Page:The Naval Officer (1829), vol. 2.djvu/314

 of for reading his Bible, and where the generality of the lower orders are brought up in the honest simplicity of primitive Christians."

"I guess," said Green, "that you have not many such in your navy."

"More than you would suppose," I replied; "and what will astonish you is, that though they are impressed, they seldom, if ever, desert; and yet they are retained on much lower wages than those they were taken from, or could obtain; but they have a high sense of moral and religious feeling, which keeps them to their duty."

'They must needs be discontented for all that," said Green.

"Not necessarily so," said I: "they derive many advantages from being in the navy, which they could not have in other employments. They have pensions for long services or wounds, are always taken care of in their old age, and their widows and children have much favour shewn them, by the government, as well as by other