but not in the early morning! By and by, when the day was not quite so young, and one reached the deck for a breath of fresh air before breakfast, it was pretty to see the hands on deck cleaning wood and bright work, making brass rails shine again, or spreading awnings. After breakfast there was a busy scene to be viewed while the men were cleaning arms and guns. A good deal of loving care is bestowed upon those guns. How well I remember the beautiful brown polish on our sixty-seven ton guns in the Trafalgar! They were perfect pictures. After "quarters" follows "sweepers," and then the bugler is told to "Sound off divisions." After divisions, prayers, and then the welcome order, "Stand easy." This, as we have seen, is the signal for one of the best quarters of an hour in the day, when men make what is their real breakfast. True they have had their "service" breakfast of cocoa and biscuit at an earlier hour, when their eyelids were scarcely unbuttoned, but they don't reckon that a proper meal. The "Stand easy" is the meal they love. It consists, as a rule, of coffee and a snack of something more tasty than the early biscuit, both which are obtained from the canteen at the men's own expense, "stand easy" not being a meal recognised by the Admiralty Instructions. "Stand easy" over, the forenoon watch is piped to fall in for exercise and morning drills, which go on till 11.30, when decks are cleared up.1

This is the time for "commander's cooks," or the "defaulters' bugle," when the commander sees men on the quarter-deck" and serves out to each his due,

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At 11.45 the bugler sounds off "cooks," and at 12 the boatswain's mates give a little performance on their pipes to tell everybody that "dinner is on the table."

The watch below has meanwhile found plenty to do with its leisure. Donkeys (Singer's sewingmachines) come out of their boxes and men will be found busily stitching away-some on the mess deck, others forward on the upper deck-cutting out cloth trousers, making caps, "heaving-up" their pound of baccy or playing a quiet game of checquers or "Ludo." Many a pleasant chat I have had with friends on the lower-deck as I passed on my way to and from the sick-bay in the morning. Such frank, good fellows they were, always friendly, never taking any advantage, giving one a hearty welcome and a cheery word. Sometimes there will be an argument going on, for sailors are very fond of "arguing the point,' and one is asked to settle the matter in dispute. "All right, I'll do my best," I reply, and my verdict is always received with great respect. The questions are not always so easily settled as one that was once presented to me, namely, "Is it correct to say of the air of a place that it is bracing or embracing?"

At 12.30 grog is served out. This is quite a formal proceeding. The grog-tub is often adorned with "God save the Queen" in shining letters of brass, and is accorded a post of honour under the eye of the sentry. The issue of the "tot" is carried out by the ship's steward, a petty officer, and a sergeant of

Marines under the superintendence of an officer. The allowance per man is half a gill of rum mixed with a gill of water, the mixture being known as two-water grog. At one time every one in the ship was entitled to his "tot," but this was changed some years ago, and now grog is only issued to warrant officers and the ship's company. The dinner hour is up at one o'clock (sometimes extended to two in hot weather abroad), when the bugler sounds off "Clean arms." At 1.15 the watch on deck falls in, the other watch going below. The watch on deck go to afternoon drill, the watch below doing a little "shut-eye" for the most part. At four o'clock drill is over. Supper follows at 4.30. At five the mess deck is cleared up and "evening quarters" follows. This is a muster of the men who by this time have shifted into "night

clothing.' After quarters ropes are coiled up, boats hoisted in, and the ordinary work of the day is over. Two evenings of the week the men "scrub and wash clothes," and once a fortnight hammocks are scrubbed. Between seven and eight the men take their supper, which is provided for in the same way as the morning "stand easy." At eight o'clock the first watch musters round the capstan. At 8.45 the order is given "Out pipes, clear off the mess-deck for the rounds." At nine o'clock the commander or first lieutenant goes the rounds, visiting every part of the ship to see that all is in order and reporting "Rounds all correct" to the captain on his return.

The following is the weekly routine in harbour :