a ship in which the prayer-book was
regularly laid on a sword-rack, or stand, holding six dozen naked
cutlasses. The desk is covered over with a signal-flag, as well as the
hassock for the chaplain to kneel upon, which is usually a grape or
canister shot-box, surmounted by a cheese of great-gun wads, to make
it soft.

All this implies that the weather is fine, the awnings spread
overhead, and the curtains stretched fore and aft, to keep out the
heat and glare. In rainy or blustering weather the church is rigged
under the half-deck, much in the same way, except that the pulpit is
placed between two of the guns, and generally on the larboard side, as
nearly abreast of the quarter-deck ladder as may be.

When all is ready, the bell is tolled by one of the quarter-masters;
and the crew, quietly clustering aft, occupy the bars, stools, planks,
and gun-slides, prepared for their accommodation. The marines range
themselves on the front seats; while the officers take their places,
of course not avowedly in the order of date in their commissions, but,
more or less, they do fall into their respective stations according to
seniority. The chaplain is now informed that every one is assembled;
or, if there be no clergyman on board, the report is made to the
captain, who generally officiates in that case. When the service
begins, if there be any other ship in company, a pendant, such as
men-of-war carry at their mast-head to distinguish them from
merchant-ships, is hoisted at the mizen peak, to show that the ship's
company are at prayers. This signal, which is kept flying during the
performance of divine service, is respected by every other ship,
whether commanded by a superior officer or not.

Besides the prayers, which, as I have already mentioned, are
"according to the Liturgy of the Church of England, established by
law," the chaplain gives a short discourse, not exceeding at most
twenty or twenty-five minutes in length. Some captains are in the
habit of reading a sermon; but more commonly, when there is no
clergyman on board, the prayers are deemed sufficient. These points,
as may be supposed, become frequent matters of discussion in the
fleet. I shall not enter into them further just now than by observing
that the majority of right-thinking officers appear to agree, that, if
the church service on board ship be not "solemnly, orderly, and
reverently performed," according to the terms and in the spirit of the
first article of