SHORT ALLOWANCE 31 



that the dull sailing of the convoy had caused to be of 

 unusual duration, and there being no port at Avhich we 

 could possibly touch before reaching the Bay of Bengal — 

 the Cape of Good Hope being at that time in the hands 

 of the Dutch, it having been restored to them at the peace 

 of Amiens — it was thought necessary to put the ship's 

 company, officers included (for there is no distinction in 

 these cases), on a short allowance of water. 



Now it came to the turn of a young Irishman, who had 

 served about half his time, by the name of Nixon, to 

 dine with the captain, a day or two after ; and in the 

 course of conversation at the table he was asked how the 

 young gentlemen, meaning the midshij^men's mess, did 

 with the minimum of water to which they were re- 

 stricted. In the simple and ingenuous manner that was 

 natural to him, he reiDlied, " Oh, capital ! very well — 

 indeed, they could do with half the quantity." Whether 

 the captain took him at his word and acted accordingly, 

 I cannot at this distance of time pretend to say, but on 

 his retiring from the table and coming below, his mess- 

 mates flocked round him, requesting to know, as was 

 usual with them, what the captain talked about ; when 

 he repeated the conversation, and foolishly divulged the 

 error he had committed. 



Upon this the majority of the mess took umbrage, and 

 accused him of being the cause, from his folly or 

 obsequiousness, in attemj^ting thus to gain favour 

 with the captain, of the privations they were about to 

 suffer for the remainder of the voyage ; and upon one or 

 two of them savino- he ouo-ht to have a o-ood lickino", it 

 Avas quickly resolved, at the instigation of the doctor's 



