Autobiography n 



ness of the chief, who was, in truth, one of the kindest- 

 hearted and most considerate of men. But one day, as I 

 was crossing the hospital square, Sir John stopped me, and 

 heaped coals of fire on my head by telling me that he had 

 tried to get me one of the resident appointments, much 5 

 coveted by the assistant surgeons, but that the Admiralty 

 had put in another man. " However," said he, " I mean 

 to keep you here till I can get you something you will 

 like," and turned upon his heel without waiting for the 

 thanks I stammered out. That explained how it was I had 10 

 not been packed off to the west coast of Africa like some 

 of my juniors, and why, eventually, I remained alto- 

 gether seven months at Haslar. 



After a long interval, during which " Old John " ig- 

 nored my existence almost as completely as before, he 15 

 stopped me again as we met in a casual way, and describ- 

 ing the service on which the Rattlesnake was likely to be 

 employed, said that Captain Owen Stanley, who Was to 

 command the ship, had asked him to recommend an as- 

 sistant surgeon who knew something of science; would I 20 

 like that? Of course I jumped at the offer. " Very well, 

 I give you leave ; go to London at once and see Captain 

 Stanley." I went, saw my future commander, who was 

 very civil to me, and promised to ask that I should be 

 appointed to his ship, as in due time I was. It is a singu- 25 

 lar thing that, during the few months of my stay at Has- 

 lar, I had among my messmates two future Directors- 

 General of the Medical Service of the Navy (Sir Alex- 

 ander Armstrong and Sir John Watt-Reid), with the 

 present President of the College of Physicians and my 30 

 kindest of doctors, Sir Andrew Clark. 



Life on board her Majesty's ship in those days was 

 a very different affair from what it is now, and ours 

 was exceptionally rough, as we were often many months 



