Fell From Aloft.

they are the Avildest lot -with which we have to do , and give us petty officers more trouble and cheek than we know AA'hat to do with , and it is two or three years before the wind , gets well taken out of their sails . But I was talking about parsons , —in general , there is too much what we call red tape about ' em . As long as they read the sea prayers every morning and preach a naval pattern sermon of about seven minutes , their duty is over , and Ave see them no

more from year ' s end to year ' s end . Then , too , Sunday , instead of being a day of rest , is often a busier morning than any other , because the red tape , as I mentioned before , ordains that all the men and decks shall be inspected by the captain ; so that from early daAA'n till about nine or half-past there is— -notwithstanding the general holystoning of Saturday—a continual scrubbing , washing , cleaning , polishing , painting , whitewashing , and brightening up going on . Ton , on shore , sir , have nothing to do but to walk quietly and calmly to your parish church , and take your seat ; but with us , after the morning ' s toil , and the pipe goes " to rig church , " there ' s many a man as damns the church , and parson , and all connected with it , Avhile he is carrying stools or putting

capstan bars in position to form seats . But you are wondering AA'hat all this has to do with the case of falling from aloft , Avhich I promised to tell you . Well , then , it happened on a Sunday evening during some unnecessary drill , and whenever I speak of that poor boy ' s fate I cannot help doing a bit of a growl . An old salt would be nowhere in the estimation of the youngsters if he could not growl Avell . But to my yarn : it was on board H . M . S . "Nonsuch" carrying the flag of Vice-Admiral

, Sir Charles Reefpoint , on the 29 th of September , 187— . We left Chefoo on the previous Friday , and were making our way toAvards Nagasaki , steaming slowly and with all plain sail set , though there was hardly enough wind to keep the topsails full . We had church in the forenoon , and after dinner the usual time to ourselves , when some smoked , and read whatever old neAVspapers could he got to small circles of listeners ; others spun yarns of good old ships , and good old times they had seen , —f or with sailors the last

ship is always the best , the present the worst they have ever sailed in ; others spread grass mats under the awnings , or in the shade of the sails , and dreamt perchance of loved ones under colder skies . At eight bells ( 4 p . m . ) we cleared up decks , and then went to supper ; and after supper it is usual to go through a little sail drill , known in a fleet as Evening EA'olution , —and a very good thing too , to keep the youngsters up to the mark , though under very few Admirals is it carried out on a Sunday . HoAvever , we had Avhat

' we term a smart commander , and he generally managed to get permission to do something or other on Sunday evenings . This evening he " cleared lower deck , " with the intention of furling all sail and then setting it again , a piece of uselessness , except for drill purposes , for the wind , though light , was steady , and the weather was quite settled . Ton see , sir , if the Aveather is any \ vays inclined to be squally , or if we are sailing with a fleet , it is the usual thing to shorten sail , and perhaps take in a reef or two before sunset ; but bless you , Avhen we are out by ourselves with plenty of sea-room , and a nice

steady breeze—especially some of them foreign Avinds that WOAV so long one way , that it is a hard job to get them to blow any other—such a thing as shortening sail is not to be thought of . HoAvever , as I was saying , we cleared loAver deck about two bells first dog—that is 5 p . m ., as you call it ashore—and as soon as they piped " shorten and furl sails , " I went aloft to the maintop , of Avhich I was captain . Just as I gained the luttock ri gging , one of oiu- smartest boys , Jonas May , passed me on his way to the main-topgallant-yard , where he was stationed . He Avas a bright civil lad , as nimble

as a monkey , and in consequence apt to be careless , so as he went by I hailed him , ^ jth a " Steady , my lad , steady . " He ansAvered back with a merry twinkle in his eye , 'Steady it is , " and then I lost si ght of him , for the orders from the commander on the brid ge were coming thick and fast , and Ave all had to do our utmost to be smart enough , not to have the whole of the evolution to do again . We had taken in all sail and were hauling taut sheets and braces , AA'hen a sharp short cry , and the rush of a tailing body , caused me to look over the handrail , and then I saw what I shall never target to my dying day . The outline of a human figure was falling—falling swiftly :