MAN-OF-WAR. 33 



square stern. She was the last ship built 

 of that class, and had been recently launched 

 from Portsmouth dockyard. The improve- 

 ment in our naval architecture may date 

 from this time, when the superior models of 

 the French and Spanish ships, taken during 

 the late war, invited the attention of the 

 Admiralty or Navy Board to their particular 

 structure, and soon condemned such vessels 

 as I have named to serve as hospital or 

 convict-ships. 



On board of a man-of-war, then, of the 

 fourth class, I was admitted as a supernu- 

 merary midshipman, under the especial 

 charge of the captain, who bore the family 

 name of, and was closely connected with, 

 an Irish earldom.* The ward-room officers 

 consisted of four lieutenants, a master, a 

 doctor, a purser, and two marine officers. 

 The cockpit contained, with midshipmen, 

 master's mates, doctor's mates, and cap- 

 tain's clerk, in all about twenty, while the 



* Thomas Gordon Caulfield. 

 VOL. I. D 



