ed, called his son, and thus addressed
him: "Considering my rank in life, and public services for so many years,
I shall leave you but a small fortune; but, my boy, it is honestly got, and
will wear well; there are no seamen's wages or provisions, nor one single
penny of dirty money, in it."
An Odd Shot.--An English frigate was obliged to strike to a French vessel
of superior force. The English captain, on resigning his sword, was
reproached by the French commander for having, contrary to the usages of
war, shot pieces of glass from his guns. The English officer, conscious
that no such thing had been done, made inquiry into the matter among his
men, and found the fact to be this. An Irish seaman, just before the vessel
struck, took a parcel of shillings out of his pocket, and swearing the
French should have none of them, wrapped them in a piece of rag, and thrust
them into his gun, exclaiming, "Let us see what a _bribe_ can do!" These
shillings, flying about the vessel, were mistaken by the French for glass.
The above explanation not only satisfied them, but put them in great good
humour with their captives.
A Child on Board.--A child of one of the crew of His Majesty's ship
_Peacock_, during the action with the American vessel _Hornet_, occupied
himself in chasing a goat between decks. Not in the least terrified by the
destruction and death which was going on all around him, he continued his
amusement till a cannon-ball came and took off both the hind legs of the
goat; when seeing her disabled, he jumped astride her, crying, "Now I've
caught you." This singular anecdote is related in a work called "Visits of
Mercy," (New York.)
Grog.--The British sailors had always been accustomed to drink their
allowance of brandy or rum pure, until Admiral Vernon ordered those under
his command to mix it with water. The innovation gave great offence to the
sailors, and, for a time, rendered the commander very unpopular among them.
The admiral, at that time, wore a grogram coat, for which reason they
nick-named him "Old Grog," hence, by degrees, the mixed liquor he
introduced universally obtained the name of "_Grog_."
Navy Chaplains.--When the Earl of Clancarty was captain of a man-of-war,
and was cruising on the coast of Guinea, he happened to lose his chaplain
by a fever, on which the lieutenant, who was a Scotchman, gave him notice
of it, saying, at the same time, "that he was sorry to inform him that he
died in the
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