qualities, and the plan of stowage which was found to answer best, will be supplied by the superintendent of the dockyard, together with her draught of water, forward and aft, light as launched and in ballast; and, lastly, when completely equipped for sea, with guns, powder, provisions, and men on board.  If the ship be new, the captain will be furnished by the Surveyor of the Navy with every particular respecting her trim, and the manner in which he conceives her hold should be stowed.  If this very important part of the ship’s economy be one that has occupied its due share of the commanding-officer’s attention, he will carefully examine the conformation of the ship’s bottom, and be enabled to tell whether or not the former plan of stowing the ballast agrees with his own theoretical views, and his experience in such matters, and then putting the ship’s recorded sailing qualities by the side of these actual observations, he will be enabled to decide how the ballast shall be distributed.

The Signal Books, Printed Naval Instructions, the Admiralty Statutes, and other works of reference and guidance, are supplied by the port-admiral, while a copy of all the Port Regulations and Orders should be made, and so carefully perused by the captain and officers as to be almost got by heart.  A minute attention, indeed, to the injunctions contained in these written orders, is absolutely necessary to keep the officers of a ship out of eternal hot water with admiral, flag-captain, secretary, and first lieutenant of the flag-ship, all of whom are put out of their way by any neglect on the part of an officer fitting or refitting a ship.

I remember once a grand row which I, in common with three or four other commanding officers, got into.  A signal was made from the flag-ship at Spithead, the Royal William, or the Royal Billy as she was universally called.  The order was, “The ships at Spithead are to send boats to assist the vessel in distress.”  On looking round, we could see nothing but a collier aground on the end of the spit.  One boat, or perhaps two, were sent from some of the ships—­but not enough to save her; so poor Jock lay on the shoal till he capsized, and there was an end of him; for it came on to blow, and the shore, from South Sea Castle to Blackhouse Point, was a complete beach of coal shingle.  Next morning out came a swinging reprimand to all of us, ordering a “report in writing to be made forthwith of the reasons why the signal made at four P.M. to send boats to the collier had not been obeyed.”  I recommend folks fitting out, therefore, as they value their peace, to trifle with anything rather than the port orders.  For it is well to consider, that a scold resembles a snow-ball—­it always gathers weight as it rolls along.  Thus the Admiralty send down, by post or by telegraph, a rap on the knuckles to the old admiral—­very moderate as naval things go, but such as, in civil life, would make a sober citizen frantic, though it merely squeezes out