“I hope plenty of the lieutenants are bowled out!” said another; “we shall stand some chance then of a little promotion!”

When the hands were turned up to muster, the number of killed amounted to nine, and wounded to thirteen.  When this was made known, there seemed to be a general smile of congratulation at the number fallen, rather than of their regret for their loss.  The vanity of the officers seemed tickled at the disproportionate slaughter in a frigate of our size, as compared to what they had heard the ships of the line had suffered.

I attended the surgeon in the steerage, to which place the wounded were removed, and saw all the amputations performed, without flinching; while men who had behaved well in the action fainted at the sight.  I am afraid I almost took a pleasure in observing the operations of the surgeon, without once reflecting on the pain suffered by the patient.  Habit had now begun to corrupt my mind.  I was not cruel by nature; I loved the deep investigation of hidden things; and this day’s action gave me a very clear insight into the anatomy of the human frame, which I had seen cut in two by shot, lacerated by splinters, carved out with knives, and separated with saws.

Soon after the action, we were ordered to Spithead, with duplicate despatches.  One morning I heard a midshipman say, “he would do his old father out of a new kit.”  I inquired what that meant, was first called a greenhorn for not knowing, and then had it explained to me.  “Don’t you know,” said my instructor, “that after every action there is more canvas, rope, and paint, expended in the warrant-officer’s accounts than were destroyed by the enemy?”

I assented to this on the credit of the informer, without knowing whether it was true or false, and he proceeded.  “How are we to have white hammock-clothes, sky-sail masts, and all other finery, besides a coat of paint for the ship’s sides every six weeks, if we don’t expend all these things in action, and pretend they were lost overboard, or destroyed?  The list of defects are given in to the admiral, he signs the demand, and the old commissioner must come down with the stores, whether he will or not.  I was once in a sloop of war, when a large forty-four-gun frigate ran on board of us, carried away her jib-boom, and left her large fine-weather jib hanging on our foreyard.  It was made of beautiful Russia duck, and to be sure, didn’t we make a gang of white hammock-cloths, fore and aft, besides white trousers for the men?  Well now, you must know, that as we make Uncle George suffer for the stores, so I mean to make dad suffer for my traps.  I mean to lose my chest overboard with all my ‘kit,’ and return home to him and the old woman just fit for the fashion.”

“And do you really mean to deceive your father and mother in that way?” replied I, with much apparent innocence.

“Do I? to be sure I do, you flat.  How am I to keep up my stock, if I don’t make the proper use of an action like this that we have been in?”