Sketches From My Life

have arrived at that time of life when, while respecting, as I do, public opinion, I have hardened somewhat into indifference of censure. I will, however, endeavour to write as fa

1822. I will pass over my early youth, which was, as might be expected, from the time of my birth until I was te

ne; for, after a year or so of futile attempt on my part to learn something, and give promise that I might aspire to the woolsack or the premiership, I was pronounced hopeless; and h

ll his sorrows to come,' into Her Majesty's navy as a naval cadet. I shall never forget the pride with which I donned my first uniform, little thinking what I should have to go through. My only consolation while recounting facts that will make many parents shudder at the thought of

its accompanying troubles. At the time of which I write people flattered themselves that the sufferings which 'Midshipman Easy' and 'The Naval Officer' u

ained the great man who had given me the nomination (captains of men-of-war were very great men in those days), and after a long weary journey we arrived at the port where H.M.S

, but to go to my mess, where I should be taken care of. On descending a ladder to the lower deck, I looked about for the mess, or midshipmen's berth, as it was then called. In one corner of th

meaning what are now called sub-lieutenants. They were drinking rum and water and eating mouldy biscuits; all we

I was received with a chorus of exclamations, such as, 'What the deuce does the little fellow want here?' 'Surely the

midshipmen's berth, eat my tea and bread and butter, and turn into a hammock for the first time in my life, which means 'turned out'-the usual procedure being to tumble out several times before getting accustomed to this, to me, novel bedstead. However, once accustomed to the thing, it is easy enough, and many indeed have been the comfor

ieutenant in a loud voice, 'Put all my boat's crew in irons for neglect of duty.' It seems that one of them kept him waiting for a couple of minutes when he came down to embark. After givin

oat's crew. I cannot describe the horror with which I witnessed six fine sailor-like looking fellows torn by the frightful cat, for having kept this officer waiting a fe

ind, under whose influence the ship was beginning to heel over, and an increasing sea that made her jump about like an acrobat. I had not got my sea legs, and this feat seemed an utter impossibility to me. I looked with horror up aloft; then came over me the remembrance of Marryat's story of the

s the maintop. This, I must explain to my non-nautical reader, is not the mast-head, but a compar

go higher,' and a little higher I did go. Then I stopped, frightened to death, and almost senseless; terror, however, seemed to give me presence of mind to cling on,

into the greatest danger, taking this first step towards breaking his spirit, and in all probability making him, as most l

and the effect on me was curious enough. For all I had seen and suffered on that the opening day of my sea-life made me think for the first time-and I have never ceased thinking (half a century has p

e that has taken place in the treatment of those holding subordinate positions in the navy-and th

little I a

estion, 'Why are men tyrants when t

! What caused the Indian Mutiny? Let Indian officers and tho

mmand of a man-of-war, in those days when for months and months he was away from all control of his superiors and out of reach of public c

. Perhaps also the necessarily solitary position of a commander of a man-of-war, his long, lonely hours, the utter change from the jovial life

e years of age made to stand between two guns with a sentry over him for hours, because he had neglected to see and salute the tyrant who had come on deck

there being, I suppose, a slight monotony in the conversation, he asked his guest whether he would

on board Her Majesty's ships was slowly but surely dawning u

ry significant manner

g a midshipman. This young officer's father, happening to be a somewhat influential man, made a s

s worth relating. The ship was paid off, and the captain, on going to the hotel at Portsmouth, sent for me and offered me a seat on his carriage to London. Full of disgust and h

uring three years. The fact is, I had become during that period of ill-treatment so utterly hardene

mportant of all being to sympathise with other people's miseries,

ught me to be somewhat insubordinate in my notions. I fear I mu

), and seemed inclined to disbelieve my yarns; but this did not alter the facts, nor can I

men were supposed to possess such a thing as feeling, when they had once put their foot on board a man-of-war. Then there were the almost interminable sea voyages under sail, during which unspeakable tyrannies could be practised, unheard of beyond the ship, a

, with the consoling thought that