“As for that matter,” said the captain, “we privateer’s-men don’t trouble our heads much about it; we always take care of Number One; and if your men choose to say they are natives of Boston, and will enter for my ship, I must take them.  Why,” continued he, “there is your best man, Thompson; I’d lay a demijohn of old Jamaica rum that he is a true-blooded Yankee, and if he was to speak his mind, would sooner fight under the stripes than the Union.”

“D——­n the dog that says yon of Jock Thompson,” replied the Caledonian, who stood by.  “I never deserted my colours yet, and I don’t think I ever shall.  There is only one piece of advice I would wish to give to you and your officers, captain.  I am a civil spoken man, and never injured any soul breathing, except in the way of fair fighting; but if either you, or any of your crew, offer to bribe me, or in any way to make me turn my back on my king and country, I’ll lay him on his back as flat as a flounder, if I am able, and if I am not able, I’ll try for it.”

“That’s well spoken,” said the captain, “and I honour you for it.  You may rely on it that I shall never tempt you, and if any of mine do it, they must take their chance.”

Captain Green heard all this conversation; he took no part in it, but walked the deck in his usual pensive manner.  When the captain of the privateer went below to work his reckoning, this unhappy man entered into conversation with me—­he began by remarking—­

“What a noble specimen of a British sailor you have with you.”

“Yes,” I replied, “he is one of the right sort—­he comes from the land where the education of the poor contributes to the security of the rich; where a man is never thought the worse of for reading his Bible, and where the generality of the lower orders are brought up in the honest simplicity of primitive Christians.”

“I guess,” said Green, “that you have not many such in your navy.”

“More than you would suppose,” I replied; “and what will astonish you is, that though they are impressed, they seldom, if ever, desert; and yet they are retained on much lower wages than those they were taken from, or could obtain; but they have a high sense of moral and religious feeling, which keeps them to their duty.

“They must needs be discontented for all that,” said Green.

“Not necessarily so,” said I:  “they derive many advantages from being in the navy, which they could not have in other employments.  They have pensions for long services or wounds, are always taken care of in their old age, and their widows and children have much favour shown them, by the government, as well as by other public bodies and wealthy individuals.  But we must finish this discussion another time,” continued I, “for I perceive the dinner is going into the cabin.”