Imatges de pàgina
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of admission into the Service, having previously named the ship in which he wishes to embark;— for this certificate the Cadet pays a fee of £2, the Assistant-Surgeon £5.

Passengers join their ship either at Gravesend or Portsmouth, but in all cases it is most advisable that all baggage, cabin furniture, &c. should be put on board in the Docks. Every thing should be collected and forwarded at one time, this will save much expence in porterage, and the Cadet should himself, if possible, personally attend their embarkation, and have every thing in his cabin placed and secured with cleets and proper lashings, at least two days before the vessel leaves London. Agents of course will do this, and it may be properly done, but the young traveller should always look to the safety of his baggage himself, and should bear in mind,-a chest, a portmanteau, or a box left behind, will subject him to several months' inconvenience and anxiety, and very probably to positive loss;-(for cabin necessaries see in the Appendix.) If you join at Portsmouth, find out, from the Captain of the ship, the day and the hour he intends to be at the port from which he sails, and be sure to be there beforehand to prevent disappointment; many have lost their passage by being a "little too late," or have had to pay the exorbitant demands of boatmen, who know, perfectly well, you will suffer any imposition rather than be left behind.

CHAPTER II.

Sea-sickness-Determination to Study-Object of StudyFriendships-Practical Jokes, &c. &c.

FOR the first few days you will in all probability suffer from sea-sickness, for which I believe there is no positive antidote; but I have generally found walking the deck briskly, keeping as much as possible in the open air, and taking the least possible quantity of liquid, the best methods of getting rid of the nausea.

Away from home, friends, and kindred, you have now fairly embarked on the ocean of life, the happiness or misery of which will much depend upon your own management.

The pilot having left the ship, and the novelty of the scene passed, you should come to the determination of devoting some portion of your time daily to study; and having fixed your hours for this purpose, you should admit of no interruption whatever, retire to your cabin, fasten your door, and let your whole attention be absorbed, with all your thoughts concentrated upon the object of your study. If you are a draftsman or mathematician, I should strongly advise you to continue your practice in each or either of these highly useful branches of education. A young officer possessing a perfect knowledge of any one single

useful attainment, with a fair portion of common sense, will soon attract the attention of his superiors, and before his course is run may find himself, without any further interest than his own exertions, at the head of one of the numerous staffdepartments of the army. If you wish to become a great man, seize upon every fleeting advantage, gather up the fragments of time-the mighty minds which have gone before you have left treasures for your inheritance; but remember the choicest gold is only procured by digging. Take it for granted that there is no excellence without great labour; but the labour of the mind, like the exercise of the body when properly pursued, invigorates the pulse, and stimulates to further action. What we gain by perseverance and exertion, yields far greater delight than that which is easily obtained. The discovery of a trifling fact, or deduction worked out by our own brain, is far more gratifying than even the possession of a more important truth obtained from another. Although we cannot all be Wellingtons, it is our business to make the most of our talents and opportunities, and believe all things possible, as indeed almost all things are, to a spirit bravely and firmly resolved. A thorough knowledge of the history of your own and of the countries you are about to sojourn in, you will find essentially necessary, as also the languages of these countries, if you desire to be something more than an every-day soldier, which

every young man with a grain of spirit should do. Many may say there is no opportunity on board a ship for study-so many interruptions-want of books of reference, and a variety of other excuses -but if you wish to acquire knowledge, nothing but illness, or some actual misfortune will prevent you. The fact is, when men complain of want of time, or want of means, they have no lot or part in the spirit of a student. All knowledge is useful; but to a military man history and the biography of eminent commanders are more particularly so. From the facts of history he draws conclusions; his views are enlarged, his judgment correctedand from the experience of former ages he learns how those who have earned imperishable names have lived and acted, under different trying and difficult circumstances. The great object of study is to lay up knowledge for future use; therefore, in reading, you should do it attentively, slowly, and deliberately. Rapid readers are not those who, generally speaking, attain the greatest amount of knowledge. He who reads slowly, and thinks much, will find his mind well furnished for intellectual operations. Do not read too many books, but read thoroughly what you undertake-make all that you do read your own, and you will soon be rich in intellectual wealth, and ever be making valuable additions to your stores. The stimulating effects produced by the perusal of the speeches of Burke, Lord Chatham, Canning, Shakspeare, and

Divines of eminence, will last through life; and he who knows how to read to advantage, will ever have something as applicable to his mental powers as electricity is to move the animal system: and always bearing in mind that the most talented officers are selected for staff appointments, independent of books being a great luxury in the East, the Cadet should provide himself well-selected works on Military Science and general literature; a detailed list of those I should recommend, may be had at my Office, or of Messrs. Allen & Co., Publishers, in Leadenhall-Street, of whom may also be procured the latest Maps of India, with Tables of Routes, &c. &c.

As I am giving you hints as to the disposal of your time for your future benefit, I cannot pass one subject, of the importance of which you have no doubt been duly impressed by the exhortations of an anxious mother. Life has been given us for some more especial purpose than merely to eat, drink, sleep, or waste our time in idle gratifications. The wise man will seriously consider this subject, coolly and carefully examining it, and determine upon the nature of his own obligations to that Being who has created him,-the consequent duties that belong to him through life, with the certainty of his enjoying a much happier state in another world, according to the faithful discharge of his duties in this,-to effect this correct judgment, you must "search the Scriptures;" but

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