But it seemed, he wrote the Commodore's dispatches for Washington, and also was his general amanuensis.

Nor was this a very light duty, at times; for some commodores, though they do not _say_ a great deal on board ship, yet they have a vast deal to write.

Very often, the regimental orderly, stationed at our Commodore's cabin-door, would touch his hat to the First Lieutenant, and with a mysterious air hand him a note.

I always thought these notes must contain most important matters of state; until one day, seeing a slip of wet, torn paper in a scupper-hole, I read the following: "Sir, you will give the people pickles to-day with their fresh meat.
"To Lieutenant Bridewell.
"By command of the Commodore; "Adolphus Dashman, Priv.

Sec." This was a new revelation; for, from his almost immutable reserve, I had supposed that the Commodore never meddled immediately with the concerns of the ship, but left all that to the captain.