File:A sailor's life under four sovereigns (1899) (14596591627).jpg

Identifier: sailorslifeunder01kepp (find matches)
Title: A sailor's life under four sovereigns
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: Keppel, Henry, Sir, 1809-1904
Subjects: Great Britain. Royal Navy
Publisher: London : Macmillan and co., limited New York, The Macmillan company
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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Edmon-ston had the best sort of courage—brave withoutbeing rash. He got into Parliament, but I, havingbeen kept at sea, got ahead of him. George King entered the College the same day asmyself, and we kept working together, although indifferent ships, for many years. We cadets were not allowed outside the dock-yard ; the stage-coaches that took us away wereobliged to come inside the gates. We were butboys, and provided ourselves with such missiles formischief as we could find in the yard—iron ringbolts,for example, which were dangerous if thrown withprecision. Before the half was up, we drew lots for themuch-coveted box-seat ; that on His Majestys mailon one occasion fell to me. There were severalnight-coaches, but the Nelson, the only six insideheavy, was the favourite. It carried thirteenpassengers, and stopped to refresh at Liphook. Thefood was bespoke a week before : in winter beef-steaks, onions, and plum-pudding, but in summer agoose, ducks and green peas, with onions to any
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The Attack. 22 A Sailors Life chap, i 1823. extent. It often happened that the coach left apassenger or two asleep on the rug. Outside the gates there was no difficulty in obtain-ing pea-shooters and other small means of annoyance.On the night when 1 had the box-seat, the Royal Mailpicked up and dropped boys as we came, so that itwas midnight before we reached Godalming. Thepostmaster having turned in, the Mail pulled up asusual under his bedroom windows. The momentthey were opened, the postmaster and his wife wereassailed with pea-shooters and other missiles. Theguard was saying All right, when the postmistress,calling There is something else, emptied the slopson the boys as the Mail drove off; I, having the box-seat, escaped the odoriferous bath. That gallant officer, Sir William Hoste, whocommanded the Albion, one of the harbour guard-ships, used to visit us during play-hours and tip theNorfolk boys with a half-guinea each, althoughhimself a poor man. We were proud at being noticed

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