before the mast; for they cannot read their
orders from the Admiral, and are obliged
to show them to somebody who can. This
makes things known which ought to be kept
secret. I was not made an officer in
this way. I was appointed by favour.
Now officers are made at the naval schools;
which turn out some very good ones.
They enter as midshipmen. They pass an
examination, and then may or may not be
made lieutenants.

Our crew live very well. Should you like
to taste their dinner? It is just ready. Here
comes a mess just going to be served. See!
artichokes in a rich brown gravy, and with
stewed bits of meat among them; also a
thick white soup. Do you like it? So, that's
right! Another mouthful, eh? You won't!
Haidi Youssouf! (be off Joe!)

It is impossible to do away with flogging
in the navy. The sailors go on
shore, and bully quiet people. There
would be no keeping them in order without
the lash. We do not bow-string;
those times are gone by. Capital punishment
is only for murder, or treason in
war-time. If a man deserts we give him a
hundred and twenty thumps with a double
rope's end, about as thick round as your
wrist. This leaves a wound on his back as
big as your hand. Sometimes it mortifies,
then he dies; sometimes it does not, and he
lives. These, however, are extreme cases. If
any of my men were to run away, I should
let them go, and be at no bother about them.
This is, perhaps, why they stay.

We are very fond of visiting. We have
rules about it in the same way as you have.
The rank of a captain is determined by the
number of guns in his vessel. The captain
who has the fewest guns pays the first visit.
He is saluted, and when the visit is returned,
there is another salute; after which both
vessels salute their flags with twenty-one
rounds. That is to say, silly people who like
a noise do this. Some of our captains are
more sensible, and spare the powder.

Yes, my uniform is very comfortable, but
you are not to suppose that this old brown
coat is my full uniform. Heaven forbid!
I have one so distressing to wear that I
could by no means pass two hours in it;
I keep it for grand occasions. I used to have
the nishan,—a large golden medal ornamented
with diamonds. Everybody had the nishan
in those days. It was a sign of rank like
the epaulette with you. I have not got it
now; a year or two ago the sultan called
them all in. It was said to be a measure of
economy: but nobody has yet known what
has become of the nishans which were
returned. I was much distressed at being
obliged to return mine. It was a pretty
ornament, and I had just laid in a large
supply of the regulation ribbon. I now use
that ribbon indeed for my watch, but my
friends joke me about it. We sailors,
however, are not rich, and cannot afford to throw
away anything.

Mind you do not tumble down the ladder.
It is very dark down there. That is where
the men sleep. Here are the hooks for
hammocks, I do not know anything about
ventilation, though I am ready to learn. The
small-arms, as you say, are all old, wornout,
and would, I dare say, not do much
execution in battle. Our great guns,
however, are newer, and very good indeed.
That is an officer's cabin. He cannot lie
down in it; he must go to sleep sitting, and
there is no place for the light to come through.
We have a surgeon on board. That is his
room. He is a properly qualified man, a
Greek; but when he is not here, I serve out
the medicines myself. When the men first
join they are always asking for medicine;
but, trust me, when they have had a dose or
two, they leave off.

Well, I am sorry you are going, but it
is better to put off before sunset, or else
we shall not be able to give you a salute.
We might forget that it was sunset for a
little while; but the cutter anchored off the
shore there, is sure to announce it with her
guns. We never give salutes after sunset.
I do not know why; or why we give salutes at
all: except that they shake the ship a good deal.
I am sorry we cannot hoist a flag for you,
because we have not got one. Many thanks
for your visit. I hope you have not been
disappointed. My ship is not so fine or so
clean as Admiral Slade's. But then Admiral
Slade has done a great deal for our navy, in
a very quiet and sensible manner. We ought
to be very much obliged to him—and we are.
There was never an officer more able and more
popular. But we cannot learn everything at
once; by and by there will be a great difference
in our navy. There has already been an immense
improvement,—there will be a greater.

And so a good night to you, old gentleman;
a more communicative easy-going
fellow never mounted a hobby-horse. Britons
and Turks, as you say, should be on
good terms. Come and smoke a pipe with
me when you are next ashore; we will have
some bottled porter, and a yarn of any
length you please. I would say more, but
the rusty rail of the companion ladder has
given way in my hand; and I am
precipitated into the boat with some indecorum,
and presently a salute nearly blows us out of
the water. Our boatmen (there are ten of
them) pause upon their oars as the guns are
blazing. When they cease, we take off our
hats in acknowledgment, and the chatty old
boy looks after us from his shaky poop as
we go upon our way. He is now gossiping
with one of his officers, and seems highly
satisfied with the world in general.

Although the Turks have possessed a
formidable navy for centuries, their sailors
have almost invariably been Christians. At
the great naval battle of Lepanto upwards