From Powder Monkey to Admiral | Page 6

Had he waited, he would probably have been sent
to sea as a midshipman, and placed on the quarter-deck. He now
entered as a ship-boy before the mast.
Tom, as he had made his bed, had to lie on it, as is the case with many
other persons. Even now, had he written home, he might have had his
position changed, but he thought himself very clever, and had no
intention of letting his father know where he had gone. The last of the
trio was far more accustomed to salt water than was either of his

companions. Jack Peek was the son of a West country fisherman. He
had come to sea because he saw that there was little chance of getting
bread to put into his mouth if he remained on shore.
Jack's father had lost his boats and nets the previous winter, and had
shortly afterwards been pressed on board a man-of-war.
Jack had done his best to support himself without being a burden to his
mother, who sold fish in the neighbouring town and country round, and
could do very well for herself; so when he proposed going on board a
man-of-war, she, having mended his shirts, bought him a new pair of
shoes, and gave him her blessing. Accordingly, doing up his spare
clothes in a bundle, which he carried at the end of a stick, he trudged
off with a stout heart, resolved to serve His Majesty and fight the
battles of Old England.
Jack went on board the first man-of-war tender picking up hands he
could find, and had been transferred that day to the Foxhound.
He told Tom and Bill thus much of his history. The former, however,
was not very ready to be communicative as to his; while Bill's patched
garments said as much about him as he was just then willing to narrate.
A boy who had spent all his life in the streets of London was not likely
to say more to strangers than was necessary.
In the meantime the fresh hands had been called up before the first
lieutenant, Mr Saltwell, and their names entered by the purser in the
ship's books, after the ordinary questions had been put to them to
ascertain for what rating they were qualified.
Some few, including the smugglers, were entered as able seamen;
others as ordinary seamen; and the larger number, who were unfit to go
aloft, or indeed not likely to be of much use in any way for a long time
to come, were rated as landsmen, and would have to do all the dirty
work about the ship.
The boys were next called up, and each of them gave an account of
himself.

Tom dreaded lest he should be asked any questions which he would be
puzzled to answer.
The first lieutenant glanced at all three, and in spite of his old dress,
entered Bill first, Jack next, and Tom, greatly to his surprise, the last. In
those days no questions were asked where men or boys came from. At
the present time, a boy who should thus appear on board a man-of-war
would find himself in the wrong box, and be quickly sent on shore
again, and home to his friends. None are allowed to enter the Navy
until they have gone through a regular course of instruction in a
training ship, and none are received on board her unless they can read
and write well, and have a formally signed certificate that they have
obtained permission from their parents or guardians.
CHAPTER TWO.
HEAVING UP THE ANCHOR.
As soon as the boys' names were entered, they were sent forward, under
charge of the ship's corporal, to obtain suits of sailor's clothing from the
purser's steward, which clothing was charged to their respective
accounts.
The ship's corporal made them wash themselves before putting on their
fresh gear; and when they appeared in it, with their hair nicely combed
out, it was soon seen which of the three was likely to prove the smartest
sea boy.
Bill, who had never had such neat clothing on before, felt himself a
different being. Tom strutted about and tried to look big. Jack was not
much changed, except that he had a round hat instead of a cap, clean
clothes, and lighter shoes than the thick ones in which he had come on
board.
As neither Tom nor Bill knew the stem from the stern of the ship, and
even Jack felt very strange, they were handed over to the charge of
Dick Brice, the biggest ship's boy, with orders to him to instruct them
in their respective duties.

Dick had great faith in a rope's-end, having found it efficacious in his
own case. He was fond of using it pretty frequently to enforce his