The Life of General Sir Howard Douglas
by Stephen Watson Fullom (9780217354806)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Chap. II. ALTERED PROSPECTS. 15 CHAPTER II. Young Days. The destiny of Howard Douglas was now in the hands of his guardians, and they judged it inexpedient to carry out his father's design of placing him in the navy, considering that he might interfere with the prospects of his two half-brothers, who were already in the service. Hence they applied to have him nominated for admission into the Boyal Academy at Woolwich, without deeming it necessary to consult himself; and he first heard of their plans on being ordered to proceed to Woolwich for examination, in the summer of 1790. He thus began life with the surrender of his ambition; and his sense of disappointment must have been bitter indeed, for he spoke of it to the last. But he yielded without a murmur: it was his first lesson in duty, and he was to prove that duty weighed with him above every other feeling. There is nothing to show whether his attainments underwent polishing before he left Musselburg as a preparation for the approaching examination; but a voyage to London in a Scotch smack was too fruitful of interest to a spoiled sailor not to efface such instruction if received. He was now actually in a ship at sea, and could help to haul the ropes, and even mount the rigging, while he charmed the sailors byhis familiarity with the tackle, and the sublimest nautical phrases. In fact, he spent those happy days in learning navigation instead of poring over Euclid, and arrived at Woolwich in first-rate order for the midshipman's berth, but not so qualified for the Academy. Time had been when the gate of the establishment stood wide, and admission was an easy affair. But in 1773 the Inspector of Instruction came in contact with a young gentleman unacquainted with the alphabet; and it was thought prudent to insist ...

USD $34.79

   Dispatch: 3 to 7 business days, stock levels permitting