With this magnificient background, that beautiful ship, with all sails set, commenced the graceful evolution through which the Columbia had passed. It was a scene that might have charmed a poet, and could Washington Irving, or the author of the lines at the head of this chapter, have seen those piles of golden clouds just peering above the horizon and "the sapphire seas beneath with that splendor lighted ship in the midst, they would have asked little aid from fancy to present a magic picture to the reader.

That night a storm arose and parted the two ships our consort bearing orders in the event of such a separation to steer for Madeira. And thither we were bound; but I shall now return to the internal affairs of the vessel, and revert to our progress, and to "the wonders, which they witness who go down to the sea in ships," by and by.

We had not been many days at sea before the roaring boatswains passed the word: "All hands, all hands, all hands, witness punishment." Every one was obliged to attend; the men forward, and the officers, with side-arms, aft of the fiferail or gangway. In the intermediate space, were ranged five culprits under the custody of the "master-at-arms." The commodore spoke to them with stern solemnity, read a portion of the rules which they had heard once in every month and as often violated, and then motioned one of them to the stand. The wincing rascal went tremblingly to the grating upon which he was to stand; his feet were lashed down there, and his wrists to the upper hammock nettings, while the boatswain's mate stood, in attitude, brandishing the "cat o' nine tails" for his bare back. "Lay on," said the commodore in a low tone of

TREATMENT OF MARINERS.

33

authority; the galling lashes fell, and the puny coward writhed and roared for pity before he had half the penalty which he had risked, and most richly merited: the sign of pardon was waved, and the fellow released. The other four culprits were deserters, but men of sterner stuff. Each of these walked boldly up-and received his round purpling dozen manfully, without a tear, a flinch, or a groan. They described the sensation as being like the pouring of melted lead upon the back; but the effects of the "colt," a single cord instead of nine, is said to be worse.

This part of naval discipline seems to be very severe to a stranger, but it requires only a short acquaintance with the affairs of a ship of war, to perceive the necessity of severe penalties, if with due proportion, rigidly enforced, among a body of promiscuous men thus confined. But whether corporeal punishment, without the decision of the court martial, be admissable; or rather, whether the abuse, to which the privilege is liable, does not overbalance the benefits, when an officer, who cannot control himself, may lash a man from the mere impulse of passion or prejudice, I will not presume to judge at present. It certainly allows great discretionary power to officers, particularly when they know that however much wronged he may be even in the face of the law, the the poor sailor will seldom attempt and never succeed in getting redress. A commodore's power, at sea, has no check except the fear of the press or public opinion on land; but while he has power to oppress, he has often power to elevate and patronize. This latter privilege was very happily exercised by our commodore soon after we left the American waters. Two masters, by his priv

ileged hand, were enabled to stride a year or more in advance of their grade, and virtually become lieutenants: then two of the old boys-two jammed-up mates of the steerage- were also made masters, entitled to rooms, and the comforts of the wardroom. It tickled them finely, as it should do, and wrought a change in their expressions, their dignity, and personal appearance, almost as great as the metamorphosis of a school-boy who enters college, and is, the next day, a man with a long-tailed coat and stock on. Then the commodore's secretary, being an educated clergyman, was made our chaplain. So that we see a commodore can do a great deal of good as well as evil. Indeed it is not twelve o'clock, or eight-bells till he makes it so, and sends word to have the bell struck. But the middies have a way of making it sevenbells, or half-past eleven, quite as absolute as that of the commodore; and very frequently, though entirely unbeknown to him, they make it sevenbells, or half-past eleven o'clock, three or four times. in the day, when others may think it is only two or three-bells. But thereby hangs a tale, with a secret in it for the reader to find out, if he does not know.

I said the commodore had the secretary turned into a chaplain, and the next Sunday we were all mustered on the quarter deck to witness his ability in that capacity; and certainly every one must have been highly gratified with his performance. The church ritual is certainly very, yes, peculiarly interesting at sea, to a stranger who takes any pleasure in religious services. On Sunday morning the decks get an extraordinary scrubthe hammers and files of the anvil cease their clatter

the adze and planes of the carpenters are stow

RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.

35

ed away, and all unnecessary labours are suspended. The quarter deck - the place of assembling-is screened by an awning; the white hammock cloths are neatly displayed fore and aft in the nettings; a union jack covers the capstan as a pulpit, and often bunting curtains are festooned over the rougher parts, while every pin or brass piece is well polished, and the ropes coiled into concentric circles about the deck. At the appointed time and signal every person being in full uniformthe marine guards dressed in green and white, with pipe-clayed belts and polished armour, are ranged in double line along the lee side of the deck; the naval officers in blue and gold, stand opposite, and an uncovered throng of clean sailors in white trowsers and frocks, having blue collars and bosoms fancifully embroidered, occupy all the space aft the mizzen mast, while the commodore and executive officer honour the weather side of the speaker. This forms a scene that truly presents an interesting group of "God's best works." Upon the occasion of which I am speaking, our chaplain discoursed upon the scenes of the judgment —— when the "almost christian," the blaspheming lord, and the dishonest servant, the lying child, and pious mother, stand together before the bar of God, while the unerring register of each one's conscience is read aloud, and judgment pronounced upon that too, too faithful summary of each man's life. Then the speaker depicted, with rather declamatory eloquence, the scenes of heart-rending and eternal separation. It was, while the picture was presented to us of the mother parting with her son, that I cast a glance along the line of marines, and noticed the drummer standing with a moistened gaze fixed upon the speaker. I thought

to myself, this sermon may be as lost pearls to many, but there certainly is one whose natural sentiment of reverence is touched, and he cannot avoid showing it.

The drummer was a gray-eyed, flaxen-headed youth, whose demure looks were oddly at variance with regimentals; but, nevertheless, he had a tender heart. I noticed his head gradually inclining intently forward, the muscles relapsing into a gaping stare, and presently the hands, which had unconsciously dropped the sticks upon the drum-head, were devotionally clasped in front. But as the topic and the tone of the speaker changed soon after, the youth recovered the consciousness of his exposure, and, gazing flurriedly around like one caught in a ridiculous plight, he resumed his former position.

The muster was over, and the Orlopians having returned to their dark apartment, one of the young Galens laughing at the boldness of hypocricy, asked if we noticed old Nicholson, the carpenter's mate, at service. "The old root," said he, "is the cunningest villain aboard; here he stood gazing at the parson with a quizzical sanctity that would have shamed the devil, and when he got below, he ridiculed and cursed the whole concern." But a ship of war is a world in itself, and of course has all kinds of characters on board; and although the majority may partake of old Nic's traits and infidelity, there are others directly opposite in character, or if they are not so, there is the more need of religious influence to make them so.

The utility of religious services on ship-board is often questioned, and certainly is a mooted point; since sailors, particularly those accustomed to ships of war, acquire a kind of chivalric, dare