remember too well
also his angry frown, and the sundry thwackings that I got with a
"cat-o'-nine-tails," when I had "offended against discipline."

From an infant he tried to instil into my young mind the glories of a
sea-faring life, and what a grand thing it was to fight for the honour
and glory of one's country. He told me that he had great interest in the
navy, and if I turned out a worthy nephew of his, he would get me on in
my career, and that he hoped I should never disgrace his name by showing
the white feather and turning landlubber.

He tried to influence my youthful imagination with stories of
sea-fights, the capture of pirates, the manners and customs of foreign
countries, the merry crew on board, etc. He would cut out boats for me
from blocks of wood, and would rig out and launch them in a fish pond in
a garden behind his house.

Up to a certain period in my youth my uncle's nautical stories and his
promises of pushing me on in life, if I answered his expectations, fired
my ambition, and I could talk of nothing else than of going to sea.

My uncle having no children of his own, looked upon me as his son, and
said that I was just the sort of boy for him. He would praise me to his
friends and before my face, but his eulogium of myself lasted only
during the time I lived with him--namely, before he sent me to school,
for at school a great change came over me, and my uncle noticed with
regret upon my return for the holidays the growing coolness in me
towards a sea-faring life; in fact, that my tastes had begun to develop
themselves in quite another direction.

Away from the influence of my guardian, I had dared to breath in a new
atmosphere, and to find out that there were other walks in life quite as
noble, and to me much more fascinating than that of the sea. The term
"landlubber" conveyed no disparagement to my ears now. I merely saw in
it the venting of the spleen of an egotistical and narrow mind. How
paltry that class of men must be which speaks with disparagement of all
others who do not happen to be within its own narrow circle.

I was ashamed of myself for ever having been led away by such false
opinions, and had many a hot dispute with my guardian about his
illiberal notions. Now, the admiral had a temper of his own; he was not
a man accustomed to be thwarted. He had made up his mind that I was to
go to sea, and to sea he was determined to send me, whether I willed it
or no.

I was now about