New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-07-06
THE LIEUTENANT's STORY.

around the mess table in the ward-roOm OF
her majesty's ship D., where l had the
honor to be guest. The wine sparkled IN
the glasses, and all, as is ever the case on
such occasions event merry as marriage
BELL and many we're the "reminiscences OF
real naval life related by the j"vial officers
as they conteatedly stretched their legs
under the mahogany. At length some story
of the Baltic fleet under Napier. or of the
brave old Admiral himself, called forth the
following amusing narrative from Lieu
tenant M:
| had lust come home from M first
cruise. which had been to the West Indies.
1t was a short one, it is true-Only four
months-but l considered myself as great
a vOyager as Cook. and as good a mariner
as Btnbow.
had then the honor Of being full naval
cadet IN her majesty's service, and had just
Joined the old Victoria at Portsmouth, to
await passage to the ship to which had
been appointed.
found some forty youngsters OF my own
rank in the mess-room, none OF whom had
ever smelt water, and lOrded it over them
accordingly as an bld tar. l was only tnir
teen wears old But that didn't matter. l
had been to sea As you, gentlemen, have
all, as youngsters, belonged to the venera-
BILE old guaxd, it is unnecessary to tell you
that we had but little to do but lounge
strut up and down the poop. When visitors
came on board, the commander would order
one of us to show them round the ship: and
as there are always some hundreds every
day who come to see the grand old relic of
Trafalgar. we generally had good deal of
work in that way.
When We had any one to escort that
savored of rural districts, we used to con-
slider them fair game to listen to any outrage
fh al mIphf haaIa
concerning the good old ship, and many
must have been completely mystitied at the
extraordinary lies that were poured into
their astOnished ears.
One day I was standing on the middle
| deck, wondering if it would be any use to
ask leave to go ashore, when l saw rustic
| looking individual in buff waistcoat, whose
shirt front was rather dishgured with snuff.
which he used plent!fully, make his appear
| ance over the gangway. He was accOmpa-
| MED by two Iadies-Of the class old maid
at least I judged 80, and as the last one
| gained the dec. Commander B., seeing
| me looking as if l wanted something to do,
| cut short my meditatiOns of the shore by
saving: "Mr M. show that gentleman
and those ladies the ship" I answered
| gave, aye, SIR and at once went up to the
| old chap, and said l was detailed to show
| them the lions of the Victory. He bowed
| of inspection.
began by telling him that the vessel
| whose decks he now had the honor of tread
| ing was of remote antiquity, but the
| furthest of which We had any record was
when she was called the Great Harry, in
| the time OF Henry ILL.,; that she had many
| times been rebuilt and remodeled, and
| finally was renamed the Victory for thrash
| ing the Dutch. Here the old rustic gave a
1 L =.
| his cOuntenance, but as he had just taken
a spoonful OF snuff into his capacous
! nostril, l attributed the nasal sound to
| that, and not to his having any doubt as to
| my veracity.
then described many terrible battles in
which she had been, or in which she had
not been, in different ages; wildly pic.
tured her at Trafalgar, in the most impos-
sihle of positions, and finally told him that
! she was soon going to sea to bear the com.
mander-in-c chiefs flag in the Baltic.
| Throughout all of this wonderful informa
| ton. old Buff WaistcOat only now and then
| interiected. "Oh. indeed. Dear me! The
Devil - and 80 forth, while I was inward.
| " chuckling at the audacity of my efforts.
and growing holder at my supposed sue.
! cess in quilting the old gentlemen.
| remember taking especial pains to point
| out the capstan as u monument erected to
| the memory of the great Nelson: that the
inscription had never been put on. through
| unforeseen events. but would be before she
| went TO sea. We then descended into the
| cockpit, and l showed him the board on
which is painted: Here Nelson died"
described in graphic terms the death scene
! of Nelson. saying that his last words to his
flag captain were: kiss me- Hardy. ere
die" but that the gallant but fastidious
| Hardy declined, in these now historic
words: mo, my lord. your breath smells"
Here there was a slight exclamation on the
! part of the ancient madens of "Oh, the
| !" which tichled me exceedingly.
| After having been ali between decks. we
! went on deck land you all remember that
little brass plate on the starboard side of
the quarter deck that has inscribed on Il.
| Here Nelson tell"l. l promptly informed
| them. as sooH as their eyes fell on it. ''that
one evening when the admiral Was skylark-
| ing on the starbOard mizzen STAY he let 90
and fell exactly on that spot; but that the
place where he dropped when hit by one
of the enemy's sharpshOoters at Trataig "a,
had been carefully cut out and deposited III
the British Museum Here l heard an
other of these disconcerting grunts, which
again caused me to sean the face of the old
farmer suspiciOusly; but seeing more snuff
being scooped in and a solemn look on the
! old party's face, became satisfied.
I now told him that he had seen ali the
wonders Of the old craft, and l would escort
them back to the entry port, which did.
As the rustic looking old fellow was going
over the side. he said: well. young gentle
man, am much obliged for the kind way
in which you have piloted us round Nav |
and at once handed him my card. l then
asked him if he would kindly oblige me
with his, to which he answered, with grea,
| pleasure which rather staggered me. as
didn't think old farmers were in the habi,
of carrying card cases; but when he drew
one from his pocket and handed it to me
great heavens. fancy my amazement, terror
and surprise on reading Vice Admiral 81,
| Charles Napier, Commander in Chief Bait lf
| Fleet" roar of laughter from every one a,
the mess table caused the lieutenant to
stop tor minute but cries of $50 on M
| 90 on" caused him to resume.
The menta, agony that l experienced fol-
| the next three hours is more easily imag
ined than described. for the veneration and
awe in which an admiral is held by a mid
shipman is only akin to that feeling we ex
perience for the Deity. minus the love.
| sat for those three hours on my sea
chest, in the orlop, expectin. that some
thing was going to happen. but what it was
l didn't know. At the end of that time ar
| orderly came TO say that the captain
wanted me in his cabin. / thought. now
for it. l resigned myself for something ter
rible. in fact would not have been ,nrc!
surprised if | had been ordered out for il
slant execution: SO mechanically l fol
lowed the orderly. until he opened the
| cabin door for me to enter.
You all know Admiral C.. Well, a
that time he was captain o! the Victory
and. / suppose, as fond of Joke as any OF
ticer IN the service. although. just then
didn't think there was anything to jok,
about. As bowed myself into his pres
ence he rose and said, Mr.. Nj he
leve." again bowed. He continued: -
sent for YOU to tell YOU that have re