Eileen aroon.
We had a fidgety and crabbed commodore (Captain Stevenson of the Europa, 50) who neither enjoyed pleasure himself nor would let anyone else do so: who kept Blue Peter flying the fortnight we remained, which said No! to every invitation to the city.
In going from Portsmouth to the Downs we gave a passage to an assistant surgeon, red hot from the land of cakes, who had never been on board of a man of war, and had now an appointment to a gun vessel. Seeing that he was a complete greenhorn, we took him into our mess that the midshipmen should not make a butt of him, for which he was very thankful. On leaving the ship in the Downs, he took the surgeon aside, saying, ‘You have all been very kind to me, particularly the purser, and I would wish to make him some acknowledgment. D’ye think if I gave him three pounds of cheese!!! it would satisfy him?’ After he landed at Deal he put up at the Three Kings. Captain Dobree, happening to go into the coffee room, observed him in one of the boxes, and hearing him ask the waiter what there was for dinner, stayed to hear the result. The bill of fare being given him, he ordered an apple pie, which was brought him made in a good-sized dish. This he devoured in a short time, and ordered the fellow to bring him another, which he demolished also, and then rang the third time and asked him if he had any more of those pies. On the waiter saying they had, he said, ‘You may as well bring me one more,’ upon which Captain Dobree exclaimed ‘Merciful father!’ and left him in his glory. The captain told me this the moment he came on board, saying he never met the fellow of him in all his peregrinations.
About six months after this a small squadron of gun vessels were ordered from the Downs to cruise on the French coast. It happened that his appointment was dated before the other assistant surgeons in the above squadron, and will it be believed that he considered himself entitled to the same rank and emoluments as physician of the fleet, and made application for the same, and got for answer (as we were told) that the board disapproved of the whole of his practice.
Daniel Dobree, Esq., [Acting] Captain.
Dead [1802]. A good officer, seaman, and gentleman. [Post captain, April 29, 1802.]
J. A. Gardner, 1st Lieutenant.
A commander.
John Worrall, 2nd Lieutenant.
Dead [1831]. A commander; crabbed.