Frank Mildmay | Page 9

replied, "No."
"I thought you might," said she, "seeing you are so damned civil to
everybody." Had it not been for this friendly hint, I really believe I
should have touched my hat to a drummer.
Having gone through this ordeal, I reached the inn at Plymouth, where I
found my captain, and presented my father's letter. He surveyed me
from top to toe, and desired the pleasure of my company to dinner at
six o'clock. "In the meantime," he said, "as it is now only eleven, you
may go aboard, and show yourself to Mr Handstone, the first lieutenant,
who will cause your name to be entered on the books, and allow you to
come back here to dine." I bowed and retired; and on my way to
Mutton Cove was saluted by the females with the appellation of "royal
reefer" (midshipman), and a "biscuit nibbler;" but all this I neither
understood nor cared for. I arrived safely at Mutton Cove, where two
women, seeing my inquiring eye and span-new dress, asked what ship
they should take "my honour" to. I told them the ship which I wished to
go on board of.
"She lays under the Obelisk," said the elder woman, who appeared to
be about forty years of age; "and we will take your honour off for a
shilling."

I agreed to this, both for the novelty of the thing, as well as on account
of my natural gallantry and love of female society. The elder woman
was mistress of her profession, handling her scull (oar) with great
dexterity: but Sally, the younger one, who was her daughter, was still in
her novitiate. She was pretty, cleanly dressed, had on white stockings,
and sported a neat foot and ankle.
"Take care, Sally," said the mother; "keep stroke, or you will catch a
crab."
"Never fear, mother," said the confident Sally; and at the same moment,
as if the very caution against the accident was the cause of it, the blade
of her scull did not dip into the water. The oar meeting no resistance, its
loom, or handle, came back upon the bosom of the unfortunate Sally,
tipped her backwards--up went her heels in the air, and down fell her
head into the bottom of the boat. As she was pulling the stroke oar, her
feet almost came in contact with the rosette of my cocked-hat.
"There now, Sally," said the wary mother; "I told you how it would
be--I knew you would catch a crab!"
Sally quickly recovered herself, blushed a little, and resumed her
occupation. "That's what we call catching a crab in our country," said
the woman. I replied that I thought it was a very pretty amusement, and
I asked Sally to try and catch another; but she declined, and by this
time we had reached the side of the ship.
Having paid my naiads, I took hold of the man-rope, as I was instructed
by them, and mounted the side. Reaching the gangway, I was accosted
by a midshipman in a round jacket and trousers, a shirt none of the
cleanest, and a black silk handkerchief tied loosely round his neck.
"Who did you want, sir?" said he.
"I wish to speak with Mr Handstone, the first lieutenant," said I. He
informed me that the first lieutenant was then gone down to frank the
letters, and when he came on deck, he would acquaint him with my
being there.

After this dialogue, I was left on the larboard side of the quarter-deck to
my own meditations. The ship was at this time refitting, and was what
is usually called in the hands of the dockyard, and a sweet mess she
was in. The quarter-deck carronades were run fore and aft; the slides
unbolted from the side, the decks were covered with pitch fresh poured
into the seams, and the caulkers were sitting on their boxes ready to
renew their noisy labours as soon as the dinner-hour had expired. The
middies, meanwhile, on the starboard side of the quarter-deck, were
taking my altitude, and speculating as to whether I was to be a
messmate of theirs, and what sort of a chap I might chance to be--both
these points were solved very speedily.
The first lieutenant came on deck; the midshipman of the watch
presented me, and I presented my name and the captain's message.
"It is all right, sir," said Mr Handstone. "Here, Mr Flyblock, do you
take this young gentleman into your mess; you may show him below as
soon as you please, and tell him where to hang his hammock up."
I followed my new friend down the ladder, under the half-deck, where
sat a woman, selling bread and butter and red herrings to the sailors;
she had also cherries and clotted