commenced at once; and the men, as fast as they
come on board, appointed, as near as may be, to the stations which the
officers think they will ultimately occupy. This lets a man know at
once what duty he will be required to perform, and makes him feel at
home. Some crack sailors will not volunteer unless they can be made
reasonably sure of being placed in a station they like; and although
it would be highly injudicious to make such absolute stipulations
without some previous trial of the candidate's abilities, it may be of
great advantage to the service to enter men more or less on this
principle. For instance, it is of the utmost importance to obtain
steady petty officers, that is to say, quarter-master's, gunner's,
boatswain's, and carpenter's mates; captains of the forecastle, of the
hold, and the tops; sail-makers, armourers, caulkers, and coopers;
with others of less consequence, but all valuable in their respective
departments, and contributing to make up the singular population of a
man-of-war. The following list contains the peace establishment of the
Conway, a ship of twenty-eight guns, which I fitted out in the
beginning of 1820. The document may perhaps interest persons who like
to inquire into the details of a community and _menage_ so differently
constructed from any they are likely to meet with elsewhere.

_A Scheme of the Establishment of His Majesty's Ship Conway, with a
Complement of 125 men._

Brought forward 18
Captain 1 Schoolmaster 1
Lieutenants 3 Master at Arms 1
Master 1 Caulker 1
Second Master 1 Armourer 1
Purser 1 Sailmaker 1
Surgeon 1 Carpenter's Mate 1
Boatswain 1 Gunner's Mate 1
Gunner 1 Boatswain's Mates 2
Carpenter 1 Quarter-masters 3
Master's Mate 1 Captain's Coxswain 1
Midshipmen 4 Capts. of the Forecastle 2
Assistant Surgeon 1 Cooper 1
Clerk 1 Capts. of the Foretop 2
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Carry forward 18 Carry forward 36

Brought forward 36 Brought