Some of the uniforms had suffered in contact with pitch, but the general effect was good.

When everything was in readiness, the chairman of the committee presented the set of colors and said: "Captain Brownson, officers and men of the 'Yankee,' I have the honor, on behalf of the Society of the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, to present these colors to the members of the Naval Reserve of the State of New York, who have enlisted for service under your command." He continued by hoping that the colors would ever float victorious, and said that he did not doubt it, and then our skipper made a little speech in reply.

The affair wound up with a round of cheers and general congratulations.

The flags were handsome, and, as it came to pass, they flaunted amid battle smoke before many weeks.
Our stay off Tompkinsville was to be short, but we had time to become acquainted with a characteristic naval oddity known as the bumboat.
Diligent inquiries among the old sailors on board the "Yankee" failed to enlighten me as to the derivation of the name, but the consensus of opinion was that these floating peddlers sold articles which, to use a slang phrase, were pretty "bum." Experience has given the opinion some color of truth.

Our bumboat boarded us early and stayed with us until the corporal of the guard called "time." She came laden with pies and doughnuts, pins and needles, tape and buttons and whisk brooms and shoe blacking, handkerchiefs, ties, scissors, soap, writing paper, envelopes, ink, pens, cakes, bread, jelly, pocket knives, and a schedule of prices that would have brought a blush of envy to the face of a Swiss inn-keeper.