lours and pennant were hoisted half-mast high.
The men were then ordered down to breakfast, and to clean themselves.
During the time that the men were at breakfast, all the officers went
into the cabin to take a last farewell look at our gallant captain. He
appeared to have died without pain, and there was a beautiful
tranquillity in his face; but even already a change had taken place, and
we perceived the necessity of his being buried so soon. We saw him
placed in his coffin, and then quitted the cabin without speaking to
each other. When the coffin was nailed down, it was brought up by the
barge's crew to the quarter-deck, and laid upon the gratings amidships,
covered over with the Union Jack. The men came up from below without
waiting for the pipe, and a solemnity appeared to pervade every motion.
Order and quiet were universal, out of respect to the deceased. When
the boats were ordered to be manned, the men almost appeared to steal
into them. The barge received the coffin, which was placed in the stern
sheets. The other boats then hauled up, and received the officers,
marines, and sailors, who were to follow the procession. When all was
ready, the barge was shoved off by the bow-men, the crew dropped their
oars into the water without a splash, and pulled the _minute stroke_;
the other boats followed, and as soon as they were clear of the ship,
the minute guns boomed along the smooth service of the bay from the
opposite side of the ship, while the yards were topped to starboard and
to port, the ropes were slackened and hung in bights, so as to give the
idea of distress and neglect. At the same time, a dozen or more of the
men who had been ready, dropped over the sides of the ship in different
parts, and with their cans of paint and brushes in a few minutes effaced
the whole of the broad white riband which marked the beautiful run of
the frigate, and left her all black and in deep mourning. The guns from
the forts now responded to our own. The merchant ships lowered their
colours, and the men stood up respectfully with their hats off, as the
procession moved slowly to the landing-place. The coffin was borne to
the burial-ground by the crew of the barge, followed by Mr Falcon as
chief mourner, all the officers of the ship who could be spared, one
hundred of the seamen walking two and two, and the marines with their
arms reversed. The _cortege_ was joined by the army officers, while the
troops lined the stre