Part 13 (1/2)
I was now to turn over a new page in the history of my career. Although I had gained a considerable amount of nautical knowledge, my experience of life was somewhat limited; but henceforth it was to be enlarged and extended, I trusted, over the greater part of the surface of the globe.
For the present, the lands of the myrtle and vine were to be our destination--the sh.o.r.es of the Mediterranean; and the man must indeed be difficult to satisfy who is not pleased with their varied and glowing beauties. Our gallant s.h.i.+p; our berth, so long our home; my messmates, as well as our superior officers and men, merit description. I will touch on each of them in their turn. First I will speak of our berth, which was in truth somewhat different to the abodes of the naval heroes of Great Britain of the rank of mids.h.i.+pmen, with which the public are familiar. Few, perhaps, are like it, though after we had been a year or two at sea it had sadly been shorn of its glory. Its brilliancy had departed, and its polish was no more. We happened to have a caterer, who liked to have everything very natty about him, and who had accordingly taken on himself to spend a few pounds in having our berth neatly done up. The bulkheads were painted of a salmon colour; there was a gilt and blue moulding; a neat oilcloth over the table and lockers; and at one end a buffet filled with plated dish-covers and dishes, tumblers and wine-gla.s.ses, forks and spoons, and China teacups; while two swing-lamps hung from the deck above. It afforded a contrast, certainly, to the times of the old school, when a purser's dip was stuck in a black bottle, and battered tin cups served alternately for grog and tea and soup; but though the language of the occupants of our berth was somewhat more refined, and our opinions more liberal, I will venture to say that the spirit to will and to do deeds of daring burnt not the less brightly in our bosoms than in those of mids.h.i.+pmen of former times.
While I was at Ryde the s.h.i.+p's company moved out of the old _Topaze_, alongside of which we were lashed, into the frigate; and the day after several mates and mids.h.i.+pmen, with somewhat aristocratic pretensions, joined us. I got a hint, when I came back from Ryde, that they were rather inclined to look down upon me as having been a cutter's mids.h.i.+pman.
”They shan't cut me, at all events,” said I to myself. So as soon as I got on board I went below, and taking the fiddle old Hanks had given me, I sat myself down on my chest, and began playing away with all my might a merry Irish jig.
”Hillo; who is the jolly fellow out there?” asked one of the new mates from the berth.
”Oh, that's the Irish mids.h.i.+pman, D'Arcy,” answered Onslow, a mate who had sometime joined. ”Give us another tune, Paddy, that's a good boy.”
On this I forthwith struck up ”Saint Patrick's Day in the Morning,” and half a dozen other Irish airs.
”If no one objects, I'll sing, too, mates,” said I, when I had played out my tunes.
Without waiting for an answer, I locked up my fiddle, and taking my seat at one end of the berth, I trolled out, with a very fair voice, several songs which used to delight old Hanks and my other s.h.i.+pmates in the cutter. The effect was evidently good. I showed my wish to please; and though afterwards a few attempts were made to snub me, I took them all in good humour, as if they were intended as jokes, and finally established myself as a favourite with the mess, and I may, I believe, honestly say, with nearly everybody on board.
As soon as possible we went out to Spithead, and joined a large squadron under command of Sir Peppery Portfire. We mustered altogether some eighteen sail of vessels or more, and a very warlike appearance we made.
We were bound, we knew, for the Mediterranean; and we all looked forward with no little satisfaction to our visit to that most favourite of stations.
Our powder was next taken on board, with a further supply of stores, and more mids.h.i.+pmen. Among the latter, who should climb up the side but my quondam friend d.i.c.ky Sharpe. He did not see me, as I was aloft at the time, and before I came on deck, he and his traps had gone below. When my watch on deck was over, I descended to our berth, where I found him busily employed in cramming his new messmates, and endeavouring to raise himself to a high position in their estimation.
”You see, my good fellows, it isn't everybody has got a Minister for a cousin, and a Lord of the Admiralty for an uncle,” he remarked in a consequential tone, as I got to the door of the berth.
”And I don't think you have either, d.i.c.ky, my boy,” said I, laughing.
”But I am very glad to see you, notwithstanding; but don't be after bamboozling us jolly greens now.”
At first he attempted to look very indignant at the attack made on his veracity; but no sooner did he recognise me than his good feelings got the better of his love of trying to make himself of importance; and jumping up, he seized my hand and wrung it warmly.
”Why, D'Arcy, is it you yourself, indeed?” he exclaimed. ”I am delighted to find you here, I am indeed. Why, messmates, if it hadn't been for D'Arcy I should have been food for fishes; I should, on my word. Think what a loss the service would have had.”
A loud laugh from all hands followed this remark, though I verily believe d.i.c.ky spoke in all gravity; but the fact that I had been the means of saving his life thus came out. It raised me, I had afterwards reason to know, in the good opinion of all on board; and d.i.c.ky himself gained many friends by the feeling way in which he spoke of it. I was very soon seated alongside him in the berth, and our tongues were rattling away as fast as they could wag.
d.i.c.ky's propensity to brag, amusing as it was to others, was continually getting him into sc.r.a.pes. We had an old mate, Adam Stallman by name, who was proportionably as tall, grave, and silent, as d.i.c.ky was little, merry, and loquacious.
One day d.i.c.ky having thrown a biscuit at me, which, unfortunately, hit Adam's nose, the latter looked at him sternly.
”Sharpe, you are small,” he exclaimed; ”but cobbing was invented to make mids.h.i.+pmen grow, and I intend to make you grow.”
”Then, faith, Stallman, I suspect your mother began cobbing you as soon as you were born,” answered the undaunted d.i.c.ky.
Adam's hands had been busy under the table with his handkerchief; now, suddenly leaning forward, he grasped d.i.c.ky by the crop of the neck, and before he had time to expostulate, he had him in such a position that he could apply with the greatest effect the instrument of torture he had manufactured. As all the oldsters sided with Adam, the youngsters dared not interfere; and poor d.i.c.ky was held in that undignified position while other handkerchiefs were knotted, and before he was cast loose he received a cobbing which made him treat ever afterwards all the oldsters with abundant respect. But d.i.c.ky, if he did not forget, did what was as wise, he forgave; and I do not think he nourished the slightest ill-will against his cobbers.
Of Captain Poynder I have spoken. He was a worthy man and a good officer; and if he had a fault, it was not being sufficiently strict.
Then comes Johnny Du Pre, our gallant First. I have still an affectionate regard for Johnny, though many an hour have I spent at our masthead at his instigation; while d.i.c.ky, promoted by the like authority, was taking sights at me from another. We were sent there not without cause, I own, and still the amount of moral turpitude which gained us that elevated distinction was not such as to make me blush as I think of it, or to make me anxious to conceal it from the public.
Neither as a first-lieutenant nor as a man was Lieutenant Du Pre perfect; but who is there with whom one cannot find a fault. He was kind-hearted, a fair seaman, and anxious to do his duty.
But our second lieutenant, Basil Vernon, was still more worthy of notice. Refined and elegant both in person and manners, he appeared, at first sight, to be what is called a fine gentleman; but kind-hearted, brave, and generous almost to a fault, a first-rate seaman and officer, a better fellow never stepped, nor one more beloved by all cla.s.ses afloat, as well as by all who knew him on sh.o.r.e. I soon became very much attached to him, and would have gone round the world to do him a service. Many times did he save me from punishment when I specially deserved it. He was indeed very far from being one of those fine fellows whom no ordinary mortals can approach; for he had a heart tender as a woman's, and he would as readily sympathise with the grief of the smallest middy, as with the sorrow or suffering of the roughest tar on board. He was a sincere Christian too, and, what was more, was not ashamed of his Christianity. He exhibited his principles in his practice--in the daily duties of life,--till he taught the most profane and profligate to respect him, if not to adopt them. I wish there were more Basil Vernons in the service. Thank Heaven! there are some s.h.i.+ning lights to lighten us in our darkness--leaven, which gradually, though slowly, may, by G.o.d's providence, leaven the whole ma.s.s.
Our third lieutenant, Hugh Summers, wrote poetry, talked sentiment, and dreamed dreams, and required a flapper to remind him when to put the s.h.i.+p about at times; but when once aroused into action, he was as energetic as any one, and had plenty of resources on an emergency.