flock being dropped to the full length of their lines, they set up
such a screaming, cackling, and flapping, as could not fail, when
aided by the mingled laughter and shouts of their future demolishers,
to call the envious attention of the whole surrounding fleet!

It is very useful to keep the people in a good humour at all times;
though, as I have already suggested, the captain must avoid even the
appearance of courting popularity at the expense of his officers. Such
an unworthy course of proceeding strikes at the root of discipline. A
truly right-minded officer, therefore, at the head of any department,
whether it be that of a ship, a fleet, an army, or a cabinet, will
seldom, if ever, take into his calculations the effect which any
measure is to produce on himself or his own interests--but will
steadily seek to discover what is best for the public service. And if
such research be made in the proper spirit of generous self-devotion
to his duty, he may essentially advance the cause of good discipline,
by transferring the credit of success, which might be his own due, to
those with whom he happens to be co-operating, and without whose
companionship and attention to details, though unseen and unknown to
the world, he might never have gained his point. It is more difficult
indeed, but also more generous, and more useful in practice, for the
chief to bear manfully the brunt of failure; and in seasons when
measures of an unpopular character become necessary, to charge himself
with a large share of that loss of favour which he is best able to
afford.[9]

FOOTNOTES:

[8] By the recent regulations each ship also receives her complement
of seamen gunners from one of the gunnery ships, in the proportion of
a lieutenant and thirteen gunners to a line-of-battle ship, a mate and
ten men to a frigate, and eight men to smaller vessels. These are
passed gunners, and their duties are to instruct the crew in gunnery.

[9] The introduction of the system of registration of seamen has, of
course, been an admirable check upon desertion after receiving
advances, both in the naval and commercial marine.

CHAPTER XXIV.

FITTING OUT.

In the course of a week or ten days after a ship is commissioned, the
officers are collected on board their hulk, and they bestir themselves
to gather their comforts about them. In the first instance they look
after their "noble selves" by selecting, at some small salary extra, a
boy or a marine