Among the rest, then and there lying, he thought he could perceive one of that nondescript class of line-of-battle ships, jocosely nicknamed by Jack Tar, the Forty Thieves, from forty of them, built by contract, having proved very inferior in point of sailing, and having, it is said, added more to the pocket of the contractor than the good of his majesty's service. The latter being one of those goods, by-the bye, which it is always right to consider, when we have no good of our own to claim a previous attention.

One of these said forty thieves, was the Rumbly. Now, thought Fitzjohn, if I know anything of the old Rumble-tumble's build, that should be her. But then, where is her commodore's pennant: and hereat being most exceedingly puzzled, and quite at fault, he laid aside his glass, went below to the cabin, and called for a glass of beer.

As for you, my young friends, the cockneys of London, who live under the double blessings of a mixed government, and Perkins' and Co.'s entire, you may profanely smile at the luxury

VOL. 11.

F

of malt, but wait, good gentlemen, till a summer trip to India has enlightened you; and after knowing what it is to have a thermometer at ninety-six in the shade, then-why then, you'll have a much more adequate idea of bottledstout than at present.

The Grab having come to an anchor, Fitzjohn learnt, with surprise and some concern, that he was right in his conjecture, and that the twodecked ship in question was the Rumbly. Surely, thought he, Sir High Topham can't be dead! and if not dead, what can have made him leave the Rumbly? But one thing's clear, dead or alive, I must go and report myself. So having done the utmost with his person, that a tarpaulin sou-wester hat, and ragged coat and heels, would permit, off set our immortal Gentleman Jack for the Rumbly.

I don't know, Mr. Reader, whether you have ever had the gratification of learning that a rich old uncle has suddenly popped off the hooks, leaving you his heir, and whether, after enjoying this comfortable delusion for some months, you have had the mortification of suddenly see

ing him put in his appearance alive and hearty. Have you? If so, you possess a very living idea of the feelings of Gentleman Jack's messmates on seeing him come up the side.

One had got on a pair of his breeches, another was wearing one of his old jackets, a third sporting his spare hat, a fourth had long made a most magnificent appearance by means of a dozen of his best shirts, a fifth was airing all his stockings, a sixth keeping the moths out of his handkerchiefs, and a seventh was stretching his last new pair of boots.

His books had become the cockpit library, his papers part of the public property; every one possessed some memento of his life, and the whole community had benefited by his death; but the devil a soul of the whole of them ever again expected to see Gentleman Jack alive.

Oh, for kindnesses of this description, commend me to a midshipman's mess! There's no little thing of this sort they won't willingly do for you. The manner of conferring benefits is often as material as the benefits themselves, says Blair. Midshipmen, I must add, confer

theirs in the noblest way-they never even wait the asking. In the case in question, they all crowded round Gentleman Jack, and by their looks seemed to doubt whether he were not some impostor.

In the energy of his declamation, and just to convince them he was of this world, he clapped one of them on the shoulder, and the other on the head, saying, "I'll soon let you know I'm come amongst you;"-alluding to the wonderful yarns he had to tell, and little dreaming that he was laying violent hands on his own property. Conscience, however, making cowards of them all, caused the first to exclaim, allude to your

"Oh, by Jove, Fitzjohn! if jacket,"

you

the second, at the same time, chiming in with "D-n it, my dear fellow, you don't mean to take back your hat."

This began to open Gentleman Jack's eyes: he then burst into a hearty laugh, and telling them they were heartily welcome to the little liberties they had taken with his wardrobe, they, in turn, assured him of his being a most generous, good fellow-than the matter of

whose death, nothing could have grieved them

more.

66

Why, ay," said Fitz, smiling at their ruddy cheeks, " you look as if you'd been pining greatly for me;-but, talking of deaths, I hope nothing's happened to Sir High, that I don't see his broad pennant.'

"Oh, nothing!" responded three in a breath, "only he's nearly been kicking the bucket from an attack of dysentery; so the surgeons bowled him off into the country, for the last three weeks, for a change of hair; but he's expected back to-night."

"Ay, Gentleman Jack, that is just it," said one of the youngsters, quizzing the mis-pronounced word; " and by this time I'll bet that his hair is so changed, that it's nothing better than a whig."

"Just catch hold of that ere youngster, and break his head; he's always a trying to make game of his senior hofficers," quoth a voice, which Fitz thought he recognised.

Turning his head, he saw Jim Bell slowly emerging from one of the hatchways, and