Captain Snipes lifted his finger, and the first boatswain’s-mate advanced, combing out the nine tails of his “cat” with his fingers, and then, sweeping them round his neck, brought them with the whole force of his body upon the mark.  Again, and again, and again; at every blow, higher and higher and higher rose the long purple bars on the prisoner’s back; but he only bowed his head and stood still.  A whispered murmur of applause at their shipmate’s nerve went round among the sailors.  One dozen blows were administered on his bare back, and then he was taken down and went among his messmates, swearing: 

“It’s nothing, after you get used to it.”

Antone, who was a Portuguese, was next, and he howled and swore at every blow, though he had never been known to blaspheme before.  Mark, the third, was in the first stage of consumption and coughed and cringed during the flogging.  At about the sixth blow he bowed his head and cried:  “Oh!  Jesus Christ!” but whether it was in blasphemy or supplication no one could determine.  He was taken with a fever a few days later and died before the cruise was over, as much perhaps of mortification as from the inroads of the disease.

The, fourth was poor Sukey.  When told to advance, he made one more appeal to the captain, avowing that he was an American.  The captain, with an oath, said that was the more reason for flogging him.  He appealed until the marine guard was ordered to prod him with his bayonet.  They had to actually drag Sukey to the gratings.  Sukey’s cheek, which was usually pale, was now whiter than a ghost.  As he was being secured to the gratings, and the shudderings and creepings of his dazzling white back were revealed, he turned his tear-stained face to the captain and implored him to spare him the disgrace, which he felt far more keenly than the pain.

“I would not forgive God Almighty!” cried the brutal captain.  The fourth boatswain’s mate, with a fresh cat-o-nine-tails swung it about his head and brought the terrible scourge hissing and crackling on the young and tender back.  Fernando turned his face away and wept.

“My God! oh! my God!” shouted Sukey, and he writhed and leaped, until he displaced the gratings, scattering the nine-tails of the scourge all over his person.  At the next blow, he howled, leaped and raged in unendurable agony.

“What the d—–­l are you stopping for?” cried the captain as the boatswain’s-mate halted.  “Lay on!” and the whole dozen were applied, though poor Sukey fainted at the tenth stroke.

Reader, this was on an English war vessel,—­the vessel of a nation professing a high state of civilization.  We blush to say it, it was no better on an American man-of-war, if nautical writers of high authority are to be believed, and, even to-day, the brute often holds a commission in the American army and navy.  Although flogging is of the past, punishment equally severe is inflicted.  The necessities of discipline