nearly noon before
The next morning , immediately after first breakfast , we got under way in the Admiral 's ketureen -- a sort of gig with a roof to it -- and drove down to the wharf at Kingston , where the barge , a fine boat , was waiting for us . The sea-breeze had set in and was piping up merrily , and in about three-quarters of an hour we were alongside the dockyard wall at Port Royal . Here the Admiral left me , with instructions to go off aboard the guardship at once , and bring my log-books ashore for his inspection . This I did , but it was nearly noon before Sir Peter was ready to attend to me , and even then it was after all but a cursory glance that he bestowed upon my books . But , cursory though it was , what he saw appeared to satisfy him , for he was good enough to express his approval as he closed the books and pushed them across the table to me . `` Very good , very good indeed , '' he remarked ; `` far more creditable than mine were when I was your age , I am afraid . I consider you a most promising young officer , and am going to take you under my wing , because I believe you will do me credit .