THR OLD JOHN. 
117 
The above were the officers of the ship, and, in addi- 
tion, she had some sixty souls, — petty officers, firemen, 
seamen, ordinary seamen, landsmen, and boys. And now 
for the vessel herself. Her description should go on 
paper ; her dimensions should never be lost. 
“The Old John,” as we soon came to cull her, was once 
an honest old water-tank and anchor-hoy, and for years 
acquitted herself with deserved eclat in that humble voca- 
tion. She belonged to the Boston J^avy-yard, and was 
really a very useful vessel. She had a steam-engine in 
her and a propeller under her stern, and used to scull 
about the harbour of Bostou, to the infinite terror of all 
cattish. In short, like many other things in their proper 
sphere^ she was a mai-vel of good behaviour and success. 
After a while, people began to talk of sending her to 
sea, and she did actually get as far as the West Indies, 
when her officers, like sensible men, turned around and 
came back. They had had enough of her. 
Then it was said that she wanted length, more sail, 
&c. &c. ; and, while she was thus the subject of doubt 
and uncertaintjq she was selected as one of the contem- 
plated expedition. This was no sooner determined ui^oii 
than she was subjected to wdiat the Goveiunnent called 
“great improvements,” after which she was rated as a 
“screw-steamer of the third class,” and proclaimed a sea- 
worthy vessel. These great improvements consisted in 
her having been lengthened to a fearful extent, while 
her breadth of beam and power of engine remained the 
same, and of her having a third mast put in where no 
mast was wanted. Those were all, and she was then 
