34 SENTENCE 



the other officers, were also in the cabin, when their 

 commander exj^ressed himself in an angry tone, and 

 in the strongest terms of rejorobation at their recent 

 conduct ; condemning it as unworthy the character 

 of gentlemen's sons, at variance with the rules of the 

 service, and totally subversive of that good feeling 

 that should actuate young men who were desirous of 

 advancing in the profession ; and on that account, if 

 on no other, should cultivate each other's friendship and 

 good-will. 



For this grave offence, which he told them he could 

 not stigmatize too strongly, he said that he should from 

 that hour disrate all who had been guilty of such a dis- 

 graceful conspiracy ; and that upon his arrival in India 

 on the station he should apply to the Admiral for a 

 court-martial of a little different nature from that 

 they had concocted, when they vv^ould most assuredly 

 be dismissed the service. In the meantime, they were 

 not to do duty any more as officers on board his ship, 

 nor were they to appear on the quarter-deck. This 

 sentence, however severe it may be thought, was put 

 in force immediately by the captain calling in his 

 clerk, who in their presence erased their names from 

 the list of petty officers in the ship's books, reducing 

 them to the rank of A.B. or O.S., in w^hich capacity 

 some of them were compelled to do duty; one of 

 them, I remember, who had in the early part of the 

 voyage fallen under the captain's displeasure, was put 

 in the foretop. 



This was the unfortunate youth who could not eat two 

 breakfasts. " Henry Parry," bawled out the first lieu- 



