There were some British men-of-war lying in the harbour; and as my two German friends were anxious to see the great-gun exercise, I went on board with these gentlemen to witness the drill, with which they were much pleased.  After it was over, and the ship’s company had gone to dinner, they wished to smoke a cigar, the whiffs of Jack’s pipe having reached their olfactories.  Great was their astonishment, and infinite my disgust, when we were walked forward to the galley to enjoy our weed, to find the crew smoking on the opposite side.  It is astonishing to think that, with so much to be improved and attended to in the Navy, the authorities in Whitehall-place should fiddle-faddle away precious time in framing regulations about smoking, for the officers; and, instead of leaving the place to be fixed by the captain of each vessel, and holding him responsible, should name a place which, it is not too much to say, scarce one captain in ten thinks of confining his officers to, for the obvious reason that discipline is better preserved by keeping the officers and men apart during such occupations,—­and, moreover, that sending officers to the kitchen to smoke is unnecessarily offensive.  These same orders existed thirty years ago; and, as it was well known they were never attended to, except by some anti-smoking captain, who used them as an excuse, the Admiralty very wisely rescinded an order which, by being all but universally disregarded, tended to weaken the weight and authority of all other orders; and after the word “galley,” they then added, “or such other place as the captain shall appoint.”  After some years, however, so little was there of greater importance to engage their attention in naval affairs, that this sensible order was rescinded, and the original one renewed in full force, and, of course, with similar bad effect, as only those captains who detest smoking—­an invisible minority—­or those who look for promotion from scrupulous obedience to insignificant details—­an equally invisible minority—­act up to the said instructions.  Nevertheless, so important an element in naval warfare is smoking now considered, that in the printed form supplied to admirals for the inspection of vessels under their command, as to “State and Preparation for Battle,” one of the first questions is, “Are the orders relative to smoking attended to?” If I am not much misinformed, when Admiral Collier was appointed to the Channel squadron, he repaired to the Admiralty, and told the First Lord that he had smoked in his own cabin for twenty years, and that he could not forego that pleasure.  The First Lord is said to have laughed, and made the sensible remark, “Of course you’ll do as you like;” thereby showing, in my opinion, his just sense of the ridiculousness of such a childish regulation.  So much for folly redivivus.