are lighted up for the occasion; as also
different store-rooms of the boatswain, gunner, and carpenter; all of
which ought to be objects of his particular care, for it is of great
co