cabin, to have forgiven, and thus, without appearing to humble himself, to have shaken his nephew by the hand. But, to use a midshipman's phrase, the young Astell was never "caught napping." Had he but just turned in, wet and weary, from having kept the middle watch, and the hands were turned up at two in the dark morning, and his stiffened limbs had just begun to relax, and sleep to steal away his painful sense of fatigue, he was the first to jump out of his hammock, and the last to leave his station on deck or in the tops.

It must be confessed, that if the Commodore did not spare his own crew, he never spared himself; for whenever manoeuvres were to be performed, he was up and on deck all hours in the night, and, even on these occasions, he would roar out, "Where's Mr. Astell ?" and Mr. Astell was always found at his post. After the duty was done, and the hands were piped down, he would retire slowly into his cabin, shaking his head mournfully, muttering

all the while, "The poor child, the obstinate fool, why don't he go into the sick list? he never can stand it; and what shall I say to his poor mother?" And then, breaking forth into a rage, he would shout, "Steward! up, you lazy, bone-polishing, plate-lapping son of a -; you're snug in your hammock, are you, whilst my nephew is shivering like the dog-vane in a north-easter? Up, sluggard, I say, and mull a pint of my very best port wine, by the spirit-lamp: don't spare the warm spices, and take it to Mr. Astell's hammock: tell him the doctor sent it him; for, hark ye me, if ever he finds out it came from me, I'll start every bone in your skin" And then he would go on soliloquising, "If it were not like bearding me in my command, I would make it up with the lad; a fine spirit, I must own. And is he not to be the father of my grandchildren ?—I'll ask him to breakfast to-morrow. But suppose the young dog should refuse?-like enough, like enough-no, we'll wait awhile."

He

waited and almost ruined his nephew and his own happiness for ever.

Now, the old Commodore, I assure you, the best friends I have in the world, my readers, was a strange and most intimate mixture of good and evil. If I had chosen, I might have made my old Commodore the Commodore of popularity, a fighting, drinking, generous, good-hearted, vulgar swab. But I rather choose to draw from life: and, as I had the real character fresh in my recollection-for the old boy often mast-headed me himself-and as almost all my incidents are real, and being naturally of a somewhat indolent temper, I have used what I found ready-made to my hand without troubling myself to create a probable fiction. A better seaman, a better navigator, a better naval tactician than the Commodore could not be found; and a better man-to find whom would have been no hard taskwould not, assuredly, in his position and in his times, have done so well.

Though he had not, at this period, attained his fiftieth year, he was known throughout the navy as "the fighting old Commodore," and well understood to be a man of the most des

perate determination. When the squadron sailed on this long, memorable, and distressing chase, the seeds of that mutiny which so soon after sprang up in such dreadful fertility, and produced such bitter fruit, were plentifully disseminated in the little squadron. The other ships under Sir Octavius's command would have long before broken out into open revolt, had not their crews felt assured that the Terrific would be alongside of them at the first symptoms of disobedience: and they knew that he, at least, could and would keep his crew in subjection; and they judged rightly. After all, the Commodore was no miracle; like most of us, he was the creature of those circumstances that had educated him a thriving and truculent son, whom his father, Arbitrary Power, had begotten upon that too

willing and too wilful jade, Irresponsibility. Besides, he had owed all his success in life to skilful daring and well-organized violence : and, as these had hitherto always enabled him to take the ships of the enemy, he thought that the same principles, properly modified by circumstances, would enable him duly to govern his own--and so they did; but, thanks to the philanthropy of this generous nation, and the good sense of the officers of the naval service, they will suffice no longer.

Their pre

But to return to our squadron. sent duty was of a nature the most distressing; with the exception of a few hours at single anchor-once at St. John's, Newfoundland, and again at Rio-they had been nearly fourteen months at sea, during the whole of which time the ships' companies had been necessarily put six upon four, that is, reduced one third of the allowance of their by no means nutritious food, and often upon a quart of fresh water a day per man. At that period, the ships were infamously