The master has charge and stowage of the holds; a general charge of stores and store-rooms, over the gunner, boatswain, and carpenter ; and navigates the ship under the directions of the captain. Secretaries are appointed by the flag-officer whom they serve.
Chaphins must be in priest's orders of the Church of England.
The paymaster has charge of the provisions, and the issuing of them, also of the slop clothing, soap, and tobacco; he enters into a penal bond with sureties for the honest discharge of his duties.
Mates are midshipmen who have passed the examination qualifying them for the rank of lientemot.
Gunners, boatswains, and carpenters must have served a complete year as petty officers before they can be promoted. The gunner has charge of all ordnance stores ; the lxwatawain, of all the sails, rope, and rigging ; the carpenter, of all stores in his department, and is also to see the ports secure and water-tight, and to sound the well daily, and have the pumps In order for service. [GtossEn, NAVAL; Boxrooms ; WARRANT OFIVICERN, &C.] In the event of the command of a ship devolving on petty officers, they are to take rank and command as they stand in the table of pay, except the following, who are not to take command :— Schoolmasters, llasters-at-arms, Clerks, Ships'-corpontbt.
Midshipmen cannot enter under twelve years of age nor above fifteen ; they are appointed by the Admiralty. They have no specific duties.
By an Admiralty order, 23rd Feb., 1857, young gentlemen can enter the Navy, as naval cadets, between the ages of thirteen and fifteen, being required to pass a previous examination at the Royal College, Portsmouth. After eighteen months' study they are eligible for promotion as midshipmen on passing another examination. A midshipman of eighteen months' standing has again to pass examination at the College, and if successful, he is eligible, after two years further service as midshipman, to the rank of mate.
AU commissioned officers below a captain, midshipmen, also naval cadets, and schoolmasters, must pass the requisite examinations to qualify them for their respective posts.
Petty officers are rated as far as possible from the loading seamen.
They are ranged into classes thus— Chief petty officers, who wear as a badge t The crown and anchor encircled on the arm .J with laurel.
First-class working petty officers, ditto Crown and crossed anchors.
Second ditto ditto Crown and anchor.
Leading seamen wear . . . Anchor.
N.B.—Seamen are also allowed increased pay for continued good conduct, and wear chevrons of gold lace on the arm, according to their merit.
The enlistment of boys has recently undergone a change highly beneficial to the service. Second-class boys are entered for con tinuous service for ten years, but only with consent of parents and guardians.
The following abstract shows the daily allowance of provisions to every person in the fleet : Freak meat, 1 lb.
Soft bread, 1} lb.
Vegetables, 1 lb. Ram sills When the above are not issued, the following : Salt beef, t lb. 1 Salt perk, t lb.
and alternately / and Flour, t lb. Pease, pint. Biscuit, 17 lb.
Cocoa, 1 oz. Vinegar, pint } weekly.
Tea, oz. Oatmeal, pint Sugar, 1! oz.
A portion of the flour may be exchanged for a proportion of suet and raisins; and after 14 days at sea on salt provisions, lemon-juice is allowed in addition.
The pay of officers and seamen has recently undergone some modi fications, font as it is stated that further alterations, to the advantage of every class, are still in contemplation, wo refer for the present scale to the Navy List,' published periodically, where the actual scale is given in full detail. In a supplement to the London Gazette' of Friday, August 3, were issued the following regulations in reference to retiring pensions :— All captains who have attained, or shall hereafter attain the ago of sixty, without having served in their present rank, to be placed on a retired list, and receive retired pay as follows : If on 10s. 6d. half-pay list when retired, 183. per diem.
If on 12s. Gd. sr 9, ) 20s. If on 14s. Gd.
Captains who may arrive at the head of the list, without having served in that rank, to be placed on the list of reserved flag officers, with the pay of 23s. per diem.