. On arriving there I was appointed
to the Queen's yacht, as a reward for what their lordships at the
Admiralty were good enough to designate my active and zealous services
while employed in suppression of the slave trade.

To be appointed to Her Majesty's yacht was in those days considered a
very great distinction. Even now the Queen invariably chooses officers
who have seen what is called 'service.' Such an appointment, apart from
the honour of being so near Her Majesty, always tends to rapid
promotion.

The Queen at the time I write of was very fond of cruising in her yacht,
paying visits to foreign potentates, &c. Her Majesty had been then five
years married, with a young family springing up around her, and her
beloved husband the Prince Consort always with her, participating in
all her pleasures; so we, the officers of the Royal yacht, had a rare
time of it, were made a lot of wherever we went, and thought ourselves
very great men indeed. Amongst other trips, we conveyed the Royal family
up the Rhine, where Her Majesty visited the King of Prussia at
Stolzenfels.

Afterwards we went to the Chateau d'Eu, where Her Majesty was received
by King Louis Philippe and the Reine Amelie.

I shall never forget the condescending kindness of Her Majesty and
Prince Albert to all on board the Royal yacht. As to the Prince Consort,
he treated the officers more in the light of companions than
subordinates, always ready to join us in a cigar and its accompanying
friendly conversation.

Apropos of smoking, I cannot refrain from mentioning a little incident
that happened on board the 'Victoria and Albert,' that I, for one, shall
never forget. Her Gracious Majesty never approved of smoking, and it was
only through the kind consideration of the Prince Consort that we were
allowed to indulge in an occasional cigar in the cow-house. The
cow-house was a little place fitted up for two pretty small Alderney
cows, kept specially for supplying milk and butter for the Royal table.

Her Majesty was very fond of these animals and had the habit of
visiting them every day, and the young Princes used to be held up to
look in at the window, out of which there was room for the favoured cows
to stretch their heads. One evening we were smoking as usual when I
espied a pot of blue paint on the deck of the cow-house, with, as bad
luck would have it, a brush in the pot. I cannot say what induced me,
but I deliberately took the brush and painted the t