Page:The Naval Officer (1829), vol. 2.djvu/215

 I got well; and the first thing I did, was to take a boat and go and dive down the fore-hold of my old ship, and swam aft to the breadroom."

"And what did you see, Sir?" said I. "Oh, nothing, except lots of human skeletons, and whitings in abundance, swimming between their ribs. I brought up my old quadrant out of the starboard wing, where I was adjusting it when the alarm was given. I found it lying on the table just where I left it. 1 never shall forget what a d—d rap we hit the old Queen Charlotte, with our larboard broadside; every gun went slap into her, double-shotted. D—n my eyes, I suppose we diddled at least a hundred men."

"Why, Sir," said I, "I always understood she only lost two men on that occasion."

"Who told you that?" said Captain G ——.

"your old captain?"

"Yes, Sir," said I,"he was a midshipman in her"