The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 286: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE STEAM PACKET, 221 Pentonville shook the roof with his mirth; and the venerable chairman himself, although enduring the torture of a swollen nose and one eye bunged up, could not repress his hilarity. At length Buckram con- trived to explain to him, in a voice rendered unintelligible at every other word by fresh shouts of laughter, his real position; and the master of the café kindly accommodated the young gentleman with a basin and towel in an adjoining room. The captain, Mr. Pifpaf, and the tailor, now joined the French officers at their table, and fresh burnt punch was ordered. ‘Two of the officers could speak English fluently; and they conversed with Mr. Pifpaf, Mr. Buckram, and Mr. Smale, (who joined the party in process of time), while Captain Pentonville discoursed generally with the other gallant sons of Mars. Much information was thus gleaned relative to the French military service. The officers are not so well paid as those in the English army; but they are in reality much better off, inasmuch as they are not expected to keep up such an appearance nor live in so expensive a style as the latter. A French second lieutenant, with his fifty-two pounds per annum, is more advantageously situated than an ensign in the English service with his income of ninety pounds—sup- posing neither to have any private means in addition to his salary. At every town where there is a theatre (and there are few of any size in France without that necessary auxiliary toa Frenchman’s enjoyments), the officers have a box allotted to their own especial use, upon payment of a small subscription which, when divided amongst them all, falls lightly upon each individual. There are two messes—one for the subalterns, and the other for the superior officers; the subscription to the former being little more than half of that required to support the latter. The generality of French officers rise from the ranks— those who form the exception to this rule emanating from the military colleges. They are in general a well-behaved and orderly set of men, passing the greater portion of their leisure time in lounging at the cafés, and seldom indulging in those wild and wanton freaks which characterise the younger portion of the officers in the English service. Duels, however, are of very frequent occurrence amongst them; and _ when two officers dispute, they usually request the colonel or major to attend upon the field to see fair play. These encounters seldom terminate fatally—the point at issue being considered honourably set- tled the moment blood is drawn. This practice of duelling is also much in vogue amongst the privates, to whom the ignoble and ruffian system of pugilism 1s unknown. The privates also settle their quarrels with the sword in the presence of an officer; and, although the mili- tary discipline of France does not countenance duels, the violated (E(0) m GEomicbooks