fire-engine—for washing decks and other
slushy purposes.

In looking at the galleys, we must notice
that the Amazon's galley was on the side,
while that of the present vessel is
amidships. And the arrangement of the
Engineer's store-room is different likewise from
that of the lost vessel. The Engineer's
store-room in the Amazon was over the
boilers:—between the boilers and the ship;—
that of the Orinoco is alongside the
engine, between that and the ship's side;
built sound, and air-tight. This difference
of position will doubtless receive the attention
of professional men in the inquiry
concerning the fatal fire.

There is a hollow clanging and hammering
resounding for ever in that engine-room.
Nevertheless, it must not altogether quash
our little experiment with those gutta percha
tubes—long flexible tubes dangling down
from the deck above, to communicate orders
through. The courteous CAPTAIN ALLAN calls
out " Ease her," through one of them, and you
hear it distinctly. And now we ascend up
the neat iron-ladder to the air.

Arrived on the tipper deck—" the spar
deck" they call it—I had occasion to admire
afresh the bulk and symmetry of this fine
vessel, from another point of view. She is
perfectly rigged, and could spread an immense
surface of canvas to a fair wind. Wind
being foul—down, of course, come topsail-
yards, topmasts, and lower yards, and away
she thunders in the teeth of it—giving as little
surface aloft to it as she can. Pacing about,
fore and aft, you see pens and coops, for flesh
and fowl—admirable conveniences to keep pig
comfortable till his hour is come, and he is
wanted in the saloon. All the paddle-box
region is made useful; among other purposes,
for baths. Seeing which, I again reflected
how much jollier it would be to have the
refreshing bath there, than to splash about
the sea in a lower studding-sail, with Bulbous
roaring for you to come in, and a shark wanting
you to come out!—But to resume.

Of course, I turned a very attentive eye to
the boats. The Orinoco's boats are nine
in number. The two chief "life boats" are
before the paddle-boxes, hanging to davits,
but resting on " chocks "—the after-part, at
least—on the wooden platform there. I must
try to make the reader understand the
arrangement; these " chocks " are important
items; for most people are agreed that the
Amazon was unfortunate in having her
boats resting on " cranks," i.e. a kind of iron
stanchions projecting from the sides. The
"chocks" are made of wood—the lower one
is square, the upper shaped like a wedge,
and ready to be drawn out. Thus, the wedge
drawn—and the davits, which are iron (and
made to swing) being swung—the boat glides
bodily out from her seat, and hangs clear of
the ship, ready to lower, with much facility.
Whereas, according to the " crank " arrangement,
it would be necessary—and in the
Amazon was necessary—to hoist at the
tackles, before the lowering could take place.
I saw the "chock" system tried, and though
at that time there were only "lumpers" on
board to go through the manoeuvres, its
performance seemed to be very satisfactory. Let
us hope that these boats would be successfully
worked. But you may be sure, reader, that
when I came fresh from the huge engine-
room, and the decks, and the cabins, and the
galley—with all the scenery of the Amazon
stamped on my imagination—and thought of
the dark stormy night, and the sudden springing
fire, and the wild wind, and the terror—I
was in no humour to be critical. I was in no
humour to say,—why did not they do so and
so? Thankfully acknowledging what was
good in the arrangements I saw around me,
I had far too clear an image of that night to
be inclined to talk speculatively of what ought
to have been done—according to my notion
or Captain Bigwig's notion, or Admiral Bluster,
K.C.B.'s notion, either.

As an instance of the scale on which these
Companies arrange the personnel of their
vessels (of which we shall have more to say in a
future article), let us just see how many officers
the Orinoco musters. Besides the commander,
there are five " officers "—technically so called
—answering to the mates in a ship; four
midshipmen; three warrant officers; a purser,
and purser's clerk; a surgeon; six engineers,
and a boiler-master; and four quarter-
masters. Of course, the superior rank of these
have their cabins; and a large staff of
servants is kept up for the saloon. A particularly
snug cabin, I was glad to see, is devoted
to the lieutenant in charge of the mails; and
if I know anything of the profession, the
"Admiralty Agent" has a very jolly time of it.

Since my above-recorded visit, the Orinoco
has made a voyage to and from the West
Indies, with batches of passengers and
bullion—besides the eleven hundred tons of coal,
and the three hundred tons of cargo, which
she stows away in that big hull of hers. She
called at St. Thomas's with the mails;
thundered away to Carthagena; then to Chagres,
where she landed her Pacific mails; and thence
on to Grey Town and Nicaragua. She arrived
home in capital condition; but she has not quite
answered the expectations of her owners. Her
engines are so tremendously powerful that,
enormous as her stowage is, she cannot carry
coals enough to keep them at the top of their
speed.

Now Ready, Price 3s, in cloth, the
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THE HOUSEHOLD NARRATIVE
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provisions of the Stamp Act, will be regularly continued and
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