L'NCLE IN ENGLAND. 5 



them stand on it with expanded wings; but these 

 birds never settle or swim in the water. They 

 skim along with incredible rapidity in the hollows 

 of the waves. It is to the stormy petrel that 

 these two lines allude 



She swept the seas ; and as she skimm'd along, 

 Her flying feet unbathed on billows hung. 



28th. The captain was so good as to explain 

 to us this morning the manner in which the rig- 

 ging supports the masts, and how the yards are 

 raised, and lowered, and braced in different po- 

 sitions, in order to adapt them to the force and 

 direction of the wind. He also walked round 

 the gun-deck with us, and showed us the cannon 

 and all their implements, which are kept in such 

 a constant state of readiness, that in five minutes, 

 night or day, the whole battery would be ready 

 for fighting. But nothing pleased me so much 

 as the lower-deck, where he took us while the 

 crew were all at dinner on nice pea-soup and 

 salt pork, and all sitting comfortably on their 

 chests placed round the tables ; of which there is 

 a complete row along the foremost half of the 

 deck. The other end of this deck contains the 

 officers' cabins, which, although not above six or 

 seven feet either in length, or breadth, or height, 

 are very nicely fitted up with a chest of drawers, 

 a little book-case, a chair, and even a sofa ; be- 



3 



