XX] LONDON: VOYAGE TO SINGAPORE 331 



a certain station in a given year, or where any particular 

 officer was stationed, was always referred to him, and if he 

 could not say offhand, he retired to his cabin for a few 

 minutes, and then produced the authority, which settled the 

 question. The others were nothing remarkable, except the 

 doctor, who was of the jolly, talkative sort, and seemed 

 especially to pride himself on his knowledge of seamanship. 

 One day I remember the captain was summoned by signal to 

 go on shore to the admiral's office. It was a cold day with 

 a strong wind, and there was a very choppy sea on, as there 

 often is at Spithead. When the captain's gig came alongside 

 it was difficult to keep it clear of the ship, it was so tossed 

 about in sudden and unexpected ways ; and when the captain 

 had got in, there was a difficulty in getting away, and for a 

 few moments the boat seemed quite out of command and in 

 danger of upsetting. The officers were all looking on with 

 anxiety, and as soon as the boat had got clear away, it was 

 the doctor that spoke, and declared that he never saw such 

 bad seamanship. They were very near losing the captain ! 

 They were a set of lubbers ! etc. etc. 



Finding that I was a bad sailor, I was assured that before 

 we got to Singapore I should be thoroughly seasoned, for the 

 brig was what they called a Simonite, a class of ships named 

 after the designer, which, though stable, were very uncom- 

 fortable in bad weather, having a quick jumping motion, which 

 often made old sailors seasick. I hoped this was exaggerated, 

 but looked forward to the ordeal with some dread. But one 

 day the captain informed me that he had received fresh 

 orders to carry stores to the Crimea, where the great war 

 with Russia was about to commence. He said that he 

 regretted the change, because he much preferred the voyage 

 to Singapore and China, and that he also regretted the loss 

 of my company ; but as it was, I had better leave the next 

 morning, and that no doubt the Government would provide 

 me a passage in some other vessel. So I bade farewell to 

 him and his officers, none of whom I ever met again. 



On returning to London, I at once call on Sir Roderick 

 Murchison, and through his representations I received in a 



