[Illustration: FLOUNDERING OF THE "SILVERSPRAY. "]

THE SHELLBACK'S PROGRESS

IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 

_By_

WALTER RUNCIMAN, _Sen. _

LONDON AND NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE:THE WALTER SCOTT PUBLISHING CO. , LTD. NEW YORK: 3 EAST 14th STREET. 1904. 

DEDICATION

_TO WALTER TOWNEND, ESQ. _

"MY DEAR TOWNEND, --Perhaps no two men have ever been bound togetherwith ties of closer or more loyal friendship than you and myself. Manyyears have elapsed since our unbroken comradeship was formed in the oldhistoric building in Cornhill. You have many claims to friendship andto confidence, and perhaps you can hardly realize what pleasure itgives me to remember that during our intercourse of so many years, yoursincerity, directness and single-mindedness could always be dependedupon. Your joyful relish of a tale of human interest, whether as alistener or a narrator, is always contagious. Your indignation andscorn for unmanly and dishonourable conduct, and your quick appreciationof whatever is generous and true; this, and my high regard for yourown personal worth, have given me the wish to inscribe this volumeof sea stories to you. 

"Ever yours sincerely, "WALTER RUNCIMAN. "

_August, 1904_

PREFACE

These stories are drawn from the reality of things, and perhaps I mayas well say that they have been written during short intervals snatchedfrom a busy and absorbing commercial life. I have tried to portray themen as they were--brave, dauntless, rugged, uncouth, illiterate, simple-minded, kind-hearted, and, at times, unmercifully savage. Andyet there shone through all these conflictingly peculiar eccentricitiesa humorous kind of religion which belonged exclusively to themselves, but which gave their characteristics a touch of sublimity. We havetravelled far since those days of aboriginal stupidity and sordidblood-sucking. The contrast between the comforts and conditions of lifeat sea then and now cannot be imagined. We may only talk of it; we cannever truly estimate the change. I do not draw attention to thecomparison because I think the sailor has got any more than he isentitled to. I refer to it in order that he may recognize a desire onthe part of modern shipowners and the Legislature to give him everypossible advantage consistent with the peculiarities of the trade inwhich he is engaged. One of the most recent advantages suggested intheir report by the Mercantile Committee, who sat for, I think, abouttwelve months taking evidence from shipowners, shipmasters, sailors, and others, is that an amended food scale should be adopted, and thatthe seaman should have the right of appeal against a bad "discharge"that may be given him. In my opinion the great body of shipowners willendorse that portion of their recommendations. It is to be desired thatthe seamen will recognize in this a willingness on the part of theiremployers to deal justly with them, for undoubtedly it was the evidencegiven by shipowners that influenced the Committee. 

CONTENTS. 

CHAP. PAGE

 I. THE WILD NORTH SEA 1

 II. CAPTAIN PLUNKER 30

 III. CAPTAIN MACGREGOR 67

 IV. PIRACY IN THE ARCHIPELAGO 97

 V. SAILORS' OPINIONS OF NOTABLE PUBLIC MEN 148

 VI. MARY ROUTLEDGE 181

 VII. FORECASTLE LIFE 206

VIII. GRUB 253

 IX. MISCELLANEOUS 283

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

By THOMAS RUNCIMAN. 

 PAGE

FOUNDERING OF THE "SILVERSPRAY" _Frontispiece_

FINDING THE LEAK 40

CAPTAIN PLUNKER ASTONISHED 90

"THERE WERE MANY CALLERS" 140

HAVING A NIP 186

"NOW, BOYS, POUR IT ON THEM SMARTLY!" 236

A NORTHUMBERLAND HARBOUR 288

I

THE WILD NORTH SEA

There was a large fleet of sailing brigs, barques and schooners waitingfor a favourable wind and spring tides, so that they might be put tosea without running the risk of thumping their keels off on the Bar. The vessels had been loaded for several weeks. Many of them were boundto the Baltic. These were spoken of as the "Spring Fleet. " The olderand smaller craft were engaged in the coasting trade, and the largerwere bound to ports in the southern hemisphere. Each of them carriedthree or four apprentices; but the southern-going portion did not deemthe collier lads "classy" enough to permit of them forming closecomradeship. A condescending speaking-acquaintance was the limit oftheir connection. There was nothing to justify this snobbery, for inpoint of comparison the average collier lad in seamanship and physicalcapacity was the equal, and in intelligence by no means inferior to theyoung gentlemen who regarded the class of vessel they served aboard ofas a stamp of their own superiority. They were indeed a species of thatterrible creature who apes nobility because he lives in a mansion. Occasionally the collier lads resented the lofty airs of thesouthern-going gentry, until open hostility ensued and much blood wasspilt. But pugilistic encounters were conducted on strictlyprofessional lines, and no ill-will was supposed to exist on the partof the combatants after they were over. That was the rule laid down, and a breach of it brought disgrace on the violator and his coadjutors, who were thereupon ostracised from the party to which they belonged. The necessity for enforcing the penalty rarely occurred, not onlybecause of its severity, but because it involved loss of honour. 

A disagreement as to valour and prowess and seamanship had arisenbetween some sailor lads who belonged to the two different sections. They decided that their differences could only be settled by beingfought out on neutral ground. This was solemnly chosen, a ring formed, seconds appointed, and the contest began. In half-an-hour victory wasdecided in favour of the collier boy, though with all the fulness ofsailor generosity his opponent received an ungrudging share of theovation that was given to the champion. Both, however, showed evidencesof rough usage: the only visible difference being that one had two eyesbadly damaged while the victor had but one. After it was over theyshook hands, swore allegiance to each other, walked back to theirrespective vessels, had raw beef applied to the eyes that werediscoloured, tumbled into their hammocks and fell fast asleep. Meanwhile a general meeting of apprentice lads from all the vessels inport was mustered, so that the result of the dispute should be publiclyproclaimed; and in order that the occasion should be suitablycelebrated, it was suggested and approved by loud acclamation thatwhereas there was every chance of the morrow being a sailing day, whenthe little port would be emptied of all its shipping, it might be thatthe parting would represent years, and perchance many of them wouldnever meet on earth again. The latter clause was announced with markedsolemnity. The orator proceeded to state that there had been enmities, jealousies, perhaps unworthy statements made about the inferiority ofthe collier boy, but the question had been settled by a brilliantexhibition of physical science; both sides were well represented, andboth had shown that they were worthy champions of the noble art. 

"Let me ask you then to call upon them both to join with us in becomingfriends, and in having on the last night in port a rippingjollification. I propose, " said the peacemaker, "that we have somechanties, and that we start these aboard the vessel I belong to byhoisting the topsail yards up. "

The two heroes were roused, and cheerfully joined in what resolveditself into a carnival of reckless mischief. The brains of the wholecompany were excited, and they revelled in every form of scampishness. The leaders gave orders as to the vessels that were to be visited andhave their yards crossed and their rig in other ways disfigured. Thisbeing done, the spokesman informed them that they had spent a veryjolly night, and after hoisting the _Silverspray's_ topsails to themast head and furling the sails again, they were to disperse quietlyand go each to his own ship. The sails were loosened, a chanty man wasselected from among the southern-going seamen, and amid a chorus ofsweet song the yards were leisurely mast-headed. The music of manyvoices had attracted a few people to the quay. A shout was raised thatthe captain of the vessel was coming. The halyards dropped from eachone's hand, and a general scramble resembling a panic ensued. Down camethe main topsail yard with a run, and broke in halves as soon as thesudden jerk came on the lifts. In almost as little time as it takes towrite it, there was none of the revellers to be seen. 

After the novelty has worn off, there is never any particular desire toput to sea on the part of youngsters; but on this occasion the anxietyto get out of the harbour was very marked. Many of the vessels got awaybefore the damage done to the _Silverspray's_ yard and sail becamegenerally known. The captain did not know that anything of the sort hadhappened until he came down to take the vessel to sea, and being acommonsense sort of man, instead of joining in the chorus of screaming, as his owner was doing, he adjured him to cease wasting time indeclaiming against those who had done the mischief. 

"We must set to work, " said he, "and have the damage repaired; that ismore important than theorising as to who did it. "

By the time the repairs were set in full swing, nearly the whole of theculprits had passed over the bar aboard their respective ships into thebooming waves of the German Ocean. Many of them were destined never toreach their destination, and many never more to see the paradise thathad given them so many ineffable days and nights. Sad hearts weregrieving over the sudden parting from those who were loved because theywere lovable. They seemed to be musing thoughts of poetry. 

The _Silverspray's_ repairs were completed in two days, and she andanother vessel, that had been detained owing to her pump gear not beingready, were towed out of the harbour in the face of a strong easterlywind and a lowering glass. The portly, ruddy appearance and pronouncedlurch or roll of Captain Thomas Arlington left no doubt as to hiscalling. He spoke with an assumed accent which resembled theamalgamation of several dialects. He was usually called Tom by hisintimate friends, but mere acquaintances were not permitted to addresshim in any such familiar fashion. In his younger days he gainednotoriety for having made several voyages to the West Indies, theBrazils and Constantinople, and he was therefore looked upon as afar-sailed and much-learned person. Owners vied with each other insounding his praises and competing for his services. They looked uponhim as a captain of the first rank, both in seamanship and education. There was no question about the former: the latter consisted in hisbeing able to read and write a legible hand, which was a rareaccomplishment in those days. He had saved a little money, and wasallowed as a special favour to invest to the extent of eightsixty-fourth shares in the vessel he commanded. He never lost anopportunity of making his less fortunate compatriots feel that he wasimmeasurably their superior. Many of them who commanded the same classof vessel were so impressed with his influence over the owners thatthey looked upon his friendship as being of some value. Being partowner, his privileges were wide; in fact he was admitted within theowner circle, and contributed to the wisdom thereof in many eccentricways. 

The two little brigs were bound to the Baltic, and the first day out aheavy press of canvas was carried in order to get a good offing, lestthe wind and sea should make and catch them tight on a lee shore. Afterthey had been out twenty-four hours they both tacked off FlamboroughHead, bearing west twenty miles, and stood to the N. E. The _Silverspray_passed close under the stern of the _Francis Blake_. The captainssaluted each other as was the custom. The _Blake's_ captain shoutedthat his vessel was making a lot of water. The other responded: "We aremaking some too, and we shall have more wind and sea before there isless. " This was about ten on a February morning. Their sailingqualities were pretty much on a par, so that they were kept in companyall through the day. The wind had shifted from E. S. E. To S. E. , and theyheaded E. N. E. With about two and a half points leeway, making the truecourse, after the toss of the sea had been allowed, about N. E. So longas daylight remained no canvas was taken in, though both of them weresometimes plunging their jibbooms under, and their bows almost levelwith the foremast. Every bit of rigging and running gear was strainedto its maximum limit. There was no question of racing or foolhardiness, but a pressing necessity to flog them off a lee shore. 

And this reminds me that only six years before, I innocently committeda serious breach of nautical faith for which I was roundly reprimandedby a kindly sailor. It was my first voyage at sea. I had not seenthirteen summers by many months. I heard two sailors who were standingby the lee side of the windlass end conversing about the seriousness ofthe vessel's position. One said to the other that if the wind did notnorther a little more she would be ashore in Filey Bay before fouro'clock in the morning. My views on seafaring had undergone a change. Iwas overcome with delight, and, forgetting the lesson many times givenme never to speak until I was spoken to, with unrestrained impetuosityI interjected that I hoped she would be ashore before four o'clock, sothat I might get back to my home again. I can never forget theindignation of the two men. They frowned contemptuously on me, calledme names that I had never heard before, and swore with a refinementthat impressed me with the suspicion that I had said something that wasnot to be readily forgiven. With childlike simplicity I asked if it waswrong to wish that the vessel should go ashore. 

"Wrong? you young devil!" said they. "Would you have us all drowned?"

Needless to say, my desire happily did not come to pass, and I becamethe object for many a long day of good-humoured chaff which I wouldhave done anything to obviate. The sailors did not seem to recognizeany humorous side to their own part in it, and yet they used to roarwith laughter at my amazing conclusions, and as my anger increased sodid their amusement. A lee shore is always dreaded by seamen, and manya sound ship has been made leaky, and many a spar and sail has beencarried away in the effort to keep off. It was precisely this fear thatpossessed the two captains in question and caused them almost to burytheir ships in order to get well out to sea in case the wind shouldback into the east again. 

When darkness came on they lost sight of each other. All night long the_Blake_ was plunged into a tremendous sea. The crew were nearly wornout with incessant pumping, and when the dawn whirled into the skynothing could be seen of her companion. It was thought she must haveshortened sail and fallen astern. The hoarse moaning of the wind, andthe waves running like conical hillocks, were a sure indication thatthere was greater turmoil behind them. The square foresail had beenhauled up, and the crew were in the act of stowing it when thehurricane burst upon her, and she was held in the grasp of the wind. The sea was flattened, and the wild drift flew before the screamingtempest. The captain called out to the men on the foreyard to "hold onfor God's sake, " as the vessel lurched over so far that the man on thelee yardarm said that he felt his foot touch the water. With almostsuperhuman effort the seamen, already worn out with pumping and withlacerated limbs, managed to secure the sail and make their way on deckto renew the fight to keep the vessel afloat. I do not believe theowner belonged to the scoundrel class who sent their ships away withthe hope that no more would be heard of them, but I cannot helpthinking that he had close affinity to that no less terrible thoughpious section who wearied heaven with prayer for the safe-keeping oftheir ships and crews, while they themselves neglected fundamentalprecautions for their safety. It was the fashion to look upon drowningnot only as an incident of the profession, but a natural finish to asailor's career; and it is no exaggeration to say that many peoplethought the poor fellow preferred this form of extinction to any other. The owner who squared his conscience by throwing the responsibility ofthe seaman's safety on to Almighty God did not unduly concern himselfas to efficiency or seaworthiness; nor did he assume deep mourning ifcalamity came in consequence thereof. A few appropriate words ofcompliment addressed mainly to himself for his care in having the ship, when she sailed, in a state of unimpeachable order, and his constantintercession for divine protection were quite sufficient to exoneratehim from in any way contributing either to loss of life or to loss ofproperty. What cant, what insufferable _hypocrisy_! What hideousslaughter was committed in those good old times in God's name and inthe name of British humanity! The late Dr Parker, preaching in the CityTemple some time ago on the Armenian atrocities, exclaimed amiduproarious applause at the end of a fine peroration, "God damn theSultan!" And William Watson wrote a fine poem in which he chargedEngland with indifference and spoke of the Sultan as "Abdul thedamned. " It is considered the prerogative of Englishmen to say strongthings about the heads of other Governments if their subject races are, in their opinion, treated cruelly; but we are death on anyone who wouldinterfere or accuse us of injustice or inhumanity. The only differencebetween the Government of Turkey and the Government of Great Britainwas that the one massacres by cutting throats, and the other used tomassacre by allowing rotten, ill-equipped, ill-designed vessels to sailunder the spotless flag of England and carry to their doom shiploads ofthe finest seamen in the world. We "God damn the Sultan"; yes; but Ihave known the time when poor sailors might with equal justice have"God damned" the Government of St Stephen's who would not listen totheir woes. Poor fellows! Had Dr Parker and other public men dared to"God damn" their own countrymen for carrying on a system of tradingwith veritable coffins, the reform which has made our mercantile marinethe finest in the world would not have been so long delayed. 

The little vessel of which I am writing hadn't a rope (as the sailorssaid) strong enough to hang a cat with, and it was in consequence ofthis most culpable neglect that the throat halyards of the fore trysailgaff broke soon after sailing. The gaff came down with a run, and it, together with the sail, was put into a long boat which stood on thechocks over the main hatches. Paradoxical as it may appear, thisaccident caused by rotten running gear was the means of saving the shipand all her crew. This was only a minor mishap compared with thebreaking of one of the legs of the pump brake stand, which occurredjust at the time both pumps were required to keep down the increasingflow of water. The storm continued to rage with unabated fury. No skycould be seen for the flying sleet, and the sea was torn and tossedinto a wilderness of broken water. The only canvas set was theclose-reefed main topsail. Both pumps had been going for several hours, and at one o'clock on the morning of February 12, the well was pumpeddry and the mate's watch ordered below to get a nap until four. Theytook their drenched clothing off, wrung the water out, hung it on aline round the bogey fire to dry, and turned into their hammocks asnaked as they were born. At three the hand-spike knocked heavily on thedeck and a loud voice called down the scuttle hatch, "Larboard watch, ahoy! All hands to the pumps, the ship is sinking!"

Every man in a couple of minutes had put his steaming clothes on andset to work; and the fight with death went on until noon, when it wasfound that the water was gaining. The men despaired of keeping herafloat over night, and as there came in sight several vessels, it wasdecided to put the Ensign Union down in the main rigging. The captainordered a young hand to clear away the long boat and make her ready forlaunching out by the lee gangway. This necessitated the foretrysail andall its gear being thrown on to the weather side of the deck. As soonas everything was ready the young seaman went to the pumps again. Hehad not been long there before he observed that some of the ropes thathad been thrown on the deck did not wash from side to side as theothers did. His gaze became transfixed until it excited the anger ofthe mate who asked what he was gaping at. This aroused him from a kindof stupor, and without saying a word to the officer, he let go thebellrope and went to the object which attracted him. He took hold of arope and found it would not yield. He then felt the deck with his barefeet and found it was holed, but in order to ascertain the extent ofthe hole, he determined to feel with his hands, and as the water wascontinuously lashing over him on that part of the deck it was no easytask to accomplish this. In a few minutes he had ascertained that abouttwo feet of deck, the shape of a wedge, had been staved close to thehatch combings; in fact it had never been fastened with nail or bolt. He shouted at the top of his voice, "I have found the leak!"

[Illustration: FINDING THE LEAK. ]

And the little band of men re-echoed with wild delight: "The big leakis found, hurrah! Down with the ensign. " And the young seaman, who byaccident had discovered this wicked piece of workmanship, became theobject of many flattering compliments. Up to that time there had beenobserved a solemn, dogged, defiant struggle to defeat death who gazedinto their eyes. An occasional unfriendly wish uttered by one or otherof the sailors as to the punishment the owner should have was receivedwith applause from all except the captain and mate. These littleoutbursts of vengeance were a sort of tonic to their depressed spirits. A fervent "thank God" came from each man's lips as soon as the leak ofthe deck was stopped, the captain adding a supplementary remark that"God was good even to wicked sinners. "

"In an hour from now, " said he, "we might have been swallowed up in thewaves. It was almost impossible that our boat could have lived until wegot under the lee of the schooner" (which had been sighted and whichhove to with the object of effecting a rescue). "Ah, " said thispenitent old man, "it is good to live as we would wish to die. Godknows those who believe and trust in Him, and so He has saved us from awatery grave. "

"Then keep off the whiskey and stick on deck, " said one of the boldestof the crew, who was a naturalized Englishman. This remark brought thecaptain very near to backsliding. Fire was seen in his eyes, and heretorted with warmth: "If it wasn't the fear of God in my heart, youdarned neck end, I would kick you. But, " added he, "I will not beprovoked into committing what may be considered a sin. We have muchwork to do before this passage comes to an end, if ever it does. "

"Then do your part, " said Jack, "and take no more drink. "

Here was sound advice, and it was rigidly adhered to, for thetemptation was removed by the cook slipping the remainder of thewhiskey over the side. Up to that time the men had much to complain of, as their master had been very little on deck until he was made torealize that his ship was in imminent peril. They knew pretty well whathe was after, and were glad of the opportunity of making him see thathis well-known skill was required on the quarterdeck. Kept from thedrink he was one of the smartest men that ever took charge of a vessel. He had been at the helm for nine hours before the leak was found, andas there was six feet of water in the hold, and a "private leak" whichkept one pump going every hour, he stuck to it for another seven hours, when the crew called out "she sucks!" i. E. , the well is dry. This wasgladsome news. It is gladsome even under favourable circumstances, buthere were men who had stood almost continuously up to the waist inwater; and sometimes a knot of a sea would smash right over them. Theirsleeves were doubled up and they had neither boots nor stockings on. Their hands were cut and their arms and legs were red raw with frictionand salt water boils. Let him who may estimate the sufferings of thesepoor creatures. I cannot, for my vocabulary fails me. Torture does notdescribe it; nor yet the sweat of anguish. It was very shocking, andwere it not that I fear to offend the susceptibilities of some folk Iwould use a term that might come very near to describing its awfulcharacter. Those who are inclined to think the picture exaggerated knowlittle of what went on in the much applauded "good old times. "

It had been dark for four hours. The clatter of the pumps could onlyfaintly be heard for the alternate whistling and roaring of the storm. The combined music had a weird, saddening effect, as if doom wereapproaching. A wild and leprous moon sometimes shone through thetroubled clouds of scudding sleet. The sea was white with angrycommotion, and there were no evidences of the turmoil abating. Immediately the pumps sucked the captain ordered his men to go belowand get something to eat; meanwhile he would remain at the helm andkeep a look out. In half an hour they were at the pumps again. It tooka good while to get all the water out of her, as she was continuouslymaking a good deal, and that which had gone through the staved deck hadnot quite drained through into the well. However, they felt that theyhad got the upper hand, and would keep it, provided none of thecroppers levelled in upon her and smashed either the decks or thehatches in. 

As soon as the captain went below, and it was thought he was asleep, the mate, who was a phlegmatic sort of person, went below also, andleft a man and a boy to do the pumping. At first they thought he hadgone to light his pipe, but as he was so long in making his appearanceagain, one of them went into the cabin and found him in his berth fastasleep. He was shaken for a long time before he showed signs of life, and at last grunted out:

"All right. Don't worry. I'll be up directly. "

He was reminded that he ought never to have been down, and that it wasno place for the mate of a leaky, or any other ship for that matter, onsuch a night. The sailor then left him, and allowed an interval of halfan hour to pass, and as the worthy officer did not make his appearance, he went below again, and found him slumbering as peacefully as before. He threatened to do no more pumping if the mate did not get up and lenda hand at once. Moreover, it was intimated to him that the skipperwould have to be called if he lay there skulking while other peoplewere being worked to death. This brought the mate out of his berth, buthe got no further than the after-lockers, where he sat down with theobject of lighting his pipe. Being comfortably seated, his headgradually sank on to the table, and, with the pipe in one hand and thematches in the other, he again became oblivious to the savage tumultthat raged above him. Again the sailor went to see why he did not comeup, and found him in the aforesaid position. This time he was notroused; a plot had been arranged, and forthwith a large bucket of waterwas taken below and thrown at him. He only shook himself, and murmured:

"She's the dirtiest beast that ever I was aboard of. "

The second douse was flung quickly; he became confused, rushed into thecaptain's berth, believing he was making his way on deck. He was askedwhat was the matter, and replied excitedly:

"The skylight's stove in. "

"Get it covered over, " said the somnolent commander, "and let me knowwhat the weather's like at daylight. "

The chief officer made his way to the man at the helm, and remarked:

"That was a nasty sea that stove the skylight in, Jacob. "

"There's been no nasty seas over here, " said Jacob; "why, you musthave been asleep. "

"I tell you the cabin's flooded, " said the mate. 

"Very well, " said the other, "if you disbelieve me, look for yourself. As to sleeping, my God, don't _you_ talk, for you're hardly awake yet. "

The mate made a survey, found no damage, and remarked in soliloquy:

"That's funny. Where can the water have come from?"

"Not funny at all, " said Jacob, with some irritation; "get away andlend them poor lads a hand. She might have foundered for all youcared. "

This was grave language to use to a superior officer, but the justiceof it was evidenced by the submissive composure in which it wasreceived. It was evidently soaking into the mate's thick skull that thewater had not come from the skylight, and this idea was borne out byhis not mentioning the matter to the lads when he went to theirassistance. In spite of their weary and almost exhausted condition, they had to have their joke, so said to the officer:

"You're very wet, Tom; where have you been?"

"Been be darned!" said Thomas; "I've been nowhere. You shut up andattend to your work. "

"That's all very fine, but 'nowhere' was what the monkey said when hewas accused of stealing nuts, " retorted the humourist. 

The dialogue was cut short by the helmsman shouting out: "Two lights onthe port bow. "

One turned out to be a distress signal, and the other a red light. Thedawn was breaking into the sky, and in less than half an hour daylighthad forced its way through the dull grey mist, and brought the vesselsin sight of each other. They were close to: one was a fishing smack, and the other a brig, labouring heavily in the trough of the sea, andflying a flag on the main rigging, just as the _Blake_ had been doingthe previous day. All hands were on deck, including the captain, andevery eye was fixed on the sinking vessel. One of the sailors went onto the foreyard to ascertain more distinctly what was going on. As soonas he got aloft he bellowed something which could not be made out owingto the uproar, and finding that he could not make his voice heard, hemade his way to the deck, and amid much excitement conveyed the beliefthat the brig was the _Silverspray_. 

Sailors of that time were very quick and accurate in discerning theidentity of a vessel by the cut of her sails, the length of her mastsand yards, and the way they were stayed; even if she were hull downthey could tell by this alone. Several of the disabled vessel's sailswere in ribbons. They had evidently been blown out of the gaskets. Shewas drifting under the close-reefed main topsail, and the fore one wasin shreds. The fore and main topgallant braces were broken, and theyards were swinging about to the toss of the ship. The remains of aboat hung to the stern davits. The long boat was flattened on thehatches, and the crew hustled together on the quarterdeck gesticulatingto the other vessel (a smack) to make haste. At last all seemed to beready, and the smack was headed before the maddened seas, and flew onthe crest of a wave, which seemed to carry her on to destruction. Nowshe was almost lost sight of in the trough, then she was seen to danceon the summit of a roller, until the supreme moment came to bring herunder the lee of the ill-fated brig. There was then witnessed a mostsensational piece of bravery and superb seamanship. She was rounded towith the fore staysail sheet to windward; the small boat was launchedout of the lee gangway; lines with life-buoys attached were driftedtowards the boat, and in less than half an hour the crew was taken offand put aboard the Yarmouth fisherman. Succour came none too soon, asin less than an hour the brig's mainmast went by the board. She cockedher stern up and went down head first. The smack reached close acrossthe stern of the _Blake_, and the shipwrecked crew exchanged saluteswith her. Her speaking-trumpet was used in trying to communicate thatshe was making a lot of water and to report having spoken her. This wasalso signalled by the commercial code in case they should not haveheard. Good-bye was said by dipping the ensign, and as the rescuervanished into the dark, an unspeakable sadness crept over the _Blake's_crew. 

They knew their peril was great, and the physical agony they weresuffering was well-nigh unbearable. They predicted that neither woulddiminish. But for the inherent manliness and heroism that have alwaysbeen a striking characteristic of the British sailor, these men wouldhave been quite justified in asking the skipper of the smack to takethem aboard. They were worn out with incessant labour, and the dividingline between sinking and being kept afloat was very narrow. A littlemore straining, or an ugly sea breaking on to a weak spot would quicklyseal their fate. They knew all this, but scorned the thought ofbringing on themselves the charge of cowardice. It soon became apparentthat the little craft of only 280 tons dead-weight would have to be putbefore the wind if she was to be saved. The crew had to stand up inwater to their waists nearly all the time they were pumping, andsometimes they were knocked down by the seas that came aboard. Theycould stand it no longer, so a conference was held. The captain said:"Well, my lads, there are two courses open to us: sink or run for it. She has two bold ends and will scud for ever. The only thing is we willbe running out of the track of ships into the northern regions wherethe cold will be intense, and there will be but little daylight. Besides, our provisions may run short. Now I have put the position toyou both ways: I am willing to do what you decide. "

"Then we decide to run, " said the men, "and trust to Providence for therest. "

The helm was put hard up, the main and foreyards laid square, and shecommenced to scud dead before the wind towards the mystery of thenorth. For the first four hours it was doubtful whether the jolly boat, which was in davits across the stern, would last long. Each diaboliclump of water that came galloping along threatened not only the boatbut the vessel with sudden destruction. It was very thrilling towitness the tiny brig flying before the ecstasy of the hurricane andfluttering away like a seabird from the mountains that towered farabove and were only permitted to kiss her stern with their spray. Thecrew were forbidden to look behind while at the helm lest their nervesshould be affected and cause erratic steering. There was really moredanger in this than in any lack of seakindliness on the part of thevessel. Each time she ran away from a treacherous-looking breaker, thecaptain would pat the topgallant bulwarks and speak words of touchingtenderness as though he was communing with a little child. The furtherthey ran north, the bigger the seas became. One of them came prancingalong, tossed up the stern so that part of the jibboom was put underand her attitude became uncommonly like running head first under thesea. Another quickly followed, and the poor captain's faith wasmomentarily shaken. He called out "My God, this is awful!" andcertainly this was the only phrase that could describe the horror ofthe situation. But there was nothing for it but to keep scudding. Hadany attempt been made to heave to, she would have been smashed to atomsand no more would have been heard of her. It was only by great care insteering and having the proper amount of sail set that she was keptabove water. An error in judgement or the neglect of a single point inthe handling would have sealed her fate. By the 20th of the month shehad got so far north there was little or no daylight; the biting coldwas frightful, and there was no prospect of betterness. The long winternights were spent in pumping, steering and keeping a look out (thoughit was assumed she was long since out of the track of vessels and noland was near), and the only lights to be seen were the flash of thecurling spray dancing on the top of tempestuous billows. 

It was during the forenoon of February 21, just after a snow cloud hadrushed past, the crew were both surprised and cheered to observe abarque a little on the starboard bow, heading north under twoclose-reefed topsails. She was low in the water, and making heavyweather of it. The crew were seen in the mizen rigging, franticallywaving. A tattered flag was flying beside them, but its nationalitycould not be discerned. It was impossible to render the assistance thatwas so eagerly sought for, but even if it had been possible it was toolate, for a sea was seen to break right over her stern, and in a fewminutes there was another added to the long list of North Atlantictragedies. Amongst the wreckage passed was a boat full of water, andoars floating on each side of her. Whether this belonged to the latestvictim of the remorseless waves or not, no one could tell, though someof the crew thought it might. This melancholy incident was not likelyto improve the spirits of the little band of indomitable workers, butthey knew if they had to be saved from the same fate they must not giveway to sentimental weakness. 

The following day the force of the hurricane broke, and on the 24th shehad reached 65 degrees north. There were indications of a change ofwind. The sky had cleared so that the stars could be seen, and therewas a brightness in the N. N. W. That omened the wind coming from thatdirection. At midnight the change came. Orders were given to let thereefs out of the topsails, but it took a considerable time to do thisas the reef points and errings were covered with hard, flinty ice, andit was not until marline spikes were used that any progress was made. The men's hands, already covered with wounds, had their fingers badlycut with the icy ropes and sails in carrying out this order, but it wasnot until they had been running south for a couple of days that theybegan to feel the full extent of their sores. Regular watches were nowkept, and each time they tumbled out of their hammocks to relieve eachother the pain of opening their hands was terrible. Two of theapprentices had both their feet badly frostbitten. 

At last the Norwegian land was made, and one fine morning in the monthof March she slipped into the beautiful harbour of Stavanger to havethe broken pump-stand and shattered rigging and sails put right. Thetwo boys were landed, and the doctors said their feet were in such astate of putrefaction they must be taken off at once. None of the othermembers of the crew were bitten by frost, but it took many days to healtheir raw wounds. The salt of the sea had not only pickled them, buthad penetrated into their very bones. 

Meanwhile the crew of the _Silverspray_ had been landed at the Tyne bythe Yarmouth smack, and they reported that when last they saw the_Blake_ she was hove to, and signalled making a lot of water; and asday after day passed and no news came, grave fears were entertained forher safety; heavy premiums were paid; and the relatives blamed the_Silverspray's_ men for leaving the crew in a leaky ship--anunjustifiable charge, for the sailors of that period were not given toabandoning vessels prematurely. But so long a time had elapsed sinceshe was spoken of that all hope of her safety was given up. At lastthere appeared in one of the local papers a paragraph stating that itwas feared the well-known brig had succumbed, with all aboard, to theterrible storms that raged over the northern latitudes during the earlypart of February. This put an end to all doubt: newspaper statementswere generally believed. But a few days after this announcement aletter, part of which had been written while sailing along theNorwegian coast, in order that it might be posted on arrival, wasreceived in a country village as the first intelligence of her safety. It is quite sailor-like in its composition, and characteristically freefrom whining. The writer merely deals with facts, and very briefly withthem. I have just been shown this greatly valued document, and give itas it is:

 "DEAR PARENTS, --We expect to arrive to-morrow morning. We have had a devil of a voyage, and saw the _Silverspray_ founder, and asked the skipper of the smack to report us. One pump going all the time nearly. Then the decks were stove in and she nearly foundered before it was discovered. I hope the _Spray's_ crew were safely landed and reported us, as you would be anxious. We had to run north before the hurricane until there was no daylight. She wouldn't lie to. My word, what a sea! It was fearful to look at, and the captain said we hadn't to, while steering. One day we saw a barque founder with all hands. They were in the rigging waving, but we could render no assistance. We got into 65 degrees north, then the wind changed. It was very cold. Excuse bad writing, I am doing it on the galley seat. We are very bad with saltwater boils and cut hands. The two Swedes have their feet frostbitten: they are a sight. Hoping this will find you all well as it leaves me at present, except for the sores. We have had a fearful time. I thought you would like to know soon, so I am writing this before getting into port. Will add something more then. No more at present. 

 "Your loving son, "J. ROBINSON. 

 "PS. --The doctor says the Swedes will have to have the soles of their feet cut off. Perhaps their feet altogether. I won't go back in her again. If I have to be drowned, I want it to be fair. The other men are leaving as well. We've been on short allowance for a couple of days, the water was spoiled as well. We are going to have a good feed now. Suppose we have to buy it ourselves. "

II

CAPTAIN PLUNKER

The _Cauducas_ was a brig of 120 tons dead-weight. She was very old, very rotten, and very leaky, and was constantly employed carrying coalsfrom a north-east coast port to France or London. The crew consisted ofthe master, mate, cook, and able seaman, and three apprentices, one ofwhom was cabin-boy. No one cared to inquire as to when and where shewas built. Wherever paint and tar could be used to cover up defects itwas liberally applied, but that did not prevent the water rushing intoher holds, causing the crew to have to carry her with the pumps fromport to port, as it were, in their arms. The winter voyages taxed theirskill and endurance so that scores of times they were nearly forced toabandon her or allow the sea to cover the vessel and themselves. Theold sailors used to say when they saw her making the port that shealways "looked far off at a distance, " a saying peculiar to that partof the country. And yet she out-lived many of the most handsome, well-built, modern ships of that time. 

Captain Bourne, or "Plunker, " as he was nicknamed, was a man of muchdignity and superior presence, but like many of his contemporaries, hewas very illiterate; indeed, I do not believe he could either read orwrite, and yet he was able to collect his freights and generally toconduct the finances entrusted to him with amazing accuracy. His agewas between forty-five and fifty; he stood over six feet, and wasfinely proportioned. He had a moderately-sized head, broad forehead, strong clean-shaven chin, side board whiskers, and a profile whichsuggested the higher type of man. Under pronounced, overhangingeyebrows, there glowed a pair of medium-sized dark eyes, which at timeswere penetrating, and occasionally wore a sad, sympathetic look. Hishands and feet betokened that he had sprung from a physical workingrace, though there was nothing of the animal about him, and in spite ofa gruff, uncultured mannerism, he either had it naturally or hadacquired almost a grammatical way of addressing people when he wishedto assert what he obviously regarded as the dignity of his highcalling. This effort to check a natural tendency to the common dialectwas very comical, and yet no one ever thought of it as snobbish; thewhole thing seemed to belong to him, and he couldn't be different if hewanted to. That was the impression people got of him. In an ordinaryway when he was in port he wore a blue pilot morning suit and silk hat. The waistcoat was cut so as to show a good space of coloured shirtfront, though on Sundays when in port and days of sailing and arrival, white shirts were worn; usually a stand-up collar with silk stock orsome kind of soft neckerchief encircled his neck. He wasweather-beaten, ruddy, and altogether rather pleasant to look at. Hecould navigate his vessel along the coast almost blindfold. Charts wererarely used by such nautical aborigines, as he and scores of hiscompeers disdained the very idea of being thought incapable of carryingall the knowledge in their heads that was necessary for the purposes ofpractical navigation. They had a perfect knowledge of the compass andthe lead. The courses, cross-bearings, lights, buoys and beacons wereall riveted in their memory, and it was a rare occurrence when theirmemories failed them. 

Plunker had all the finer attributes of his class. His character wasunimpeachable; he was abstemious, and unless his fiery temper wasaroused by the sight of some supposed lack of seamanship on the part ofhis men or boys, or the idea of imposition on himself or his owner, hemight have been considered religious, but never amiable. Parsimony washis besetting sin, and he carried this to the extent of feeding hiscrew in a way that brought him into frequent conflict with them. Indeed, the relations on one occasion were so strained that theapprentices were encouraged to conspire with some boys from othervessels to commit an act that would humiliate him in the eyes of theseafaring community and the public generally. 

The old captain's pride in his ship and his position as her commanderwas a slavish passion. He could not endure any liberties to be takenwith him, even by his employer or his equals on these two points. Theboys of his own and other ships knew this so well that they planned anindignity that should lacerate his vanity. They knew he was verypartial to what are known by sailors as "two-eyed steaks, " and thatnever by any chance was he known to allow even his mate, much less anyof the crew, to partake of them except on special occasions, when hedistributed them himself. They were looked upon by him as a luxury, andwere actually kept under lock and key. These peculiarities of his hadoften been freely spoken of, and now a conference of able-bodied seamenin embryo decided that there should be no further tolerance ofparsimony and piety. It must be either one thing or the other. Theelder members of this august coterie gave instructions that the sacredlocker should be broken open and the contents thereof brought intotheir presence on the quarterdeck. Each of the party was sworn tosecrecy in such a way that the dread of being haunted by unspeakabletroubles during the balance of their lives would have prevented anybreach of confidence, even had there been no higher sense of honour. The bloaters were extracted at night and handed over to the recognizedauthority. It was decided to decorate the vessel from topgallant trucksto mainrail by attaching the herring to the signal haulyards aboutthree feet apart. Captain Bourne's beloved brig was forthwith thentrimmed in her frill of red herrings, and the equivalent to a vote ofthanks was unconventionally moved and carried for the fearlessassistance and patriotic advice rendered by comrades who upheld thetrue national faith of being roundly fed with good joints of beef andplum or suet pudding. After a few appropriate remarks in anticipationof the trouble and sensation of the morrow, the young gentlemendispersed, each going aboard his own ship, while those belonging to the_Cauducas_ tumbled into their hammocks and were soon fast asleep. They rose at the usual hour the following morning, and while they werehaving breakfast angry and excited voices were heard alongside; and asthey eagerly listened to the picturesque flow of profane languageintermixed with a few eloquent remarks to God to forgive suchirreverence, their minds were permeated with fear lest suspicion wouldfall on them during the paroxysm of alternate rage and godliness. Plunker was a powerful man, and when his anger was roused they knew byexperience it was not safe to interject a word either of denial orassent; so they determined, when he called them to him, to pursue apolicy of negativeness, and trust to Providence to deliver them from aposition that was showing signs of serious consequences. While theirate commander was in the white heat of a tremendous peroration, andin the act of detaching the festoons of herring which he placed so muchvalue on, his owner, who had come down to see his property, as was thecustom in those early days, came laughing towards his much troubledcaptain and greeted him with the advice not to take the matter tooseriously. It was obviously a practical joke intended for a purpose, and he apprehended the intention was to convey the idea that a liberalallowance of food should be served out to his crew, and that the luxuryhe placed so much value on should no longer be the object of hisspecial care, but that he should take to heart the lesson just revealedto him, and allow his people to partake generously of that also. As thevessel was lying alongside a shipbuilding and repairing yard, a largecrowd of workmen had congregated to see so unusual a display. Discourteous and jeering remarks were loudly spoken with the studiedintention of reaching the ears of the master and owner, and the news ofa revolutionary act having been committed within the precincts of anunyielding discipline spread like an electric flash through the littletown, and the unknown perpetrators were eulogistically stamped asheroes. 

No one knew better than this old-time shipmaster the amount of capitalthat would be squeezed out of the incident by the gossips, and no onerecognized better than he the amount of odium that would stick tohimself. The poor fellow had been stabbed in a tender spot, and thosewho knew him intimately foreshadowed a long period of bitter sufferingfor him. Indeed, there were those who openly stated that he would notlong survive the insult to his professional authority. He intimated tohis employer that it was his intention to forthwith hold acourt-martial in his cabin, and requested him to take part in theinvestigation. The owner was a person gifted with a sense of humour. Helaconically expressed his willingness to remain aboard, but refused tohave anything to do with the official inquiry. 

The mate's Christian name was Matthew, but he was commonly addressed asMatt. The dignity of Mr was never by any chance applied to chiefofficers of this class of vessel, though quarter-deck manners werealways strictly sustained so far as the captain was concerned. He wasthe only person who claimed the right of being addressed as "Sir, " andhe would brook no violation of its use. Matt, as he was called, wasmade the medium of communicating the master's wishes that theapprentices should meet him in his cabin immediately. The ruggedofficer was smitten with the comical aspect of his mission, though hecarried it out in a strictly punctilious manner. These rough, uncouthmen never wilfully offended the susceptibilities of their commanders, unless they became unbearably despotic, then they retaliated withunsparing vengeance. The three apprentices promptly obeyed the commandgiven to them, and were ushered into the presence of their infuriatedcaptain. They were each handsome, broad-shouldered athletes, with keen, sparkling, fearless eyes that indicated fearlessness. He made a short, jerky, almost inarticulate speech on the wickedness and indecency ofcommitting an act of gross disrespect to the vessel, the owner andhimself, all of whom should have been shielded from ridicule. 

"I have had you brought to me, " he said, "in order that I might learnfrom your own lips whether you are the perpetrators of this baserobbery and vile insult to myself. I ask each of you, are you guilty ofcommitting or assisting to commit this villainous insult on myself?"

The owner, who was standing in the steerage brimming over with theludicrous character of the previous night's frivolity, was heard tochuckle and say: "What damned nonsense to ask such a silly question!"

[Illustration: CAPTAIN PLUNKER ASTONISHED. ]

Each of the lads stoutly denied having any knowledge of what hadhappened, whereupon Plunker called them "a set of damned lyingmutineers, who ought to be swung to the yardarm. " This phrase wascommonly used at that time whenever it was thought necessary toemphasise displeasure. Sanguinary penalties were roundly threatened tothem and to their scoundrelly accomplices. Leading questions were putin a more or less forceful way, but the boys determined to preserve asecretive and even aggressive aspect, which sent their burly commanderinto an ecstasy of violence. At last, despairing of getting anysatisfaction, he told them to get out of his sight. And tradition saysthat he was never known to smile again; but the _Cauducas_ became fromthat day one of the best found vessels, and her crew the best fed thatsailed out of port. There was no more concealment or locking up, ordoling out of Yarmouth bloaters, or any other thing. A great change hadbeen wrought in the hitherto inexorable old man of the sea. His conductbecame marked by a generosity that wiped out recollections of pastmeanness. His natural make-up prevented him from giving prominence tohis better side, or of making himself endeared to those faithful menwho spent a long life in his service, sharing his precarious fortunesin working and navigating a vessel that his contemporaries predictedwould carry him and his crew to a tragic doom. Yet this man of icyexterior, blunt, uncouth and ofttimes vulgar manners, had beatingwithin him as big a heart as ever was planted in a human breast. Hismen knew that there was a power about him that fascinated them. Theycould not call it affection, but it was something akin to it: a strongmagnetism, indeed, that inspired their confidence and caused them tofollow him into dangers that resembled the very jaws of death. It wasnever a thought of his to show any tender feelings. His susceptibilitieswould have been much offended could he have been presented with theidea that he had a soft place anywhere in his heart. This reluctance tobe supposed effeminate was a characteristic of the age which causedmany acts of injustice to be committed in order that the reputation forstern, slashing, devil-may-careness should be established, and many afine fellow did violence to his whole nature by the desire to beconsidered a desperado. 

This, however, never appeared to be an ambition of Captain Bourne. Allhe seems to have aimed at was to inspire his crew with an affection forhis much beloved vessel, and not on any occasion or under anycircumstances to be thought soft, or weak, or womanish. This of coursecould only be assumed, because he never conveyed his thoughts toanybody. 

Long after the herring incident this little vessel was being loaded, waiting for favourable wind and water so that she might start on hervoyage to Boulogne. She had been detained several weeks, when a fineN. E. Wind and high tide enabled him to pass out of port. It was calledin those days a sea tide, and several masters availed themselves of itto put to sea. Before this little fleet of collier brigs got as farsouth as Flamborough Head, it was blowing a fresh gale, and big lumpsof sea were slashed over them. The pumps of the _Cauducas_ werecontinually kept going, and there was much concern as to the crew beingable to keep the water under. Her decks were opening and shutting, andher timbers were making suggestive noises. She scudded across Bostondeeps under two close-reefed topsails and reefed foresail until abreastof Cromer high land, when the gale subsided, and before the Cocklelight-ship was reached the wind had shifted into the south-south-east. With the help of the flood tide she was beaten through the Gat intoYarmouth roads, where the anchor was dropped, a good scope of chain runout, sails furled and ship pumped dry. Then the forecastle hands castlots who should keep the first anchor watch. The hand who picked theshortest piece of matchwood had to accept the position of having totake the first two hours; then all the rest turned in. 

The mate was always called at the turn of the tide to swing the vessel, so that the cable did not foul the anchor. This was done by a skilfulmanipulation of the yards and fore topmast staysail. Some mates hadquite a genius for this piece of real seamanship. Others never gotwithin the fringe of doing it successfully, and the result was thatmany a mishap occurred in consequence of cables fouling the anchorstock, or flukes, thereby pulling it out of the ground and causing itto drag. It was also the occasion of many bitter quarrels betweenmaster and mate. The former may have been a duffer at the manoeuvrehimself, but that did not bother him now that the position had changed. Even a consciousness of the mate's knowledge of his fallibility did notqualify his hostile remarks; indeed, the recollection of it neverfailed to increase his anger. As a matter of fact, the knack of doingit was a gift that no amount of training could create if it was notinborn. I have known apprentices, after they have been at sea a year ortwo, become really adepts at swinging ship at a single anchor, and manyof the seamen prided themselves in being able to do it well. A moredifficult task was that of preventing turns getting in the cable whenriding with both anchors down, and in skilled hands it could very oftenbe obviated. The thoughtful master or officer made a practice of comingon deck at irregular hours during the night while anchored in aroadstead, so that the men might become impressed with the idea ofnever relaxing their vigilance. Notwithstanding this care it was not aninfrequent thing for the watch to be caught napping. On one occasion acollier brig had been windbound for several days in the Yarmouth roads. The mate was accustomed to pay nocturnal visits on deck, and hadsuspected that a great deal of napping was done before the galley fire, and he had his suspicion confirmed when coming up one nightunexpectedly, and, stealthily making his way to the galley, he foundboth doors closed; no one was to be seen anywhere; he looked down intothe forecastle and saw one hammock vacant, so he made his way to thegalley again and listened, and heard someone snoring. He asked who wasthere several times and got no answer. He then tried the door, but theinmate had anticipated an invasion and had wedged it so that no onecould open it from without. The mate was seized with a superstition, orexasperation, or both, so he drew a belaying pin from the rail, broughtit strongly in contact with the door, and loudly asked who was there. Ahusky voice from within answered in broad Northumbrian accent: "Thor'sneebody heor!" "Then by Gox, " said the excited mate, "Ye'ar the beggarI've been luckin' for these last few neights!" The slumberer was theperson who ought to have been pacing the deck. Needless to say, hebecame the object of much vituperation, and was never again trusted tolook after the lives of his shipmates or the property of his employer. Similar incidents to this occurred on every collier vessel. 

The _Cauducas_ was several days windbound. The crew had repairedrigging, running gear, and sails that were damaged during the storm, and they now welcomed a change of wind which came, so that the voyagemight be continued. The anchor was weighed, and every stitch of canvaswas spread and bellied out with a strong flowing wind. By the time theKentish Knock Lightship was reached the wind had increased so that thetopgallant sails had to be furled and two reefs taken in the topsails. The North Foreland was passed and a course shaped for Boulogne. Thewind had increased to a gale, and the sea in the Channel was as crossand as angry as it well could be. Every preparation was made forentering port; mooring ropes and cable chains were got on deck so thatthe anchors might be used if necessary. She was run well over towardsthe French Coast before she could be hove to to take a pilot aboard. This having been done, orders were given to square away for theharbour. The sea was breaking a good distance off, and the prospectsfor entering looked very ugly. The captain was at the tiller and wasunusually agitated. The pilot's excitement remained subdued until thesinister commotion of seas was within easy distance. He then becamevoluble in his orders. The little vessel rushed into the mercilessliquid breakers at great speed. One of them broke over the bluff of thebow, carrying the bulwarks away, and at the same time the cable chainwas lurched over the side. The master rushed from side to side with thetiller, irrespective of the pilot's equally chaotic orders. The crewbecame alarmed for their safety, while the captain and pilot vied witheach other for first place in exhortation to keep cool, but neither theone nor the other was cool. The pilot called out in very broken English"Port" and "Starboard" in quick succession. The master answered "Port"and "Starboard" each time the order was given, adding each time as anaddendum, "Look at that blooming cable chain hanging over the side!" sothat the confusion of orders and irrelevant responses to them became amenacing danger to safe navigation. The pilot swore in French at thecaptain, requesting him to steer the vessel and not to mind the ----chain being over the side, and the captain delivered himself in evenmore forceful language at the pilot for arrogance in dictating ordersas to how he should conduct himself; and in order to minimise the guiltof hard swearing and to appease his conscience for having offended theGod of the British people, as soon as it was uttered the pilot beggedforgiveness, and then poured forth his anger in a flow of strong Frenchadjectives. The crew, being well trained and accustomed to perils ofthis nature, did their part of the necessary work irrespective oforders. They saw, however, that trouble would come to them if themaster could not be persuaded to forget that the cable chain wasoverboard, so they induced Matt to go and offer to give him a spell, and to everybody's surprise he was willing to give the steering intothe hands of his mate, who knew as well as either himself or the pilotthe way into the harbour. 

The seas broke heavily over her until she entered the mouth of theharbour. A crowd of their fellow-townsmen from other vessels had comeon to the pier with the object of rendering any assistance they could, and by their goodness and skill she was moored without the necessity ofletting go the anchors or even breaking a ropeyarn. Plunker was verygrateful to these fine fellows for the valuable service they hadrendered. They knew that he was never effusive about any favoursconferred upon him, so were content to receive a plain "Thank you. " Thelocal sailormen of that time used to caricature him running in confusedfrenzy from side to side of the quarterdeck with the tiller, andimitate the pilot and himself haranguing each other to keep cool, andimmediately afterwards breaking out into violent attacks on eachother's capacity for giving and receiving orders. 

This strange being, at a time when he was passing through the peril offacing death, never lost the power of making his men feel that he wasabove their level. Even his undignified altercations with the pilot, and his mixed erratic exclamations on the subject that obviouslytroubled him, in no way diminished the awe in which he was regarded. 

The vessel was moored alongside the quay, and great care was used inhaving the fenders properly placed, so that her aged planking would bepreserved from chafing. Had she been the king's yacht, no greaterattention could have been given to prevent this. 

[Illustration: "THERE WERE MANY CALLERS. "]

The following morning there were many callers alongside, and manycongratulations offered to the captain and his crew on a safedeliverance. There were shipbrokers, shipmasters, seamen and all gradesof dockworkers; each of them showed a common desire to be unusuallykind. The English vessels in port had their flags half-mast. Someone onthe _Cauducas_ asked the reason for this, and the reply came in subduedtones that the _R----_ had come in on the last flood, and her masterreported having had very heavy weather crossing the Kent. Everythinghad been swept from the deck, and Captain Bourne's eldest son, who wasserving as able-seaman, had been knocked off the lee foretopsailyardarm while assisting to close reef the topsail. He held on to thereef-earing as long as he could, but the flapping of the sail sooncaused him to call out to his shipmates, "I can hold on no longer, " andbefore any aid could be given he had slipped his hold and fallen intothe sea, and the surges covered him over. 

The news of his son's tragic end was communicated to Captain Bourne byhis faithful mate, who pathetically, and with unconscious humour, exhorted his master not to give way to grief. "It is a bad job, " saidhe, "but it would have been much worse had it been ourselves, and wewere very near done for. " His bereaved master was a man of very fewwords. He asked some particulars without apparent emotion, and thenproceeded to his cabin, where he was found shortly afterwards prayingin a simple, touching way to Almighty God that the body of his sonmight be picked up so that it might be taken to his home. He petitionedfervently that his younger boy might be spared to him. It seemed asthough his communion with the Deity had given him a glimpse intofuturity, or a presentiment of further bereavement. He was recalled tomaterial things by being reminded by the cabin-boy that the mid-daymeal was ready. He took his place at the table and proceeded to makeinquiries as to whether the discharging of the cargo would commencethat day. The mate informed him that he did not think there was anyintention of doing so, whereupon he replied, "I must go ashore and stirthem up. " The masters and mates of the other vessels in port would havecome in a body to condole with him for the loss of his son, but theyknew that he loathed outward signs of soft emotion, and in any casewould never allow sentiment, no matter how justifiable, to come betweenhim and his business obligations. 

He was well known in business circles for his devotion to the interestsof his employers. That was his first and last thought, and when he wentforth to do their business he wasted neither time nor words. Hepossessed a natural gift of diplomacy, and wrote no letters. He had theknack of conveying what he wanted to be at, and his quaint way of doingit, though it might amuse, always inspired the person who was addressedwith the belief in his soundness, so that few men succeeded as he didin getting what he wanted. On the occasion of which I am writing, themerchants received him with obvious sympathy, and he was promised aquick dispatch. That night he got the boy to write a few lines to hiswife at his dictation. They were very brief, very melancholy, veryreverential. Here is the letter:

 "DEAR WIFE, --We arrived here yesterday after a very rough passage. I hope you're well as it leaves me at present. The _R----_ arrived this morning's tide, and reports that Jack was knocked off the foretopsail yardarm, and they never see'd him again. He shouted 'Guidbye, I cannot hold on any longer. ' I asked God to have his body picked up and sent home, and while I was doing it, a queer thought came over me that little Bobby was being washed overboard from the _Savannah_. I hope it's not true, and that God won't take him from us as well. No more at present, from

 _HIS_ "JOHN X BOURNE. " _MARK_. 

He seems to have had a rugged anxiety that the mother of his drownedson should be given a prompt opportunity of sharing his sorrow. It wasnot usual for these shellbacks to write letters while on a coastingvoyage. Indeed, they were very cautious about doing it at any time incase even members of their own families should think themtender-hearted. Moreover, those who could not write or read were verysensitive about allowing others to do it for them. [1]

 [1] It may be as well to explain here that the straddle-leg patent, as it was called, often caused sailors to be both killed and drowned. They used to give advice in a flippant way to each other that if they were forced to let go their hands to be sure to hold on by the skin of their teeth or their feet. This little joke was rarely successful in saving them from being smashed to pieces or drowned. The invention by Collin and Pinkney for reefing and furling, and subsequently the double topsail yards introduced by the Americans, did a great deal towards preventing loss of life, and certainly saved many a spar from going over the side. It was found that there were fewer accidents both in life and property by the use of the latter. Occasionally the patents, which have been long out of use, went wrong, and the sail could neither be got up nor down, but this never happens when proper care is used with the double topsail yarders. With these a vessel may be put under close-reefed topsails in a few seconds. 

In due course the cargo of the little brig was discharged and theballast was brought alongside. The side ports were knocked out, and thecrew commenced to throw the ballast into the hold, as it frequentlyhappened that only one side was available. A couple of hands wereplaced in the hold to shovel it over to the opposite side in order tokeep the vessel upright. While this was being done the captainproceeded to collect and pay his accounts. Cheques or bills of exchangewere dispensed with as a rule, and the freight was paid over thecounter in sovereigns, and scooped into a leather bag. This was takenaboard and concealed in the master's room. It was a rare thing for thefreight to be wrongly settled, or go astray after it was settled. Menlike Captain Bourne had a mysterious way common to themselves ofcounting and calculating, and any breakdown in their system (for eachhad his own) would have made a deep wound in their pride. The day afterthe ballast was all in and trimmed, orders were given to unmoor, andthe little craft sailed out of the harbour with a fine southerly windand all sail set. The breeze carried her as far north as FlamboroughHead, when it gradually veered into the west and kept steady, but blewso hard that the topsails had to be double-reefed. 

It was the morning watch from four to eight. The cabin-boy was calledat seven o'clock to prepare breakfast and polish the brass stove andashpan. The captain heard the little fellow doing his morning work, andcalled out to him, "Boy!"

"Yes sir, " said the boy. 

"How is the wind?"

"I will go and ask, " said he. 

He came down and conveyed the pleasing intelligence that it was stillwest and they were close in by Whitby Lights. 

"Come into my berth and get yourself a glass of gin, my canny lad, "said the indulgent skipper, "and see that I am not disturbed forbreakfast. Don't call me until she is abreast of Sunderland. "

"All right, sir, " said the boy, and availed himself of his master'skindness by taking a second mate's nip out of the gin jar which waskept under his bed. The little fellow wondered what had caused such aconvulsion of endearment, as Captain Bourne's demeanour had hithertobeen the very antithesis of external tenderness. About an hour hadelapsed when he was asked again "How the wind was. "

[Illustration: HAVING A NIP. ]

"W. N. W. , " said the youth, "and inclined to break off" (i. E. , norther). 

"What are you making such a noise about?" growled the now uneasycaptain; "shut my door so that I may be quiet; and get the cabinproperly scrubbed out ready for going into port. "

The wind had freshened, the vessel began to jump into a nasty headswell, and in order to ease the strain on the rigging the necessarysail was shortened. Captain Bourne was aroused by the sombre music ofthe wind rustling through the rigging and making occasional discordantnoises. His mind became centred on the possibility of the voyage beingprolonged, and in order that his suspicions should be confirmed orotherwise, he called with a deep, agitated voice for the boy to come tohim; and when he presented himself the captain asked in a tone whichindicated coming trouble: "How is the wind now?"

The youthful seaman replied, with a voice and manner indicative ofknowledge and assurance: "The wind, sir, is strong N. N. W. , andincreasing, " and as this was the direction in which they were bound, the captain's mental processes became confused. A strange gutturalsound came from his throat as though there was a struggle going onbetween the flesh and the devil. The conflict did not last long, as thesanctity which he had observed for some days went under. He jumped fromhis bunk, seized his boot which lay hard by, flung it at the poor, fatigued laddie, bellowing out at the same time: "On deck, you darnedyoung spawn of ----. I've been kept awake by your clatter ever sinceyou got up. " And the boy flew before the hurricane of wrath lest heshould come to grief. 

The men asked him the cause of being turned out of the cabin. 

"The cause, " he said, "is, the old man asked me how the wind was, andas soon as I told him it was N. N. W. He flung his boot at me and orderedme on deck for making too much noise. I hadn't been more than a minutein the cabin after lending a hand to shorten sail. Besides, the oldbeast almost hugged me when I told him the wind was west and that wewere off Whitby. Why, he was so pleased he asked me to have a nip ofthat gin he keeps under his bed!"

"Did he swear at you?" said one of the seamen. 

"Swear?" said the boy, "it wasn't swearing, it was sulphurous. "

"Ah, " said the sailor, "it's a bad job he's broken out again. There'llbe no more peace until something serious happens. But perhaps a fairwind might put him right for a bit. I thought the loss of Jack hadknocked all the sulks out of him, and that he had fairly becomereligious. "

"What are you gadding about, man?" said Matt, the mate; "how do youexpect anybody to keep religious with the wind N. N. W. And bound north, with the prospect of being driven back to Burlington Bay or perhapsYarmouth Roads? And besides, " continued this theological authority, "sailors are allowed to swear when anything goes wrong, and the old manis only taking advantage of his rights. You make no mistake; he cannotread or write--no more can I for that matter--but he knows a thing ortwo when it comes to law or religion. " Thus spake the loyal, well-informed Matthew. 

After a few days' hard buffeting against a biting head-wind, the vesselarrived at the port to which she was bound, and after she was mooredand everything made trim, running gear coiled round the belaying pins, every bight being regular and equal, sails stowed in a cloth, and yardslaid perfectly square, the sailors then proceeded to arrange themselvesin spotless white fustian trousers and blue jerseys adorned in frontwith their names or initials worked in red or white worsted. The latterarticle of apparel was usually knit by their wives if they weremarried, or their intended wives if they were not, and in either casethere was great competition in producing the very best work both of artand serviceableness. They then packed their clothes in canvas bags andcarried them home on their shoulders. There was considerable emulationnot only in the neatness of the packing and the cleanness of the bags, but the arrangements for fastening the mouth of the bag took weeks tofashion into a very pretty piece of sailorising. These things may seemsmall and frivolous, unworthy indeed of being referred to as even acharacteristic of the sailor of that locality and of that period. I donot know anything that came under the lash of such severe criticism asthe sailor's own fashion of dress, and it must not be imagined that itwas confined to the sailors themselves, though they were mercilessenough with each other, but the owners and the public generally tookthe keenest interest in these little touches of vanity and handiwork. Many a worthy fellow got a good berth because he and his belongings hadthe stamp of ingenuity and tidiness about them, and certainly many ofthem knew that this was a sure means of winning the affections of younggirls whom they wished to make their wives. 

These young maidens who resided in this interesting little seaport townknew almost by instinct whether a vessel was kept smart or not; neitherthose who were married nor those who were single liked either theirhusbands or sweethearts to be associated with an ill-kept vessel. Ifthey read anything at all it was what the newspapers said aboutshipping, or as a matter of religious devotion they might perchanceread an occasional chapter in the Bible, so that their mental energyfound a ready outlet in the gossip of things appertaining to theirdaily life and immediate surroundings, which for the most part werenautical, although I must not overlook the fact that many of the moreintelligent of them were connected with religious institutions. Thesewere mostly Dissenters, Wesleyan Methodists, Primitives andPresbyterians. The Church of England had not at that time become theevangelical force that it may be considered to-day. I am not sure towhich of these sects Captain Bourne belonged, but amongst every classthere was a widespread sympathy extended to him on his arrival at thehome port. The news of his son having come to so untimely an end movedthe little community so that condolences came to him from manyunexpected quarters. Dignified owners shared with the common sailor andapprentices their ungrudging sympathy, and he received it withtransparent gratitude. All his gruff mannerisms were forgotten in thesorrow of the moment. The poor lad who had passed so suddenly into thevalley of death was looked upon as a promising captain in embryo, andthere was much speculation as to the deeds he would have accomplishedand the high position he would have attained had the sea not claimedhim so soon. All this and a good deal besides was spoken to thesorrowing parents by way of ameliorating their suffering, and alsobecause the occasion was opportune for speaking that which they reallybelieved would have come to pass. Little did the people or the objectof their compassion think that at the very time they were saying thoseencouraging words destiny was fulfilling another tragedy, and the seahad again become the tomb of a bonny, bright, promising youth who hadnot reached his seventeenth year. The _Cauducas_ had been in portfor a couple of weeks and was on the point of sailing, when news camethat Captain Bourne's second son had been washed overboard and drownedfrom the vessel he was serving aboard of. The presentiment that thiswould happen had been overshadowed by the interest taken in the loss ofthe eldest boy. When the news was broken to him, a sullen, stupefiedgaze came into his eyes. He murmured a few incoherent words, and thenwith a superhuman effort he raised his voice, and with emphasis thatwas terrible as well as pathetic he called out: "Oh, God, what have Idone to You that You should allow this thing to be done to me? I havehad two bonny lads taken from me within a month of each other. Oh, God, help me to bear the trial like a man!"

This fine old sailor, believed he was holding communion with a personalpower of British nationality that could sway the universe at His will. He believed, though he could not see Him, that God was a person thatkept Himself out of sight for a purpose, and that it was the duty ofevery Englishman to keep on good terms with Him. The mystery ofdivinity never entered his head. It was a simple, steadfast faith, peculiar if you like, but unyielding in devotional loyalty to Hissupremacy. It was a wonderful phenomenon, which even cynical logiciansmight have found embarrassing to their iconoclastic notions could theyhave witnessed it. Here was an uncultured though magnificent-lookingperson passing through a sorrowful tribulation, exciting the pity andcalling for the admiration of hundreds of his fellow creatures, becausehe was able to hold his head up and appeal to the only power he knewthat was capable of giving him consolation and courage. "Oh, God, helpme to bear the trial like a man!" That was the melancholy burden of hispetition, and the assurance that it would be answered never forsookhim. 

His vessel was soon ready for sea, and sailed on the first of a seriesof voyages that were contracted for her to run. On the completion ofthese he was asked by his owner to take command of a barque of about600 tons deadweight. To an ordinary man and to the average shipmasterof that time, the opportunity of being shifted from an old rattle-trapbrig to the enviable position of commander of a "South Spainer" wouldhave been accepted with excessive pride and gratitude; but Bourne wasnot an ordinary man. He had spent a long life as master of a vessel onwhich he had placed his affections, so that the more urgent the ownerbecame for him to take advantage of the offer of much higher wages andgreater dignity, the more tenaciously he clung to the belief that someserious judgement would befall him if he were ungrateful and disloyalenough to forsake the brig that had carried him for more than a quarterof a century across many a wrathful sea. "No, " said he, "I must end mydays in the canny ship. Her and me have had a lot to do with eachother, and I would never forgive myself if I were to agree to thisrequest, and some useless fellow were to put her ashore on a bank or onthe rocks, and she became a total wreck. Besides, if anything were tohappen I could not rest in my grave. "

"Well, " said the owner, "I appreciate your high motives, and also thestrong regard you have shown for a vessel that has made me so muchmoney; and I must not forget to say that but for your skill and care inconducting the business, and also in the navigation, the results wouldhave been very different. It is because of these and other sterlingqualities that you possess that I ask you to consider favourably theoffer I have made. You know how badly the _Grasshopper_ has done, and Ifeel that you are the only man that can pull her out of the bad messshe is in. Sleep over it. "

Bourne slept over it, and informed the owner the next day that the shipwas far too big for him, but as the change was urged he must leave thefinal decision to the owner, always bearing in mind that he wished toremain where he was. The owner availed himself of the old mariner'sflexible state of mind by promptly taking him at his word. And heforthwith became the object of notoriety. There had been not a fewaspirants to this enviable position, and much speculation as to whetherBourne would ultimately be persuaded to take it or not. Of course itwas vigorously hoped he would not, and when the announcement in theaffirmative was made there were sundry disappointments. The predictionswere of a gloomy character. Forebodings that the new commander wouldnever be able to handle so large a ship became the prevalent idea, forhe had never been in a vessel carrying more than about 250 tons. It wasan open secret that Captain Bourne had misgivings of a similar kindhimself. He feared, indeed, that she might run away with him. Heapprehended that his capacity to handle a vessel of a different rigfrom that to which he had been accustomed all his life might provedefective. Many of his contemporaries, as well as he himself, held verycontracted and primitive ideas as to size. They talked of vessels of400 tons burden as being large, and those of six to seven or eighthundred were described as leviathans. 

Captain Bourne showed signs of depression from the time his belongingswere taken from the object of his devotion. He felt he was parting froma life-long friend. A Board of Trade certificated chief mate wasengaged to act as "nurse. " The crew were signed on, stores shipped, andafter the cargo was all aboard, the _Grasshopper_ crossed the bar amidmuch cheering from the people who lined the quays and piers. Moreover, the occasion was of more than usual interest, for Captain Bourne hadnever been off the coast during his whole life. After the tug and pilotleft, a course was shaped towards the hidden mysteries that lay acrossthe sea. The passage was made quickly, but not without mishap, for thevessel had struck on a reef of rocks, and it was thought her false keeland copper had received considerable damage. From the time the vesselleft the port of loading the captain had been little seen. It was wellknown that a morbid brooding had taken complete possession of him. Herarely came to his meals, and when he did he never spoke except tomurmur some words of endearment about the old ship he had beenpersuaded to leave. The stranding of his new command was interpreted asa judgement sent to him for the wrong he had committed in giving way topride by forsaking the craft that had carried him so many years insafety. On his arrival in port several friends paid him a visit, andwere struck with his changed appearance. The mates and steward saidthey had observed that there was a difference in him, but the passagehad been so wild and eventful they had never had time to think of it. After the first two or three days his business visits ashore becamevery irregular, and before the cargo was discharged they had ceasedaltogether. He was seldom seen either below in his cabin or on deck. Hecould not be induced to take his meals regularly, and took to shuttinghimself up in his stateroom. A dangerous form of melancholia held himin fetters, so that when friendly visitors called to see him hisreclusive mood forbade any intercourse with even men who knew himintimately. 

There was much speculation as to the cause of this morbid determinationto abstain from food and from having communication with anyone. Naturally, drinking was freely attributed to him, but this was stoutlydenied by every one of the crew. His mate and steward were of opinionthat he was fretting badly about having to leave the old brig; and thishad led him to think more than he would have otherwise done of the lossof his boys and the stranding of his vessel. Each day saw a change forthe worse, until the mate became alarmed by evidences of totalcollapse. He determined to see the master of a steamer who was in portand knew Bourne well enough to do what would have been resented as agreat liberty in another man. This captain insisted that he would notstand the humbug of asking to be allowed to see Bourne, so he boldlywent aboard, knocked at the stateroom door, and demanded admittance. Onthis being refused, he proceeded to force the entrance, and presentedhimself before the amazed inmate with quite a string of strongadjectives for the bad behaviour in not reciprocating hisneighbourliness. 

"What are you lying there fretting your soul out for?" said the burlycommander; "get up and come ashore with me and pull yourself together. You owe a duty to your owner, your wife, and yourself. You're not goingto mend matters by moping and refusing to take natural exercise andfood!"

"Ah, " said Captain Bourne, "I will never set my foot ashore again. I amvery near the end, and I will be glad when it comes. Tell the owner assoon as I am gone that I have never been myself since I acted so bad inleaving my bonny little ship that did so much for me. " And putting hishand to his breast, he added: "I have felt queer and sore here eversince. I hope God will forgive me, but I was sure my sin would find meout; and here I am, a poor shrivelled-up man, anxious to get away fromearth and to be with my drowned boys. The parson told me I would meetthem in a better world to this, and so I want to get to it as quick asI can, for all the pleasure was taken out of my life when I consentedto come here. I haven't been very bad, and always was as good as Icould to God. Sometimes I've sworn when anything went wrong, but Inever meant any harm in it. Besides, they say that sailors' swearing isnot like other people's. "

His friend urged him in a rollicking manner to take a more cheerfulview of his position. 

"There are many, " said he, "who would give worlds to have command of sofine a vessel. "

"Let them have it, then, " said Bourne; "but I was content to end mydays in the old ship. That was glory enough for me, and they (meaninghis owner and his friends) would not let me do it. "

Captain W---- shook him warmly by the hand, and promised to callagain. 

Bourne murmured: "I may never see you again. I feel the end is verynear. My general health is good, but what ails me is a sore heart. Tellthem, W----, if I should die before seeing you again, that I trusted inGod and His Son, that the parsons say preached the gospel of sorrow. Mycup is full of that. So that I would be satisfied to meet deathwillingly could I catch but one glimpse before it comes of the shipthat has been my home all my life, brought up my bairns, and kept acomfortable abode ashore for me. "

His friend parted from him with a sad heart, believing that no earthlypower could save him, for he saw that he was encompassed by the shadowof doom, and that the triumph of death would soon overtake him. 

The following morning the _Grasshopper_ ensign flew half-mast. PoorBourne had passed the portal beyond which he was to find peace. Hislast message to his mate and steward were: "I shall soon be dead. Say'so long' for me to my wife and the owner. Tell them my heart broke, for I could not bear the loss of my boys and the parting from the cannylittle brig. Tell them I bear no ill-will to anybody, and that I expectto meet them beyond the river in a better land. "

These words were the last spoken by the grief-stricken old mariner, whoin the plenitude of his manhood would have scorned the idea of openlygiving way to emotion. His officers sat by him until he quietly slippedhis moorings. 

III

CAPTAIN MACGREGOR

Captain Alexander Macgregor, as his name betokens, was a Scotchman, whohad left his native land with credentials which gave him the reputationof being not only learned but one of the most expert mariners that everwalked a quarterdeck. For many years he had traded to all parts of theworld in command of various sized vessels owned in Scotland, and hadearned the confidence of his employers by the deeds he had accomplishedin making them large profits. His old owner was perturbed when itbecame known that his services had been sought for elsewhere, andsecured, owing to monetary inducements such as no worthy Scot couldrefuse, for Scottish shipmasters at that time were shockingly paid. Hisadvent to English employment was not regarded favourably by the men whoclaimed that vessels belonging to that particular port should becommanded by men of the port, native born or reared into seamen by thematchless skill of the generation of local sailors that preceded them. He was looked upon as an interloper who had come to take bread fromtheir mouths. But what concerned them as much as anything was theirdread of a lower standard, which might lose for them the premierposition which they ostentatiously declared was theirs, of breeding andrearing skilful, hardy men. The gentleman whom they held responsiblefor the unwarrantable innovation carried on a nourishing trade in thedual capacity of miller and shipowner. He came across Macgregor when ona visit to one of his vessels which was discharging at a Scottish port, and became fascinated by his bright, cheery intelligence. A bargain wasstruck and he forthwith took command of Mr Hobkirk's finest craft. Theprejudice formed by this unpatriotic act had far-reaching consequences, which were never really effaced. The community regarded it as anotherproof of English generosity and Scottish unscrupulous pushfulness ofcharacter which worms its way into the affairs of men and captures allthe blessings of earth and heaven at the expense of their neighbours. 

"We suppose, " said these proud men of the sea, "he has been broughthere to teach us something. We will let him see what he has come to. His life shall be made not worth living, and the miserable traitor whohas put him over our heads shall be made to feel that we don't want anyScottish instruction. His great seamanship must be tested, and as tolearning, what do we care for learning? This is not our business. Wewant sailors, not learning. "

This piece of shrewd eloquence was noisily applauded by the affectedpersons, who felt convinced that their birthright had been stolen fromthem. Meanwhile the object of their aversion showed qualities of geniusthat caused Mr Hobkirk to marvel at his own inherent instinct whichhad enabled him to fix on so distinguished a prodigy. Some of hisshipowning friends were struck with what they called his cleverness, and asked him to convey to them his secret for finding a person sounlike the ordinary shipmaster. He bowed his head low in token ofsubmission, and almost in a whisper conveyed to them the belief that hewas the instrument of divine Providence. The seamen and skippers of theport did not hold the same view as the owner, so they set themselves tomake it very difficult for Macgregor to get a crew, and had he not beenan astute man of affairs, great loss and inconvenience would haveensued. The local union was very strong, very active and intenselypopular. All its official machinery was thrown into the policy ofobstruction, and all its efforts were abortive, for the _Hebe_ wastowed out of port with a full crew in spite of a continual shower ofstones and other missiles. 

Amongst this notorious crew was one named Ralph Davidson, a half-wittedyoung fellow who had served two apprenticeships without being able toqualify for the dignity of A. B. , that is, he could not pass thenecessary examination for admittance into the union. This poor creaturewas permitted to sail as "half-marrow" or ordinary seaman because ofhis local origin and good natured simplicity. Otherwise the verymention of half-marrow was loathed, and no amount of persuasion couldinduce these men and lads to tolerate a stranger in that capacity. Icommend the ideal to present-day sailors and shipowners. The BritishMerchant Service would be all the better by going back to this old-timemethod of keeping up the standard of proficiency. Ralph had all thecharacteristic weaknesses of the sailor. He was a much-sought-afterinstitution at all the public house dances while at home, and was notaverse to either accepting a glass of whiskey or giving one when he hadthe wherewithal to do it, but that was rarely. He spent much of hismeagre earnings and time in this way, and suffered for it when he wasobliged to go to sea without suitable clothing. Young people of bothsexes were very fond of getting him to do a step-dance or sing a song. The latter sounded like paying chain cable out of a hawse pipe, andkept the room in screams of laughter. The _Hebe_ had reached the Bayof Biscay on her way to Lisbon. A strong south wind was blowing, accompanied with heavy rain, and the spray flew all over her. Ralphstood at the wheel shivering, clad in a suit of dungarees. His faceindicated all that he was suffering, and his mutterings attracted theattention of the captain, who overheard him swearing, "My God, as soonas I get into port I'll have a suit of oilskins!" In due time they gotinto port, and Ralph was the first aft to ask for money to purchase thewater-proof articles. The captain made the advance and reminded himthat he relied on it being spent for the purpose for which it wasintended. He was assured that Ralph's suffering for want of properclothing had left an unpleasant recollection on his mind and he did notintend to suffer in the same way in future. On landing, he wasprevailed upon to go to a grog shop and dance house before making hispurchase. The captain, suspecting that there was not much strengthbehind his resolve, dropped into the place of amusement and witnessedhis half-marrow in full swing on the floor. He tapped him on theshoulder as he waltzed round, and said:

"Didn't you say when the rain and spray were lashing over you in theBay of Biscay that you would buy a suit of oilskins as soon as you gotinto port?"

"Ah, yes, captain, I said that. But there is no rain and spray lashingat me now. It's different weather here, " replied the irrepressiblesailor as he continued to play his part in the harmony of the evening. 

The captain had brought some friends to witness and enjoy thediscomfiture of his "oddity, " but the bright retort turned the tablesagainst him, and established the opinion with them that Ralph insteadof being half-witted was at any rate on that occasion veryready-witted. They said they would not have lost the sight of seeingthe joke for anything. Macgregor wisely entered into the fun, andadmitted that Ralph had scored in a way that he had not anticipated. 

Meanwhile the new captain was discussed at home with strikingregularity. Opinions varied as to how long he would last and what wouldbe the cause of his downfall. Quotations from the Scriptures were usedin profusion, the favourite of which was: "Pride goeth beforedestruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. " Their faces wore anaspect of great concern, and they ominously shook their heads in tokenof sinister developments that were to bring much tribulation to theirfriend who had broken the law of brotherhood. A letter was received byMr Hobkirk from the captain giving a graphic description of his passageand the general prospects for dispatch at the port of discharge. Dealing incidentally with his future plans, he remarked in passing: "Icannot close without briefly saying how much I owe you for the honouryou have done me by entrusting so valuable a property and suchimportant interests to my keeping. May I assure you that it is myintention to see that you are well rewarded for the confidence you haveplaced in your humble servant. " The owner went into ecstasy over thisletter and showed it to many of his friends as evidence against theiradverse opinion and as an indication of unusual capacity. Some of themdrily remarked: "The letter may be all right, but we believe inresults, and advise you to wait until you see your accounts. " Thesenasty insinuations, however, did not in any way shake the confidence ofthe owner. Each communication dazzled his imagination and gave himfurther opportunity for extolling the rare gifts of his valuableskipper who was dashing his vessel along in a way that amazed theinhabitants of the sleepy town to which she belonged. The first voyagewas made in quick time, and the profits were satisfactory. Histreatment of the crew was not all kindness, but they were rather proudto be able to say that they had sailed with a dare-devil who had lost asuit of sails crossing the Bay by sheer carrying on; besides he wasgenerous in the distribution of food and grog, and this was a traitthat palliated all other defects. On his arrival home the interviewbetween him and his employer was of the most cordial character, and hewas sent on another voyage with a free hand to act in chartering andother things, as his judgement led him to think was in the bestinterests of the vessel. On this occasion he went to Landscrona withcoals, and from there to a Russian place called Windau in ballast. Onarrival off this port he left the mate in charge with instructions tododge about while he went ashore to see if he could get a good charter. In less than two hours he was aboard again with the pilot, and the shipproceeded into the harbour to load at a high rate of freight forLondon. The news of the unexpected arrival and unique fixture createdquite a flutter in shipping circles. Hobkirk's former critics becamesuddenly enamoured of this remarkable captain, and his fame spread farand wide. He was held up as an example of greatness to his lesssuccessful contemporaries, and they in turn secretly desired a tragicend for him. Hobkirk being a pillar of the church, deemed it necessarywhen he took his walks abroad to hang his head in saintly humility. Ifhe came across any of his friends he warned them to guard againstcovetousness, and should prosperity such as his come to them they wereadjured to subdue any inclination to pride. 

"We have need to subdue vanity, haughtiness, self-glorification, andother worldly ways. I often read and ponder over these awful words, "said this sanctified commercial prince: "The nations shall rush likethe rushing of many waters, but God shall rebuke them, and they shallflee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains beforethe wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. "

At the time his owner was exhorting his fellow-townsmen to a closercommunion with God, Captain Macgregor had given way to habits that werenot commensurate with the doctrine of that righteousness which exaltetha people, and as often happens (especially aboard ship) when a badexample is shown by the master, the crew and officers drift intoirregularities, and all discipline is destroyed. This was exactly whatoccurred aboard the _Hebe_. The master was known to be on the spree, sothe mate, Munroe, thought he would have a day off, and took as adrinking chum, Ralph, the half-marrow; and, in order that they mightnot be disturbed, they travelled to a snapshop in the country, somemiles away from the town. Instead of one day, two were spent indrinking, swearing, dancing, and, as sailors generally call it when onthe spree, casting the lead--presumably to know their whereabouts. Asailor belonging to the _Hebe_ got to know where they were, andpersuaded a man belonging to another vessel to go with him and bringthem back. They had a tough job, but at midnight of the second day theysucceeded in getting them to retrace their way to the ship, the planbeing to get aboard when nobody was about. Munroe was a typical sailor, full of devilment, especially when he had had a few glasses of grog. The two "plants" trudged their way conversing with great animation ofwhat they had seen and done and what they intended to do. Ralph wasready to acquiesce in all his officer said as to future exploits. Theirshipmate reminded them (especially Ralph) that it would not be well forthem if the old man got to know they had been on the loose, whereuponRalph retorted, "I don't care a damn for the old beggar. " This outburstwas supplemented by more sanguinary promises on the part of Mr Munroe. At this point they were passing a farm just on the outskirts of thetown, and observed some poultry. The chief officer said he would not goaboard emptyhanded, and had never done so in his life, and wouldn't doso now. 

"What do you say, Ralph?"

"I say the same as you say, James, " said the complacent half-marrow;"let us have a fowl for breakfast. "

One cock and two hens were captured by the mate, who was full ofcongratulations to himself. At last one of the escorts reminded himthat he would have to conceal the birds or he might be stopped and runin by the sentry. 

"By gox, that's true, " said Munroe; "where shall I put them?"

"In your breeches, " said Ralph, sharply. 

"That's first class, " said he, and with Ralph's assistance they werestowed in the part of his wearing apparel where there was an abundanceof room generously supplied by the tailor. They had not gone many yardswhen the mate showed evidences of discomfort. He was obviouslysuffering pain. The two escorts were by this time in kinks withlaughter. Ralph asked his mate what was the matter with him. 

"Matter?" said the mate, "why, the blooming things are biting me topieces. "

"Let the beasts bite, " said Ralph coolly; "you cannot have them therewithout them doing something, you darned fool! How do you expect to getpast the sentry if you go on like that? Buck up and bear it. "

At this point the cock gave an unnatural guttural cry. Ralph exhortedhis companion to keep the thing quiet. He replied he couldn't, and thathe would stand it no longer. 

"Well, " said Ralph, "if you won't stand it you won't have fowl forbreakfast. "

"Oh, darn the breakfast! I must let them go. Help me to unbutton, forif I move they'll go mad again. "

The birds were taken from their concealment. Ralph secured two, twistedtheir necks, stuffed one into his own nether garment, and informed themate that he should have adopted this plan of quietening them at first. 

"Here, " said he, passing him the other dead hen, "two makes it far overbulky; you stow it away in yours. "

"No fear, " said Mr Munroe, "I'll never touch or eat a bit of fowl againas long as I live. My sufferings are too great. "

"Why that's rotten nonsense, " said the resourceful half-marrow; "thething's dead. "

"I don't care, " responded the penitent thief, "I'll never handle themagain, dead or alive. Oh, Christo, I _am_ smarting!"

"Hold your blether about smarting and suffering, you fool, or you'llget me nabbed, " replied Ralph, who had now concealed both roosters. 

The two escorts were by this time well nigh paralytic with laughter. Asthey drew near to where the slumbering sentry stood, the chief officercaused great anxiety by the style of walk he was forced to assume. Ralph implored him not to go along as though he expected swine to passbetween his legs, and not to put on such an agonized look. He coaxedhim by the promise that he himself would attend to his wounds as soonas they got safely aboard. The good-hearted soul took infinite troublein his rough way to fulfil the pledge he had given. They were notintercepted by the military gentleman who guarded the destiny of theport, and as soon as their feet were planted on deck Ralph exclaimed, "Now we're safe. " Jack has an inherent belief in the sacredness ofBritish territory, either floating or otherwise. He is a stout upholderof British supremacy, and conformity to the laws of other nations doesnot appeal to him. His creed is undisguised, and has been handed downas an heirloom from the great naval hero who smashed the combinedfleets of Spain and France at Trafalgar. Here it is: "Fear God, andhate a Frenchman as the devil hates holy water. " The average sailorcontinues to believe this to be an edict which alone can assurepatriotism and divine compassion. All these things were well mixed inRalph's brain. He never doubted the truth of them, and the one ideawhich brought forth the utterance, "Now we're safe, " was the convictionof British supremacy and protection. 

It took Mr Munroe a few days to get into working order. The news of theadventure and the sequel to it soon spread amongst the English vesselsin port. There was much visiting and jocular sympathy expressed for theprime mover, and the sailor's sense of humour was greatly touched byall he heard. The mate himself was a humourist, and after he had gotover the painful period he often told the story against himself, andnever failed to do so with a vividness that made it highly attractive. 

The loading of the vessel was in no way delayed by this little freak, as there was no cargo down. Captain Macgregor, however, had not beenseen for several days, and the vessel was nearly ready for sea. Theproper agencies were instructed to have him brought aboard, drunk orsober, so he landed aboard drunk, and gave everybody an unhappy timeuntil he was got into his bunk and sent to sleep. The next day he roseearly, got all his papers and accounts made right, paid them, signedbills of lading, cleared, and put to sea with a fair wind. There wereno traces of intemperance in either his behaviour or in the manner ofgiving orders. He talked with marked intelligence to his officer, andpartook of the evening meal with him; and as he had reason to leave thetable before Munroe had finished, he politely asked to be excused fordoing so. This mark of consideration overshadowed his other faults andstamped him as a gentleman in the opinion of the mate. A somewhatdisturbing incident followed, for the guttural voice of someone nowhereto be seen rebuked James Munroe for absenting himself from the vesselfor two days and indulging in intoxicating drink to excess and forpurloining a poor farmer's fowls, which even the painful results tohimself could not excuse. Then followed a modest tribute to CaptainMacgregor's superior morality. "It is not well that Macgregor shouldever taste alcohol, " said the voice; "the slightest drop takes effectand causes him to appear intoxicated when he is not. " Then there camefrom the stairs the almost incoherent announcement that a stormypassage was to be experienced. Then the voice fluttered away, and leftonly the sound of creaking timbers and the weird moan of the wind. Munroe was riveted with dumb terror, and when speech came to him heremarked: "That's darned funny, " and proceeded on deck to attend to hisduties. In a short time he was joined by the captain, who was promptlyinformed of what had been heard. 

"Ah, " said the skipper, in dead earnest, "that must have been a warningto you and to me to regulate our lives aright. "

"I don't know about the warning, but these visitations you talk aboutare not very canny, " responded the mate. 

"How dare you complain of being reminded of absenting yourself fromyour duties and stealing poultry and concealing them in a manner thatis disgraceful?" sternly replied the captain. 

"All right, " said Munroe in a voice obviously agitated, "say no moreabout it. "

Macgregor navigated for three days after leaving, with great vigour andcommendable care, though it was known that he was tippling. He seemedto have an aversion to Ralph when he had imbibed too freely. This couldnot be accounted for, as until recently Ralph was very popular with thecaptain. After passing Elsinore he commenced to drink harder, butalways kept his watch until the Scaw was rounded. Then irregularitiesbecame visible. Strong westerly winds were encountered after passingthe Jutland coast. The men knew by experience whenever a light was keptburning in the stateroom at night, when the wind blew hard and a pressof canvas was being carried, that the intention was, not to take astitch in until something carried away. The sailors dreaded theseoccasions, as the little craft was smothered at times and never a bitof rest could be had until the wind eased down. Ten days after leavingWindau the _Hebe_ entered the Commercial Docks, London. She had beenflogged heavily all the way home. A record passage was considered tohave been made under the circumstances, and several vessels that hadleft before and at the same time were sheltering in Elsinore roads, while others had put into Norwegian ports. Mr Hobkirk was muchgratified by his captain's performances, and would not listen to thepetty gossip that had been sent by some busybodies about him drinkingand being absent from the vessel while at the loading port. He deemedit necessary, however, to mention the matter to the captain, who on hisarrival at the Tyne was asked to spend an evening with the owner anddiscuss things generally. The use of offices was dispensed with inthese days. All accounts and correspondence were kept and carried onfrom the owner's private house. When the interview took place, CaptainMacgregor was at his best. Hobkirk was like a willow in his hands. Henervously introduced the subject of intemperance. It was eloquently andcontemptuously denied; and just as the owner was in the act ofrepeating what had been told him, a stern voice came down the chimneyrebuking him for lack of confidence in a man who had given such proofof integrity. Hobkirk felt uneasy, but the matter of accounts whichwere not quite satisfactory had to be dealt with. As soon as they werementioned Macgregor fumed into white heat and rose to go, and gotnearly to the door when a sharp angry voice came down the chimneydemanding that the captain should be brought back again and peace madewith him. Hobkirk was by this time in such a state of terror he beggedthe gallant commander to take his seat, and apologised for havingunintentionally offended him. Again the voice came: "The wicked in hispride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices thatthey have imagined. " This was the climax. Hobkirk was beside himselfwith fear, and tremblingly requested that all should be forgotten. 

"I assure you, Macgregor, I have the fullest confidence in you. By theway, did you hear anything just now?"

"Yes, " said the captain, "and although I'm not a nervous man it hasmade a very deep impression upon me. Good night, sir. "

The captain never had the honour of being invited to his owner's homeagain. There were those who said that Hobkirk believed him to havecommunion with his Satanic majesty, or to possess supernatural power. Hobkirk was undoubtedly convinced that the mill was haunted by a spiritfavourably disposed towards the man who had claimed to be his idealshipmaster. He became afraid to doubt his honesty or his sobriety lesthis nights might be disturbed and his days filled with trouble. 

"Ah, " said he to a friend in whom he had confided, "Solomon the son ofDavid was right when he said these words: 'Happy is the man thatfindeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding, for themerchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and thegain thereof than fine gold. '"

"Very shrewd, very fine, " said his friend, "but you might have addedone or two other things that the great Hebrew King's son said. What doyou think of these few words of wisdom and rebuke: 'But ye have set atnaught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof. I also will laughat your calamity: I will mock when your fear cometh?' It is no use, Hobkirk; I told you all along that Macgregor would have to be watched, but you were carried away with his money-making, his glamour andletter-writing, and now he's your master. I'll tell you another thingold Solomon said: 'Open rebuke is better than secret love, and faithfulare the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 'My advice is: have another master ready for the _Hebe_ as soon asshe gets back. "

Hobkirk confessed to his friend that the quotations from his favouriteauthor and his own frank statements had made a deep impression on him, though he was bound to admit that his confidence was only partiallyshaken in the man to whom he had pinned his faith. 

"Very well, we will see, " responded the friend as he passed out of thedoor. 

Mr Hobkirk's meditations kept him awake right through the night, and atan early hour in the morning he boarded the _Hebe_, and found thecaptain and his men energetically preparing to take her to sea. Thecargo was all in. A gentle westerly breeze was blowing. The topsailswere set; the moorings were let go; and the little vessel proceeded outof the harbour bound to Copenhagen. 

The owner went over the bar with her, and on getting outside had aprivate conversation with the master, the nature of which was neverdisclosed, but so far as Macgregor was concerned it was animated. MrHobkirk, before leaving with the pilot, gave the crew his benediction, and slipped into the cobble which waited to convey them ashore. Thepilot, observing that the flag was being dipped, broke the silence byremarking:

"She's off once more, sir, and they're dipping the blood and guts ofold England to say goodbye to us. "

The owner was indignant, and smartly retorted:

"I wish you to understand, pilot, that I will not have the British flaginsulted in my presence. When you speak of that flag, sir, you mustspeak of it with reverence, and remember that it has never been loweredto an enemy. "

The pilot, who had been a sailor and captain, was amazed at the owner'signorance in not knowing that seamen were accustomed to speak of theflag in this way. Had he been a foreigner who dared to address him in asimilar tone of ill-nature, he would have thrown him overboard. As itwas, he merely remarked in an ironic accent that Mr Hobkirk "had a lotto learn yet. " By the time the cobble got ashore, the fine clipper brigwas nearly hull down. 

Macgregor had prevailed upon the same crew to go with him again, andthe owner's back was scarcely turned before he commenced to drink andill-use the poor half-witted Ralph who was in his watch. There does notappear to have been any reason for this except that of alcoholicviciousness. The dark horror of secret drinking quickly developed intohideous proportions; it gripped him like a vice; his bleary eyes andwild fits of delirium foreshadowed inevitable collapse. He raved aboutthings that were supposed to be whispered in his ears by unholy voices;he saw wild beasts of the most ferocious character, which were notthere, and imagined them grinding their teeth in anxiety to devour him;he alternately yelled and whispered that rats, weasels and wild catswere crawling over his body and gnawing at his vitals. In the paroxysmof frenzy he lay down on the cabin floor and tried to bury his headfrom the sight of the demons that he imagined pursued him. He cried outin pitiful accents to be shielded from them, and in the effort lostcomplete capacity for coherent speech. The crew were thrown into acondition of chilly fear. A consultation was held, and it was decidedto have him carefully watched and occasional doses of brandyadministered. For three days a fine westerly breeze had raced over thedappled sea. It had varied in strength, and nearly three hundred mileshad been covered when the wind died away to a calm which continuednearly twenty-four hours. Then an air sprang up from the east andgradually gained in strength to a whole sail breeze. The captain hadshown alarming signs of sudden recovery during the early hours of thefourth day. The _delirium tremens_ had apparently left him, and hebecame subdued and attractively rational. Munroe, who did not possessmuch intelligence, knowledge or ambition, expressed his satisfactionthat the drunken beggar was about to resume control, as he was sick ofbeing both skipper and mate. As a matter of fact, responsibility didnot sit lightly on this frivolous officer, and it may be that he knewthe measure of his capacity. Ralph heard all the mate had to say, andquietly remarked:

"They haven't left him yet. He's only at the cunning, dangerous stage. "

"What do you mean, Ralph?" said Munroe (for in spite of his reputedsemi-idiotcy Ralph was supposed to possess intuitive foresight). 

"I mean what I say. Now's the time to watch him, or he may have any oneof us by the throat before we know where we are. I'll be the firsthe'll go for, " said Ralph, in broad vernacular; "he used to like me, but now that he's taken on to drink I feel that he wants to kill me. "

At midnight on the fourth day from sailing Ralph had just relieved thewheel, and Macgregor had come on deck, and commenced to walk thequarterdeck in his usual dignified style. The vessel was being sailedby the wind, and his eyes became fixed aloft, watching, as was hiscustom, whether she was properly steered. At last he broke silence byshouting out:

"Hard up! Don't you see the rocks right ahead?" Then he sprang at Ralphlike a tiger, and had nearly torn his clothes off him before othermembers of the crew came to his aid. The captain's strength wassuperhuman. It took four men to get him into his berth and lash himsecurely down, and in a few minutes he died in a screaming fit ofmadness. 

It was promptly arranged that the body should, if possible, be landedin England, and as there was blowing a whole sail breeze from the east, her tail was put to it and then a heated discussion arose as to theproper course to steer for Tynemouth Castle. The mate said W. By N. Ralph insisted W. By S. From their position would land her right underthe castle foot. As both stubbornly maintained they were right, it wasagreed to come to a compromise by steering W. By N. One watch and W. ByS. The next, and so on until the land was made. After this knottyquestion was settled an incident almost incredible in its awfulgruesomeness took place. Ralph became smitten by a revengeful mania. Hewent below, took his deceased commander's clothes off, put his body onthe table and commenced to lash at it with a piece of rope, exclaimingat every stroke, "You thrashed me, you tiger, when you were living, andI'll thrash you now that you're dead. " The mate happened to go into thecabin while this performance was going on, and was stricken with chillhorror. 

"My God, Ralph, what are you doing?" the mate shouted. 

"Don't you see what I'm doing, you d----n fool?" said Ralph, "I'llteach the villain to lash me for doing nothing!"

"But, " said Munroe, "his body will be marked, and we will be had up formurder!"

"There is no fear of that. A corpse never gets marked by beating it. "

This assurance relieved Mr Munroe so much that he covered his strangecompanion with profuse compliments on his knowledge of the inanimatehuman body, and nicknamed him 'Ralph-ower-mony. ' After thisextraordinary being had finished his gruesome revenge on the dead bodyof his master, it was placed in a hastily-constructed deal casement, and put on top of the longboat, and then covered over with the UnionJack and an awning, so that it might be kept cool. 

There is no class of Englishmen who regard the national flag with suchreverence as the sailor; to him it is a divinity, used as an emblem ofglory, or sorrow, as the case may be. He disdains making the noisy, vulgar use of it that is sometimes practised at meetings by unctuous, ill-read politicians, whose abnormal egotism, impudence and ignorancecause them to boast of a devotion for the flag equalled by no one else. The sailor, on the other hand, speaks of it as a thing too sacred toact circus games with. If his shipmate dies at sea, he is sewn up incanvas and covered over with the Union Jack; a heavy weight is placedat his feet, and, with heads bowed low, they silently commit hisremains to the deep. If a sailor dies in port, the flag is used tocover the coffin as a solemn token of having died while serving underits beneficent protection. Think of the beautiful sentiment thatgoverns the sailor's ideal of using it, and then, if you can, think ofthe blatant political person and the use he puts it to! How it remindsyou of Petticoat Lane, and makes you pray that England may be deliveredfrom such disgusting impertinence!

Mr Munroe had assumed command, and discussed with his crew the idea ofa burial at sea. This was strenuously opposed by Ralph, who insistedthat the body should be carried to England in case the question of foulplay should arise. This course was adopted, and great precaution wastaken to prevent premature decomposition. A smart breeze from the N. E. Carried the little brig rapidly towards the land, and on the morning ofthe third day she sailed into the roadstead for which she had beensteered. The dual courses had worked out an accurate landfall. Beforethe anchor was let go, the pilot cobble came alongside. 

"Where's the captain?" asked the pilot. 

"The beggar's dead, sir, " answered Ralph, ignoring the respect he owedto his superior officer, Mr Munroe, who requested him to keep histongue quiet and allow him to speak. The anchor was dropped, sailsfurled and flag put half-mast, and the pilot was requested to go ashoreand acquaint the owner with what had happened. At eleven o'clock everyforenoon a few well-known owners met in the parlour of an inn, there todiscuss matters of personal and public interest. The banking accountsand characters of their neighbours who did not belong to the coteriewere pulled remorselessly to pieces. If they happened to haveprogressive ideas and were successful, their speedy bankruptcy waspredicted. Each member of the party had "churchwardens" kept in abracket with his name on, and only one glass of whiskey and one pipe oftobacco was indulged in until the evening sitting, when they did notstick at trifles. But the keynote of these forenoon and eveningsittings was _money_. Mr Hobkirk and his friends had just got quietlyseated and the conversation turned on the vessel that had been observedto anchor in the roads, when the pilot in wild excitement burst in upontheir privacy, exclaiming:

"The _Hebe_ has put back with the captain's dead body aboard!"

"How did he come by his death?" asked several of the party; "he was astout, strong-looking man?"

"They say he died of drink, " said the pilot. 

"Ah, " responded the comforting friends, "we told you, Hobkirk, what youmight expect. You remember the voice coming down the chimney? That washis voice. We have been informed he could talk two ways. We neverbelieved in him, and told you so. "

"I admit it, gentlemen, I admit it. I have been deceived, but please donot refer to the chimney affair again; that unnerves me. "

Instructions were given to the pilot to land the body of CaptainMacgregor, and without any show of mourning the remains of this oncebrilliant man were put to rest in a drunkard's grave, close by the sea, far away from his own home. The story of how he came by his death andwhat subsequently occurred was told in all its ghastly detail to thepilots, who in turn spread it abroad, without diminishing the accountgiven to them. Another captain was quickly engaged, and the _Hebe_sailed on her voyage. The late owners of Captain Macgregor wereinformed of his death, and about two weeks afterwards a comely-lookinglady with a little boy of four years old called at Mr Hobkirk's houseand asked for an interview. She was received with unfeigneddispleasure. The owner commenced a vigorous tirade against the man whohe considered had wronged him by killing himself with drink. The ladysuddenly cut this flow of vindictive denunciation short by stamping herfoot on the floor and shouting out: "Stop! I will listen to this nolonger. I am the widow of the late captain. I have come from Scotland, not to hear your coarse abuse of him, but to learn where you have laidhis body. Tell me this, and then I desire to hear no more from you. Hiseffects and any money due from you to him you may send to thisaddress. "

Hobkirk interjected:

"He has no money due. "

"Very well, then, " responded Mrs Macgregor, "there will be none tosend; but I must have his effects. "

Hobkirk by this time had read the address. It startled him. He becameapologetic and asked if the baronet whose address she had given was inany way related to her. 

"Yes, " said she, "he is my father, and my late husband's uncle. "

"Ah, " said Hobkirk, "I knew my judgement was right in believing him tobelong to a family of distinction. He was a man of great ability, andhad a fascinating address. What a sad thing that he should have givenway to drink. "

"I must request you not to speak of Captain Macgregor in this way tome. Whatever faults he may have had are covered up in his tomb. If hehas wronged you, be frank and tell me, so that I may atone for it insome way. You have my address. I came here principally to visit hisgrave and arrange for a tombstone to be put up. Please be good enoughto allow someone to take me to it. "

"If I may, I should like to take you to it myself. "

But the little lady declined. The fine dignity of her bearing, and thecharm of her bow when she said "good-day" to him, covered the parochialpotentate with shame for having received and treated her as acommonplace captain's wife. Mr Hobkirk conveyed to his friends at theirevening sitting at the inn all that had passed between himself and hisdistinguished visitor. He was smartly censured for being shortsightedin not discerning that she belonged to the gentry, and he was chargedwith the possibility of getting the leading citizens of the town intobad repute. 

"Why, " said they, "she may write to the papers about it, and then therewill be a fine ado. "

The tragedy of her husband's death and her visit created a sensation ofno small importance in the district. Local gossip made much of it, andfor a time the great Mr Hobkirk lost caste. The poor, bereaved lady wasthe centre of sympathy. They thought of her standing by the grave-side, holding her little son by the hand, and, wrapped by the veil of sorrow, offering up a humble prayer to Almighty God, and then quietly passingfrom the scene of sadness and death to make her way home. 

IV

PIRACY IN THE ARCHIPELAGO

Who can fully estimate all the world owes to Providence and nature inpropagating the fervid Scottish race? They are found in everycontinent, climbing from the three-legged stool in an office, or fromany other subordinate position. They toil upward with caution andperseverance. They always aim at the top of the tree, and multitudes ofthem succeed. But one of the Scot's extraordinary characteristics ishis deference to superiors. At an early age the average Scot ischaracterized by this passion to get on by thrift, love of "siller, " apuritanic mode of thought, and an imperishable love of his countrywhich, however, does not prevent him from leaving it in order to enterinto mercantile or other pursuits in the farthest parts of theearth--or the nearest, it really does not matter--so long as he gets adecent start. 

Archie Macvie's father, who was an elder of a Presbyterian Kirk, managed one of the flax factories in an important town north of theForth. Archie was the youngest of the lads, and by far and away thecleverest, but he had made up his mind to engage himself as anapprentice aboard an English brig that was discharging flax for theowners of the factory. This determination came as a great shock to theMacvies, who had pictured their boy in the position one day of apopular minister of their own denomination. Every strictly properdevice was used to change the mind of their laddie, but all to nopurpose. His imagination, and perhaps his desire to minimise the griefof his parents, led him to urge that in a few years he would come tothem, not only a captain, but an owner. The old people were secretlypleased to hear these aspirations from the lips of their much-belovedboy, but they felt it their duty to treat the case with becomingsolemnity. "Ah, Archie, " said his father, "I must warn you never toallow the things of this world to take possession of your thoughts in away that will keep religion from you. I would remind you of the wordsof Solomon: 'Better is little with the fear of the Lord than greattreasure and trouble therewith. '" However, he went to sea. 

After four years and a half of hard training he had gained thereputation of being one of the smartest young fellows that sailed outof his port. He had become quite a favourite, not only with hisshipmates, but with the captain and owner. There was neither surprisenor jealousy when the master recommended that his indentures should beendorsed, and that he should be given the mate's situation, which hadbecome vacant. At this time he was in his twentieth year, and before hehad reached twenty-one his owner gave him command of the vessel whichabout six years before he had joined as an apprentice. His rapidadvancement and singular success as a shipmaster made hiscontemporaries speak of him as likely to reach the very highest placein the profession before he had attained his thirtieth year. Theirestimate of the highest position was really very modest, as the largestvessel belonging to the port did not exceed 700 tons deadweight, and ofthese there were only about half-a-dozen. The general public rarely sawthem except when they came off a long voyage and had repairs to do. Those occasions were looked upon as not merely incidental, buthistoric. The whole country-side turned out to witness the advent ofwhat they conceived to be a leviathan; the vessel herself was dressedfrom truck to rail on every mast with bunting, and there was acorresponding display of it on shore. Events such as births, deaths, marriages, and other more or less interesting doings were accuratelyremembered by a visitation of this kind. The local almanac chronicledthe occasion as minutely as it did the death of Nelson or the accessionof Queen Victoria to the throne. So that if any lapse of memoryoccurred a reference to this touchstone of local history put mattersright. Archie Macvie had longed for the time to come when someone wouldoffer him command of a large vessel. His reputation as a clever, pushing, steady-going shipmaster had reached beyond the circle of localcritics, which entitled him to expect speedy promotion. His owner, aswell as other people, predicted great things of him, and it waswhispered that he had immediate prospects that were dazzling in theirlucrative possibilities. A landed proprietor, who owned the whole of ahandsome barque, had heard of his fame, and wrote requesting Macvie tocome and see him. The interview sealed the captain's future destiny. MrRockfeller received him with becoming dignity; but after a few minutes'conversation with the young captain his icy manner melted. He becameaware that the man whom he had asked to be seated in thesumptuously-furnished drawing-room was his equal, if not his superior, in knowledge and intelligence. 

"Your youthful appearance surprises me, " said the lord of the manor. 

"Yes, " responded the shrewd Scotsman; "I have been told that before, and have often had reason to be grateful to a kind Providence in notnecessarily prohibiting me from occupying a position of trust becauseof my juvenile appearance. "

"Very good, very good, " said Rockfeller. "And now, captain, I wish atonce to offer you command of the first vessel that brought gold fromAustralia. Your wage will be £12 per month; and in order to give you agood start I offer you an eighth of the _Boadicea_ at a low price. If you have the money to pay for it, well and good; if not I will becontent to allow you to work it off. "

"Your kindness overpowers me, " replied Macvie; "I am sorry I have notsufficient money saved to pay for the share you so generously give methe opportunity of taking, and as I make it a rule never to purchase athing I cannot pay for in cash, I am reluctantly compelled to refuseit. "

"Very well, " said the owner, "give me what you can spare, and I willforego the balance, and hand you a bill of sale for eightsixty-fourths. I do this not only because of the favourable impressionyou have made, but to make you feel that your interest is not merelythat of a commander, but that of part owner with myself. "

"I thank you; but may I suggest that this generosity be postponed untilyou have tested whether I will suit you or not?" said the luckycaptain. 

"No, I will risk that, " replied Mr Rockfeller. "And now there isnothing left for me to say except to request that you join the vesselat once; and you have a free hand to do what you consider best withher. "

Captain Macvie hurried home and conveyed to his young wife the goodfortune that had come to them. He also informed his aged parents, whomhe had not seen since his first home-leaving, of all that had takenplace, and expressed his regret that he could not visit them beforesailing on a voyage to the Piraeus, but hoped to do so on his return. This letter became a family heirloom. The joy of the old people wasreflected on the whole family, and also on their friends, and thecongratulations were numerous and sincere. In less than a week from thetime of being engaged, the _Boadicea_ was towed over the bar, andshe sailed away followed by a north-east wind. The hurrahs of thevisitors after embarking on the tug reverberated the joyous tidings ofgoodwill, and soon the ship and her jolly crew passed from view intothe southern haze. 

The Eastern question was causing great anxiety in diplomatic circles;trouble was fast brewing into open hostility, and before the_Boadicea_ arrived at the port of discharge, the great Russian warof 1854 had broken out with all its hellish mismanagement and criminalindifference to the needs of the finest soldiers in the whole world. They were badly generalled, shockingly clothed and meagrely fed onprovisions that the ordinary civilian would scarcely give to swine. Complaints of the grossest mismanagement were sent home and wereunheeded; while the predatory, heartless scoundrels who had contractswere allowed to amass wealth by shamelessly robbing poor Tommy of hisfood and clothes. Mon Dieu! What forbearance the thinking, sympatheticportion of the British people must have had to endure it, knowing thattheir fellow-subjects and kinsfolk were being done to death by somecontractors and by the callousness and incompetency of dunderheadedpoliticians and drawing-room warriors! It is a sickening subject thatcannot be approached without feelings of anger. 

The _Boadicea_ made a quick passage, and was boarded on her arrival byswarms of Levantine gentlemen, each clamouring for first place to gether in hand to charter. The declaration of war had created a wilddemand for transport tonnage. Sensational freights were offered for theveriest rattletraps, and as the young commander of the _Boadicea_estimated his craft to be one of the finest of her class afloat, hemade a counter-bid which startled the Grecian modesty of hisinteresting visitors. The negotiations were animated, and before theday closed the vessel was chartered at a rate that would pay back heroriginal cost in less than twelve months. Over and above this it wasagreed that the captain should receive legitimate gratuities thatamounted to more than double his wage per month. The director oftransports ordered the vessel to be taken to Malta to load storesimmediately she had finished discharging, and gave instructions thatovertime should be worked in order to get the cargo of much neededsupplies to the seat of war. It was a stirring time for the captain andhis crew. In four days the holds were emptied and she sailed from thePiraeus on the fifth with 180 tons of sand ballast aboard. In five daysfrom leaving Athens she arrived in the beautiful harbour of Valetta, and four days after left again with a full cargo of foods, stores andother supplies for Constantinople for orders. Every stitch of canvaswas set after getting clear of the harbour; studding sails lower andaloft were spread to the kiss of the singing wind, and the officerswere made to understand that there was to be hard cracking on; nothingwas to be taken in until the maximum amount of endurance of spars, ropes and rigging had been reached. The breeze freshened and the seacurled its white tops into angry combers Captain Macvie walked thestarboard quarterdeck with an air of dignity and luxury of dress thatwould have called forth the supreme contempt of his associates ofearlier days. They would have stigmatized him as a fine-weather dandy, and not a true British sailor. The captain had never been pastGibraltar until he got command of his present vessel. As a matter offact, he had rarely been off the coast, and never at any time as farsouth as Cape Finisterre. He had acquired large ideas of themagnificence that should be observed by a captain aboard a vessel ofthe _Boadicea's_ size and class. He had heard also that the menliked to see monarchical display, and that is why he adopted it sonaturally. The third day after leaving Malta the forecastle hands werecongregated on the topgallant forecastle during the dogwatch from sixto eight. The discussion was of an animated character. The secondofficer, who was an old hand in these waters, stood amongst them, andthe speaker frequently referred to him in order that his statementsmight be confirmed. When the second officer came aft, the captainremarked that the boys seemed to have had a heated discussion. 

"Mr Robb, may I take the liberty of asking if it is anything that maynot be conveyed to me?"

"Not at all, " said Mr Robb; "they were yarning about pirates thatinfest the Grecian Archipelago. They sneak out of the bays and fromunder the islands with the suddenness of a rocket. They have very swiftschooners, many of them built in America for the slave trade, and theyare full of well-armed, bloodthirsty villains who stick at nothing. " Itwas according to the strictly observed ethics of South Spainerdiscipline that the commander never was supposed to so far lower thesupremacy of high office as to speak directly to a common sailor, butonly through his officers. Mr Robb took it for granted that this lawhad been rigidly observed, and therefore said to the captain. 

"You know that fair-haired man who was talking so excitedly?"

Macvie, not wishing to appear familiar with his men, and perhaps inorder to impress the officer with an air of majesty, replied:

"No, sir, I do not know him, but I think I _recognize_ the sailor towhom you desire to call my attention. I saw him gesticulating, and Ithink I heard him swear frightfully. "

"That may be, sir, " said the second officer, "but he means no harm byit. He is indeed one of the best and bravest sailors attached to theBritish Mercantile Marine; and were it not a breach of etiquette, Iwould ask you to allow him to give you a brief account of all thecurious experiences and hardships he has gone through in a short life. "

"My curiosity impels me to consent, but my judgement forbids suchfamiliarity. Had I been in charge of the _Vanquisher_ I might haveyielded; as it is, I must conform to the duty that devolves upon aperson in my position by asking you to be the medium of communicationof this sailor's strange adventures, " said the captain. 

"Very good, " replied Robb, "then here is the story: I do not think hewould like me to tell you, but he was a pirate himself for over twelvemonths. It came about like this. He and I were shipmates five yearsago. The barque we were in was discharging at Athens. We asked forliberty to go ashore one Saturday night; he got a few glasses of grogtoo much, and became pally with some Greek sailors who spoke brokenEnglish. They asked him to go with them to some place of amusement, andin spite of my pleading with him not to do so, he went; the resultbeing they decoyed him aboard their own vessel, which proved to be apirate schooner. When he came to himself after his drunken sleep, thevessel was far out at sea. He was soon made to understand what he wouldbe expected to do, and the terrible conditions under which he would bepermitted to live. He was asked to take the oath of fidelity to theircause, which carried with it awful obligations and consequences if notrigidly adhered to; and after the hazy alcoholic stupor had beenshivered out of him, he grasped the situation, and not only agreed totheir code, but became, externally, the most enterprising of the gang. They were indebted to him for much useful information, though for sometime his _bonā-fides_ were suspected because of his pushful partialityfor conflict with any nationality rather than his own. He persuaded hisfriends that six out of ten British vessels kept firearms and powdermagazines aboard, and that foreigners, such as Swedes, Norwegians, Danes and Germans gave in much sooner than his own countrymen. Theycordially agreed with this, hence rarely gave chase after a Britisherexcept when he suggested it, and it was policy for him to do thissometimes in order to keep on perfectly good terms with them. He hastold me that over and over again they boarded Norwegian vessels ladenwith flax, tallow or grain, and the crew asked them to take what theywanted and no resistance would be made. This, he says, was the bestplan, because it saved blood from being spilt on either side. They usedto fill the craft's holds from the cargo of the captured vessel; takeany money or valuables, such as chronometers, that might be aboard; allfirearms, gunpowder and implements of warfare had to be given up; and asquad of armed pirates covered their comrades who were operating forthe benefit of the whole. 

The grief of having to leave my old shipmate behind was only equalledby the mystery of what had become of him. He was very popular with allof us in the forecastle. His quick humour and gifted capacity toentertain and amuse endeared him to everybody. A born musician, hecould play on almost any instrument, sing comic songs, and step-danceas well as any professional. His great weakness was love of gay companyand grog. He belonged to very well-to-do, highly respectable people;and their sorrow at his supposed death was very bitter. His motherdeclared that the light had gone out of her life, and begged me neverto cease trying to find out when on my voyages whether he was alive ornot. The old lady said she feared the worst, but never ceased to prayand hope that some day he would be brought back to them. A little overa year had elapsed since the fateful night of his disappearance. I wason my second voyage in the same vessel, but had been promoted toboatswain. We had rounded Matapan with a snoring breeze on the portbeam. We had just opened the Gulf of Nauplia out when the look-out manshouted, 'A vessel on the port bow!' She was carrying full sail, andsteering towards us. We soon discerned that she was on an unfriendlyerrand, and that the intention was to try and board us. No one could beseen about the decks except the helmsman and a man apparently on thelook out. If we altered our course she did the same; and whichever waywe went, her sailing qualities outmatched ours. The excitement hadgrown to fever heat, as a great conflict was now imminent. Our men hadbeen supplied with muskets, and told to conceal themselves and use themwhen the critical time came, and to make sure that every shot waseffectual. Two small cannon, which were fixtures on the taffrail, wereloaded ready to do service. At last she came within hailing distance ofour weather beam. A man shouted through a speaking-trumpet in mongrelEnglish to 'Heave to!' We did not heed this insolent command, but keptgoing. In a few minutes more a peremptory command came through thespeaking-trumpet to 'Heave to, or we would be fired upon. '

"'Now's the time, ' hissed our captain; 'we will do some damage toourselves, but, by God, we'll teach them to order an English ship to behove to! We must run right into his midships. I will give the order atthe proper moment. The thing must be done with the suddenness of forklightning. It is not the shooting so much as the sinking, and the panicthat must be created by the suddenness of our action. 'Hard down thehelm!' cried the captain. 'Let go your weather braces, and stand by touse your muskets and bayonets too if any of them attempt to board us. 'In less than a minute the pirate schooner's doom was sealed. Our vesselstruck her with such force amidships that she sank almost immediately. Instead of tacking their vessel, and getting out of our way, which theymight have done, they were encouraged to fight; and the man who didn'twas the man who has attracted your attention to-night. So far as wecould tell, only himself and three of the Greeks were saved. Theyjumped aboard unarmed, and Jack, or 'Curly' as he was called, shoutedout to me and the captain who he was. We were dumbfounded. He hastilytold us how he had managed to bring about the disastrous results to thepirates, and asked the captain to put the Greeks, or whatever theywere, into a boat and set them adrift. This was promptly agreed to, butbefore the painter was let go one of the sailors asked permission toshoot the beggars before they left, to prevent them killing somebodyelse. But our captain only laughed and ordered them from alongside. After cordially shaking hands with the captain and all the crew, Jackrequested to be allowed to assist in clearing away the wreckage causedby the collision, and fixing the spare jib-boom, for that was the onlyspar carried away. Jack told us the pirates thought they had a softthing on, as we seemed so undecided what to do, and that we could nothave adopted a better move than we did. 'There is nothing frightensthem like panic, and I played up to it as near as I could; but, bythunder! I played a high game. I stood to be shot by either you or myChristian friends, ' said Jack; 'and upon my soul I feel that I haveplayed them a dirty trick. ' 'Not a bit of it, ' said I. 'You have doneyour country, and especially us, a great service by helping to rid theworld of a few murderous thieves and cunning assassins. '

"'Oh, damn it!' interjected Jack, 'I cannot allow you to call us suchvillanous names as that. My late friends considered their trade quiteas honourable as yours. They knew that they were breaking the law bycarrying on a game of what is called pillage or brigandage at sea; butthen they thought the law was all wrong, and that it was unlawful toenforce such restrictions, or put any penalty on freedom of action. And, by Jove! their arguments were almost convincing; especially whenwe had to fight for what we wanted, and got wounded. '

"'I see that you have got scars on your cheek and hands. Were theyreceived by encounter with some ship's crew?'

"'Yes, ' said Jack, 'but not my own countrymen. It was a deadly fight. 'And then he became pensive. I could see his mind was working, but herefused to be drawn into further conversation; and from that day tothis I have not been able to get anything more out of him on thatscore. Though when he is in the mood, he relates the comical side ofthe sea-rovers' life in a most fascinating way, and frankly admits thebetter side to have a charm about it that only those who have lived thelife can know. 'But, ' he would add, 'I would rather stand here and askthat I might be shot if I thought there was any possibility of everbecoming one of them again. On the criminal side it resembles hell'statterdemalions let loose. To call them thieves and murderers is toflatter them. Their vicious scoundrelism transcends either murder orthieving. '"

The hero of this sensational story was a well-built young fellow oftwenty-three or twenty-four years old; he stood about five feet nine, and had the appearance of being possessed of great physical power; hiscleanshaven face disclosed a beautiful mouth and two fine rows ofteeth; his chin and nose indicated robust strength of character, andhis large blue eyes, sparkling under well-formed eyebrows and a massiveforehead, both spoke and laughed in a fascinating way while his tonguewas speechless. In short, he was a good-looking, typical sailor, whosenatural gifts made him popular and much sought after to amuse hiscomrades by doing a step-dance, telling a funny yarn, singing a comicsong, or he would entertain them by reading from a book. 

"I have told this tale at your own request, captain, " said the secondofficer. "My main object has been not only to interest you, but toinform you of the dangers that may be expected in navigating thesepiratical waters. And I have been asked by Curly to warn you againsthugging the land. He advises keeping well in mid-channel, as you aremore likely to carry a true wind; and if any of the rovers should maketheir appearance and attempt pursuit, he says the thing that wouldterrify them most would be to shape at running them down; but if thatcourse is adopted it must not be done in a halfhearted way. Thereshould be no first-you-will and then-you-won't policy. Nothing but adaring, unfaltering attitude directed fair for the amidships can beeffectual. They fear the loss of their vessel more than the disablementof a few men; and the leader of the band fears as much as anything thecreation of panic amongst his followers. Damage to the running downvessel must be counted upon, but it must be arranged so that the othergets hit so badly that, instead of fighting they have to swim for theirlives or plead for mercy. Curly informs me this is their prowling time, and they may be expected to pop out from any of the islands as we passalong. "

Captain Macvie was much impressed, and thanked his second officer forrelating to him a story so full of keen interest and usefulinformation. 

"You may rely on the facts being correct, " said Mr Robb, "but shouldyou have any doubts as to the authenticity of some of the things I havebeen talking to you about, reserve your final judgement, because it ispretty certain that you won't be long in this trade until you find outI have not exaggerated one single incident, and that there aregentlemen cruising in these waters who claim a law unto themselves, andwho make a speciality of brigandage and murder. I understand from Curlythat many of them are educated and well-bred, and that it is the loveof adventure that causes that section of them to take to the life. Theyare adepts at playing the double role of society person and murderousbuccaneer. In both capacities they are fascinating, and reallyirresistible at a ball or a dinner-party; so much so, indeed, that itis not an uncommon thing for young ladies of gentle birth to becometheir wives, and in exceptional cases share their adventures. "

"Oh, " said Captain Macvie, "you must not suppose that I doubt the truthof what you have related to me. I think it quite possible, and we mustbe prepared to cope with any sudden emergency of a similar character. Imust now bid you good-night. You will find instructions in the nightorder book. I do not wish to be disturbed unless something unusualoccurs. "

Right through the night the _Boadicea_ romped along at the rate often knots an hour, and when the captain came on deck at eight o'clockthe following morning she was flying through the Cerigo passage underdouble-reefed topsails and courses. 

"There is no fear of any pirates troubling us if this continues, "remarked the captain. 

"Not any, " responded the chief mate, "and I think we shall have more ofit before we have less. You won't be able to carry this press of canvasafter passing Andros. We will have the wind more on the port quarter, and she will bury herself after opening the Ęgean Sea. "

"Very well, " said Macvie in an angry tone, "let her bury herself; andin order that her qualities may be tested before we reach thiswonderful sea of yours, let the reefs out of the topsails and mastheadthem. I desire you to know, Mr Scrivener, that I shall be the judgewhen to shorten sail and when to set it. Do you imagine, sir, because Ionly commanded a collier before coming here that I do not know mybusiness? Please remember that I am master of this craft, not you. "

This was a crushing rebuke for the mate, and he resolved that if themasts were going over the side he would never make another suggestionwhile his chief was on deck. The additional canvas did not improvematters, as her flat bows sent the sea churning angrily ahead, and thespray flew all over her in smothering clouds. Mr Scrivener was secretlyglad that she was "making such a mess of herself, " as he called it, buthe did not deem it prudent to say so to his captain. But, as heafterwards said, it was not necessary to do this, for he saw theskipper was thinking hard enough himself, though he was too proud toown it, and would have seen the masts go by the board rather than showweakness in shortening sail after what had passed. This freak, however, kept him on deck all day and all night, for there was no abatement ofeither wind or sea, until she was swept into the Dardanelles. The sailhad to be shortened so that she might be hove to, and the boat sentashore at Chanak to receive pratique and a permit to allow her to passthrough into the sea of Marmora. Many an expensive salvage case andmany a life has been lost through this barbarous system. It is theworst part of the channel for erratic currents, and notwithstanding thedisasters to life and property, it has only been possible to establisha steam launch there during the last twelve months. As soon as the boatreturned with the clearance she was hoisted up, and the vessel headedon her course through the straits. The west wind blew through thenarrow passage with screaming gusts, and the volley of water waschurned into flying foam as she rushed along under a heavy press ofsail; for the young commander was bent on letting his officers and mensee that he knew how to crack on without losing his head, and theaverage sailor rejoices in being able to say that he has sailed with aman who was "a slogger. " On the other hand, I have more than once seena whole crew come aft and ask the captain to reduce the sail when thevessel was burying herself and the spars and sails were in danger ofbeing carried away; and I have more than once seen deputations of thissort sent about their business, followed by a wrathful flow ofwell-selected oaths that are only used by persons who have a veryresourceful vocabulary. It is not an uncommon thing for men to grumbleand refuse to go aloft and furl a royal or topgallant sail when it hasbeen carried too long; and I have seen the captain spring up therigging and appeal to their manliness to follow him. This challengerarely fails to bring forth volunteers, and those who lag behind havebeen the cause of bringing torrents of wickedness into the world. 

Captain Macvie was not a man who swore. He was more inclined to adhereto his rigid Presbyterian training by quoting a psalm or a proverb toemphasise displeasure or convey a rebuke. His officers did notcomprehend how he could be so unemotional and yet throw so much energyand dash into the navigation of his vessel. Externally he was cool, reticent, authoritative. He gave orders peremptorily, withouthesitation; and both officers and sailors like to feel that they have astrong personality commanding them. The first and second mate hadformed an impression, owing to their captain never having been in theseregions before, that he would frequently have to appeal to them forinformation and advice, and they were almost chagrined when they foundthat he never once showed any indication of asking for information. Butwhat caused them to marvel was the masterful way in which he handledhis vessel, and navigated her not only through amongst the islands, butthrough a narrow waterway that he had never seen before. The firstofficer ventured to make a suggestion, when drawing towards Chanak, asto the method of heaving the vessel to, so that the boat might bepicked up easily. The captain retorted with almost oriental dignity. 

"Sir, " said he, "when I was asked to take command of this vessel I didnot consent until I was perfectly assured of its being within the limitof my capacity to do so, and it has not yet occurred to me that I amincapable of carrying out what I undertook to do unaided by anyone. Please do not think me angry with you. I only wish to say that you mayrely on my making use of your wide knowledge and experience when I findmy capacity defective. But not having realized that yet, I prefer todepend on my own tactics in all that appertains to the navigation andhandling of the ship I have the honour to command. "

The mate received this piece of information in subdued silence. It tookhim all aback. He had not taken the trouble to ascertain whether therewas force and ability behind his chief's placid, silent exterior, andthe lesson he received was salutary and lasting. He watched with acritical eye the management and navigation as the _Boadicea_ waspressed through the stream past Gallipoli into the sea of Marmora, andadmitted to the second mate that but for the excessive carrying onthere was no flaw to be found. 

"Indeed, " said he, "I am beginning to see that we have got our masterhere in everything. I'm sure he is a gentleman, and I wouldn't besurprised to find that he's a sailor as well. "

The following night the wind had fallen away to a gentle breeze. Thevessel was sailed close past San Stephano, and soon came within rangeof that weird sepulchral cry of the Turk for the return of theirprophet Mahomet. I know what it is like, for I have often stood on deckand listened to the melancholy wailing call of scores of voicesappealing to their God, and filling the air with thrilling pathos, until I have been stricken with a sense of sadness myself, which causedme to envy the devotion of the people whom we, who call ourselvesChristians, deride. Macvie was greatly touched by the sombre wail thatwas wafted over the glassy waters, and for a brief moment it took histhoughts to the old home of prayer and saintly song, and made himwonder whether the God to whom these people were calling could also behis. But he had no time to ponder over eternal things. His vessel wasslipping towards the anchorage at Scutari. A suitable berth was picked, the anchor dropped, sails furled, and then the captain's gig was madeready by her crew, who were ordered to wash and dress themselves inwhite ducks and blue jerseys, the latter having the name of the vesselin front. All being ready, the master stepped into the boat and wasrowed in regal style to a landing in the Golden Horn. He was met thereby an agent, who informed him that he knew the stores were much neededin the Crimea, but no official instructions having been given, he wouldhave to remain at anchor until they came. 

"But don't you think, " said the captain, "it would be as well for me toproceed off Sevastopol or Kertch, and see if they really are in need ofthe supplies I have on board?"

"My dear fellow, " replied the agent, "you must never think of doingsuch a thing. It would be deemed a breach of the rules of the service, and you might be court-martialled and lose a splendid charter for doingso. Take my advice: lie where you are until red-tapeism finds out thatthe wares you are carrying for Government account are needed. You canmake use of the time by putting your vessel in good order. It may bemonths before they come to your turn, and until they precisely come toit, you may rely on hearing nothing from them. Departmental methods arevery exact. You must never be donkey enough to interfere with anancient order of things: it might throw the machinery of uniformityinto chaos. Of course I know you will say, 'That is all very excellent:but what about the poor, ill-fed, ill-clad, fever-stricken soldiers? Isit right that I should be an accomplice in this dreadful crime?' ForGod's sake, captain, leave off thinking like that, or it will harrowyour soul out of its casing; look at things from the broad, brainlesspoint of view of your mechanical employers who do everything byroutine. Go on board and order your sails to be unbent and put into thesail cabin, for as sure as I am talking to you now, they will not beneeded for months. "

"Will they not have heard at home of the distress in the army?"interjected Captain Macvie. 

"Why, yes, captain, " said the versatile agent; "but, my dear fellow, dotry to get it into your head that these things have to go through manyintricate stages. First, the trouble which ought to have been foreseentakes place; then weeks are occupied in transfixed amazement withoutdoing anything; then a council is held to consider why these breakdownsshould happen; and the conclusion arrived at is that they should neverhave happened, therefore they have not taken place, and it is resolvedto await further developments before doing anything more. How is itpossible for the British army to have sickness in its ranks when wehave thought of sending out medicine? And how can they be without foodand clothes when we have given orders to our contractors to have thesesupplied? It is a malicious libel to assert such things, to say nothingof the lack of commonsense in supposing that the commissariatdepartment does not know its own business. "

"Well, " said the captain, "I must admit you seem to know the innerworkings of these Government concerns. "

"I should just think I do, " said the agent; "but of course we have tospeak with some regard to discretion. I am only giving you a tip or twoto keep you right. You will be going off aboard, so I will say'good-day. ' Come ashore to-morrow. "

The captain had many opportunities of hearing from this voluble personof the magnificent mismanagement shown by the way the transports werekicking about in different parts of the Bosphorus and in the Black Sea. Many of them would sail to Kertch or Sevastopol and come straight backwithout their cargoes being broached. They anchored in a snug spotwhere the shore was easy of access, and would remain for months inpeaceful indolence. The _Boadicea_ had been dismantled, and her anchorwas never seen for six months. How the men were to be kept employedbecame a tax on the resources of the officers. Her sails, ropes andrigging had been thoroughly overhauled, repaired and made equal to new, and the hull showed indications of great taste and care. Not a speck ofdirt or disorder could be seen anywhere; and notwithstanding the jollyentertainments, vocal and otherwise, they had on board each others'vessels almost every night, the life of inactivity became so drearythat they longed for the time when orders would be given to proceed tothe Crimea. It was not mere change they longed for, but they craved tosee the fighting on shore, and, better still, the bombardment of townsand ports by the warships from the sea. Many of the merchant sailorswould have enjoyed taking part in the struggle. 

Although the life at the Scutari anchorage had become a weary monotony, it was not without incidents of excitement. Constantinople at that timewas overrun with the most daring brigands, who paid irregular visits tothe different roadsteads between midnight and the early hours of themorning. They were armed with the most deadly weapons, and their secretmovements frequently evaded every precaution of watchfulness. Thesneaking caique, manned by accomplished emissaries handling muffledoars, was rowed through the anchorage in advance, and for the purposeof finding out the most vulnerable object of attack. Occasionally theyselected the wrong ship, and met with a sudden determined resistancefrom the crew, who were eager for an opportunity of wreaking vengeanceon a gang of murderous ruffians who kept the men of the wholemercantile fleet in these waters in a state of perpetual expectancy. Most ingenious methods were planned for their destruction. An anchor, for instance, would be hanging to the rail of the topgallantforecastle, or the cathead, and, as the caique came dropping down withthe current, if they drifted her under the bow, the stopper andshankpainter was let go simultaneously, and the anchor landed on theirheads and then through the bottom of the boat. Nothing more was everseen of that batch! Another plan was to drop large stones or pieces ofheavy iron into the frail craft; and in that case also no more was everheard from them. These chances seldom came, however, as they were awily lot, who nearly always made sure of their ground before embarkingon a hazardous expedition. The crews of vessels were warned to keep avigilant lookout, and sometimes the anchor watch succeeded in givingthe alarm in time to frustrate a boarding. 

But even this, and the open encounters that occurred, became a verymonotonous business to a large number of crews. They were itching forsome other sensation to be put into their lives, and they had moods ofgloomy forebodings that the great war would be ended without theirbeing able to say that they had seen anything of it; and, in fact, manyof them never did, and it is fair to say some never wanted to. PoorCaptain Wilkins of the _Seaflower_ and his crew were among the latter. The captain was a highly religious person who had imbued his men withanti-war proclivities. He had a simple faith in the righteousness ofmaking large profits in consequence of the war, but never failed toproclaim the originators of it as a gang of unholy rascals. His faithhad become strong in the belief that the robber was destined never toset foot on the _Seaflower's_ decks. She had been lying there forseveral months without ever having been interfered with. CaptainWilkins was not unduly sympathetic when he heard of any neighbouringvessel being pillaged during the night. In fact, he became so impressedwith his own virtue that he frequently fell into the error of speakingcontemptuously of his less fortunate brethren. Captain Macvie hadwarned him against indulging in self-righteousness, and never to pinhis faith on immunity from attack. 

"It may come, " said he, "when you least expect it; and in order thatyou may cultivate a more generous spirit towards your neighbours whenmisfortune befalls them, always keep in mind the proverb: 'Rejoice notwhen thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when hestumbleth, lest the Lord see it and it displease Him. ' These are wordsthat ought to be burnt into our minds and hearts. "

"Yes, " said Wilkins, "I appreciate your goodness in quoting them. Theyhave reminded me that I have not been sufficiently charitable injudging others, while I have been at the same time professing to havethe spirit of the great Redeemer. "

Captain Wilkins held a prayer-meeting in his cabin each evening beforethe watch was set, and his friend Macvie nearly always attended, andprofessed to receive great spiritual benefit therefrom. At thosedevotional gatherings there was a simple petition offered to the Giverof all good that He should guard them during the night from thecrimeful visitations of wicked men who coveted that which did notbelong to them, and who did not shrink from murder in order to get it. Captain Wilkins had a profound belief in the efficacy of prayer, andwas therefore staggered when he realized about two o'clock one morningthat a giant of coppery colour stood over him with a revolver, whilehis compatriots helped themselves to all that was of value. At the timethis was going on in the cabin, there stood an armed man at theentrance to the sailors' forecastle, and another in the galley inunpleasant proximity to the eldest apprentice, who had fallen asleepbefore the fire, and while he had slept the vessel had been boarded. Had he attempted to move or shout or make a noise of any kindwhatsoever, his life would have been instantly taken, and his bodythrown into the rushing stream. Poor fellow! I have often heard himspeak of the dull terror that took possession of him when he awoke andsaw that his own life and the lives of the whole ship's companydepended on his submission and silence. The chronometer, every piece ofbrass, and every sail and rope of any importance was taken out of her, and this included the sails that were unbent. In fact, there was not asingle article of that kind left aboard when the brigands went fromalongside. This was one of the most daring and gigantic robberies thathad taken place during the whole time the fleet had lain at anchor. Naturally it created a great sensation both afloat and ashore. CaptainWilkins was the object of much genuine sympathy. The whole of thepersonal losses of his officers and himself were promptly made good bysubscription, and a good deal of the vessel's loss was contributed foras well. Never a finger was put on the perpetrators, though it was saidthe authorities were cognizant of their whereabouts. It was alsowhispered that they had accomplices in persons holding high officialposition, but this was never in any degree proved, and I should say ithad no foundation in fact. The idea may have originated in consequenceof the lethargic attitude of the officials whose duty it was to seethat they were captured. At this time lawlessness was rampant in thoseparts, and it would have been beyond the capacity of even a more alertand energetic officialism to subdue its ferocious and determinedattacks. In addition to the open brigandage that was carried on, several captains who for some reason were detained ashore until afterdark were obliged to engage caiques to take them off to their vessels, and when in mid-stream the boat's crew, consisting as a rule of twoTurks (or Greeks in Turks' clothing), would lay their oars in anddemand them to give up all their money and valuables, or they would bethrown into the Bosphorus. And if they had the good fortune to have astheir passenger a timid man they demanded that every article of dressshould be given up so that they might be assured that nothing wasconcealed. Some of the more courageous and defiant, instead ofcomplying with this peremptory request, took a revolver from a pocket, pointed it at the gentlemen at the oars, and suggested that as soon asthey ceased to row they would have a lump of lead put into their heads. Whereupon they usually did as they were told. In cases of this kind theoars were taken from them as soon as the captain was put aboard andthey were then set adrift. It was believed that several captains whonever turned up were overpowered, robbed, and then thrown overboard. 

The weather from the middle of October had been fitful and treacherous. On November 14, 1854, a terrible hurricane burst on the Crimean coastand wrecked nearly the whole of the British transports which lay atanchor in the roadsteads. Several warships and transports belonging tothe French were wrecked. The British war vessels suffered severely, butnone were said to have been lost. The loss of property was estimated atover a million, and the loss of life between 1, 500 and 2, 000. Thedevastation and suffering ashore was also very terrible. The news ofthe frightful disaster came to Constantinople on the night that the_Seaflower_ was pillaged. Instructions were given to send on supplies;the captain of the _Boadicea_ was among those who received orders toproceed off Sevastopol without delay. Wilkins was in great distress athaving to part from the man whom he regarded as his friend and faithfuladviser. Tugs were sent to tow the vessels through the Bosphorus intothe Black Sea. A fresh wind blew from the west, and in four days afterleaving, Captain Macvie anchored his ship in Sevastopol Roads, and manyweeks elapsed before a particle of cargo was taken out and landed forthe benefit of the much neglected soldiers--such was the disorganizedcondition of the service. Macvie and his crew saw many a skirmish andseveral pitched battles during their five months' stay in the vicinityof wild wreck and ruin. In April, 1855, the cargo had been all landedand instructions were given to sail at once for Constantinople. In duecourse they arrived there, and received orders to go on to Smyrna, toload hay and oats. Six weeks after passing down, she anchored inScutari and lay there until peace was declared in 1856, when orderswere given to take the cargo to Portsmouth. After about two years'absence the _Boadicea_ arrived in England; and on squaring up heraccounts it was found that she had cleared more than twice her originalcost. Mr Rockfeller received his fortunate and esteemed captain withmuch favour, and was not many minutes in his presence before heintimated with an air of generosity that he would sell his shares atpar. 

"I think, " said he, "that you ought to hold half the vessel. "

"Very good, " said Macvie, "I will pay you cash for the number of sharesI require to make up my half share, but you must not ask me to pay theoriginal cost price. "

"Macvie, " said Rockfeller, "I wish you to be reminded that I gave youeight shares to work off when you joined me. I fear you allow yournational love of money to lure you into forgetfulness. "

"No, no, " said the shrewd Scotchman; "you are wrong. I do not forgetyou having done what you say, nor do I forget that I have paid you agood price for what you were good enough to give me, and it is as wellthat your attention should be drawn to the fact that, owing to myforesight in chartering with the Government, the vessel has more thantwice paid for herself in less than two years. Besides, if you are notsatisfied with my services I have a very tempting offer from anotherfirm. "

At this stage Mr Rockfeller showed signs of nervous twitching, andinterposed by assuming an injured air:

"Really, Captain Macvie, you must be reasonable, and not talk of otherfirms bidding for your services. I feel you are more than a match forme, and the thought of it makes me wish I had been born and reared aScotchman. I know I am weak, but you may have the shares at any priceyou name; only don't be too exacting. "

"Very good, " replied Macvie, "they are mine at £1, 000. "

Rockfeller looked aghast, and again appealed to his sense of justice. The bargain was closed at £200 more. 

Mr Rockfeller became transfixed with the thought of his own generoussimplicity. He soliloquised, "I think I must have been born to becomethe victim of a stronger will than my own. Nature, I am assured, hasfreaked with me. Yes, Captain Macvie, you are in many ways theantithesis of myself; and my experience of you is very similar to thedescription given of a horse by the melancholy though eloquent Arab. Ithink these words describe our relations, my young friend, though thesuperb old philosopher who is reported to have said them neveranticipated that they would be used in any such way: 'Hast thou giventhe horse strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? Canst thoumake him afraid as a grasshopper? The glory of his nostrils isterrible. He paweth in the valley and rejoiceth in his strength: hegoeth on to meet the armed men: he mocketh at fear, and is notaffrighted: neither turneth he back from the sword. He saith among thetrumpets, Ha, ha! and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder ofthe captains and the shouting. '"

"If, " said the commander, "you mean these words of holy writ to applyto me, I am gratified, but fear you have under-estimated their grandeurand their real meaning. They pulsate the air, and make the heart throbwith a conviction that the world of literature would have been poorerhad they not been written. And now, Mr Rockfeller, let us cease furtherattempts at satire, and get to business. I wish to visit my parents whoare very old; but before doing so I should like to have our littletransaction settled and the future employment of the vessel arranged. "The request was duly complied with in both respects. 

The reunion of every branch of the Macvie family to do honour to theCaptain and his wife was the occasion of great rejoicing. He hadpromised, long years before, on the eve of entering upon the realbattle of life, that he would not return until he was a Captain, andmay-be an owner, and he now presented himself with pride and modesty atthe old homestead, thronged with a vast number of friends who came towelcome and congratulate him on having become both. After the flow ofgreeting had subsided, he requested a private interview with his fatherand mother. He informed them that a great joy had come into his lifein being able to give a bankers' order for the payment of four poundsper month to them as long as they lived. The saintly couple's mentalprocess became confused. They entered upon a long disquisition of howmuch affluence might affect their humility and endanger their religiouslife. The noble son urged that their faith in God was too strong toallow the possession of money to betray them into indifference. Thefather being spokesman replied on behalf of his wife that they acceptedthis bountiful goodness, "And believe me, my son, " he said, "our heartsare too full to say all we feel; but may the great God have you in Hisholy keeping, and preserve you from the snares and fascinations ofworldliness. "

And the aged mother interjected by adding a supplementary petition thathe should be saved from succumbing to the dangers of his profession. 

"Take this present from your father and me, " she added, handing him anew Bible which she had kept concealed under her black silk apron untilthe opportune moment came, "and when you are tossed on the troubledocean, read about Jesus and the sea, and trust in the Lord to bring youback to us. "

These simple words were delivered with compressed vehemence. A big lumpstuck in Archie's throat, for he felt that it was his mother's farewellbenediction, and that he would never see either of them on earth again. He would have liked to have responded in a few endearing phrases, but adumb pain seized his heart and made him inarticulate. He tenderlyembraced the old people and passed from their presence with a heavyheart, impressed with a consciousness that their next meeting would bebeyond the tomb. A large procession of townspeople met at the station, in order to give the Captain and his wife a hearty send-off. Even theProvost came to say good-bye to them. 

On their arrival home they found a letter had come from their friendCaptain Wilkins. It was dated from Malta, and told a sickening tale ofmany disasters before getting away from Scutari. Two attempts atrobbery had failed at the cost of one of the crew losing his life, andanother being seriously wounded. Wilkins wrote: "It was bad policymaking any noise about the big robbery, as it only made themrevengeful. " This news distressed the Macvies, but they could donothing more than extend their sympathy, and this was tactfully andungrudgingly given. 

Captain Macvie had a long clean record of success. His popularity amonghis contemporaries was a growing process. No signs of rivalry wereseen. He was looked up to as an authority, not only on nauticalmatters, but social, political and religious questions were well withinhis grasp. On one memorable occasion, when he was at home, a churchmeeting was called to consider the minister's relation in regard to hispeople. It was thought that he was not sound on sanctification, and oneor two little matters that did not exactly bear on sanctification--alove affair, in fact. The gallant captain took the side of hisminister, and put such a convincing case before his audience that alarge majority declared the accusation not proven. There was wildexcitement at this meeting; the hostile faction were rancorous aboutthe captain being put up, as they assumed he could not possibly knowall the facts; but both sides were one in admitting that his fame as adebater and an orator was established. So general was this belief thatmany of his adversaries congratulated him on having delivered a mosteloquent speech. 

The desire to sail with this distinguished man seized me like a vice. Idetermined as soon as I was free (for I was at that time an apprentice)nothing would prevent me from asking him to allow me to serve as anable seaman in the vessel which now entirely belonged to him. In a fewdays after making the memorable speech at his church, the _Boadicea_was sailing down Channel on her way to the Black Sea. Mrs Macvie wasaboard. She nearly always accompanied her husband, and was a goodEnglish woman, to whom the captain owed much for her thrifty habits andsound judgement. All the officers and most of the crew had sailedcontinuously with him since he took command. Curly, who had servedaboard a pirate schooner, became quite an institution. He was verypopular, and so were his pirate stories when he could be persuaded totell them. He had served Macvie as A. B. , boatswain, and was nowsteward. They had been to Taganrog and loaded a cargo of tallow forLondon. A gentle levanter was wafting them through the Archipelago. When they got abreast of the north end of Zea Island they observed abrigantine coming romping up to them under a cloud of sail. In lightwinds the _Boadicea_ did not sail fast. The breakfast bell had beenrung, and as the captain was passing into the companion, Curly, who wasstanding close to, intimated that the following vessel was a pirateship, and that she would soon overhaul them if the wind did notstrengthen. Curly was always addressed as "Johnny" by Mrs Macvie, whowas very fond of him, and as "Jake" by her husband, with whom he was agreat favourite. The lady observed the concerned manner of the captain, and requested him to confer with Johnny as to the method of resistanceshould the schooner run alongside and the pirates attempt to comeaboard. "He knows all about their tricks, and what they like and whatthey don't; let us hear what he has to say, Archie, " said Mrs Macvie. So forthwith Jake was called into their presence. This resourcefulgentleman was quite elated at the prospect of having some fun, as hetermed it. His recommendations were of a very painful and drasticcharacter. He talked of putting them into practice in a cool, frosty-blooded way which caused the lady and her husband to shudder. "It is too dreadful, Johnny, " remarked Mrs Macvie; "surely what you sayhas never been resorted to, even to defeat the objects of pirates?"

"I don't suppose it has, " said the sanguinary John; "but if you wish tosave your property and the lives of yourselves and your crew, you willhave to stick at nothing. My advice is, do your best to show them aclean pair of heels. If you get plenty of wind in the narrows you willeasily do it; but be prepared for the worst. This is my plan: haveeverything that will hold in, filled with boiling water, boiling oil, and boiling pitch; have the old muskets ready for firing. If they askyou to shorten sail, don't do so. They will then run alongside, and assoon as they put their hands on the rail, blind them with boilingliquid. Then shoot with the rifles, and they won't want much telling togo away. "

The chase was long and exciting. Sometimes the pirate vessel was verynearly within gun range, then the breeze would strengthen and she wouldfall astern. This alternate gaining and losing continued all day, untilthe sun went down behind the mountains far away to the north of them, and seemed to carry with it the breeze on which they had to depend fortheir safety. The chasing vessel gathered way as soon as the wind felllight, and the people of the _Boadicea_ saw that all hope of avoiding afight must be discounted. Curly advised having it before darkness cameon, but there was no need to wish for this as the stern inevitable hadcome. The pirates had almost within their grasp their expected prize, but were doomed to meet with a terrible penalty. They put their craftalongside, and about a score of men made a jump for the rail, when theintrepid Jake, who had full charge of the plan of defence and attack, shouted: "Now boys, pour it on them smartly!" and in an instant thepirates were an agonized rabble. Some of them jumped into the sea;others fell back on to their own vessel; two got on to the_Boadicea's_ deck, but were promptly put over the side. Boiling oiland pitch as well as boiling water were thrown aboard the schooner, sothat even those who did not attempt a boarding did not escape the awfulconsequences of their piratical invasion. As soon as Captain Macvie sawthat the punishment had been so great that they would more thanprobably never fight again, he tried to steer clear, but found thebraces and other ropes had become entangled with the foreyard, whichbroke, and then the vessels separated. The stillness of the night wasmade a horror by the piteous moans that floated over the level sea, andexcited the sympathy of the men who were compelled to inflict thesuffering in order to preserve their own safety. They felt aninstinctive desire to launch a boat and go to the succour of theirvictims. Curly, who knew the desperate character of these fearful men, advised his shipmates to have neither remorse nor pity. He assured themthat the lesson given to the miscreants would not prevent those whomight recover or those who had received no injury from taking to theirtrade with the same thievish and murderous zeal as they had practisedheretofore. 

[Illustration: "NOW, BOYS, POUR IT ON THEM SMARTLY!"]

"Do not talk of your conscience when you think of these devils, " saidhe, "for, believe me, theirs are frozen, and all they want is a newcrew and fresh opportunity, and they won't mince matters with us or anyother ship's company. There is one thing, they won't be deceived in ahurry into the belief that they have a soft thing on because noapparent resistance is made; they will try to do some shooting first. They won't forget the effects of boiling oil and pitch. But let uscease chattering about them and get our rigging and sails repaired. Wemay need to have everything staunch and strong, as the sky isthreatening mischief. "

It took the crew four hours to repair the damage, and as they did sothe wail of the suffering wretches became fainter and fainter, until ithad faded away into space, or it may be that their hearts had ceased tothrob. After things were settled down and the vessel was slashingthrough a passage which leads into the Mediterranean Sea with a fresheasterly wind, the faithful steward, who had provided a substantialmeal for the captain and officers, was informed by the former that heand his crew were indebted to him for the ghastly achievements of theday. "But Jake, my boy, I almost wish we hadn't done it. "

"Very well, then, " said the blunt sailor with obvious indignation;"you'd better go back and apologize, but you must not expect me to joinin the silly chorus. I suppose you are thinking of 'blessed are thepeacemakers' again? If you are, then I want to remind you that thesefellows were my compulsory pals once on a time, and I found that thiswas no part of their religion. "

Mrs Macvie interposed that Johnny was right, and that they undoubtedlyowed their lives to his genius. 

"We had no intention of killing them or pillaging their ship, and theyhad both of these designs on us, " said the logical lady, "so that wewere justified in saving ourselves by the means which I fear haveproved so fatal to them. "

The steward was henceforth looked upon with great devotion, so much sothat Mrs Macvie induced her husband to include him as one of thelegatees in his will. 

For many years after this episode the _Boadicea_ continued her trading. Captain Macvie made a great deal of money and then retired in favour ofa younger man who was destined to have a short career as commander, for, on the second voyage from the Brazils, and almost within sight ofhis own home, his vessel was driven ashore by a hurricane and all handswere drowned. A few days later the weather was fine enough to allowfishermen to put to sea, and on rounding a rugged point on the coastsome of them heard the piteous howling of a dog. They made towards it, and found it had taken shelter on the arm of a steep cliff. It wastaken from its perilous position with great difficulty. A brass collarbearing the name of the ship and the owner suggested that it was theonly survivor of the shipwreck. Poor Curly's body was discovered on thesame day on a patch of yellow sand inside a cave. It was taken to afisherman's hut, and round his neck was found a gold locket with fourlittle portraits. Mr and Mrs Macvie were the idolised of one case, andhis own wife and little girl were in the other. His body was put in theground with reverence. Soon afterwards a cheque for five hundred poundswas received by his widow. 

Mr Macvie and his wife lived to a ripe age in a very unpretentious way. Years later I came across my old commander and owner seated outside asmall cottage which faced the sea in a remote part of Northumberland. The common in front of him was ablaze with shining flowers, and thesweet song of the lark swelled in the air. A sad, pensive look hallowedhis comely face, which made me hesitate to interrupt the reverie; buthe realized my presence and asked me to share his seat. He began totell me that his mind was reviving some of his early experiences atsea. 

"Ah!" said he, "I was thinking what a terrible end Curly and the oldvessel came to. Poor Jake, he was a fine, swaggering fellow; a smartsailor, and as brave as a Turkish Bashi-Bazouk. He was very wayward attimes, but always faithful as a mastiff dog to me. His apparentdisregard for breaking the Sabbath grieved me, and when I rebuked himfor it he frequently took me in a sort of humorous way as though itwere a good joke to talk to him of religion. But he had periods ofdespondency and remorse which brought out visions of spiritual life. Hewould speak of death coming to take him from his wife and little girlin the most piteous way, and then I had to say to him, 'Do not be soirreverent to your Creator. Think of His imperishable goodness insaving you and me from the abysses that have so often confronted us. Think of those piratical throat-cutters whom He assisted us invanquishing, and remember when God wants to take you He will take you. 'I often quoted to him these words: 'I will lift up mine eyes unto thehills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord whichmade heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He thatkeepeth thee will not slumber. ' I do hope he remembered to say, whenthe hurricane woke out of the sky and was bearing them to destruction, 'Into Thine hand I commend my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord Godof Truth. '"

"I never realized the intensity of your attachment to him, CaptainMacvie, " I interjected. 

"Yes, it was very great, " he soliloquised, "and the memory of his longassociation with me and the perilous life that he led and the horror ofthe tragic finish has caused my mind to revert to an occasion whichnearly ended in the same way. We were caught by a heavy southerly galewhen off Candia. I carried sail until she nearly jumped her masts overthe side and herself out of water. We were then carrying the doublereefed topsails, reefed courses, inner jib, fore and main topmaststaysail, but the gale had so increased I gave orders to close-reef thetopsails and furl the mainsail. I thought it better to run no furtherrisk of dismasting her, as there was always a chance so long as theywere kept standing. All hands were up reefing the main topsail and Ihad the wheel. I saw the black shadow of the mountains in the darknesstowering far above our heads, and we seemed to be amongst the brokenwater to leeward. Every moment I expected her to strike and send us toour doom. A simple thought of the last words of my mother about Jesusand the sea flashed into my mind. I lashed the wheel for a moment ortwo, went to the lee side, knelt down, and offered a fervent prayer toAlmighty God. I asked Him, if it was His will to save us, to do it inHis own way. I had no sooner taken hold of the wheel again than thesails were caught aback by the wind veering and coming with the forceof a hurricane from the opposite direction. It rushed from the mountaintops as from a funnel. I called to the men to come down and turn theyards round smartly. I feared she would not back off quickly and thatshe might get stern way on and knock the stern in and founder. My voicefailed to carry through the vast roar of the tempest, but the men knewas well as I did that a critical moment had come, so they made theirway on deck; the yards were quickly trimmed and I ran her dead off theland. We had not run more than eight to ten miles to the south amid amad conflict of broken sea that twisted and lashed at the vessel, whenall of a sudden the old wind came back and the struggle with theopposing legions for mastery kept for a time the vessel in imminentperil. Ultimately the southerly force prevailed, but fortunately itblew itself out in a few hours, and we sailed into fine weather. Neverwas a vessel so near destruction without being destroyed, and neverwere human lives so near passing from time into eternity. Even the mostwayward of my crew attributed our safety to the pity of God, and theythanked Him with the usual condescension that sailors adopt eventowards the Deity; but they never knew that I had addressed theAlmighty on their behalf and on my own; and that is really how it comesthat I am here to tell the tale. "

V

SAILORS' OPINIONS OF NOTABLE PUBLIC MEN

The old-time sailors held strong opinions on law, i. E. , sea law. Themerits of military and naval notables and prominent politicians camewithin the limit of their strange discussions. Their naval heroes wereCharlie Napier, Collingwood, Nelson and Hardy. They loved Napier bestof all because he dared to be kind to his men and fight their battlesfor them against the authorities; they were never quite sure whether togive the weight of their respect on the side of Collingwood or Nelson;but as the latter came to grief at Trafalgar, he was generally giventhe benefit of any doubt as to superiority, and his devoted Hardy wasregarded as a strong backer of the redoubtable national hero. Theynever got over the idea that poor Nelson was shot from the maintop bysome of his own men and not by the French sharpshooters. It was a pointthat could never be cleared up to their satisfaction, hence theimpression that his sailors must have had some grudge against him wasvery prevalent. His association with the King and Queen of the twoSicilies was said to have gone a long way towards giving him a swelledhead, and in truth it was no mean distinction to be on terms offriendship with a daughter of Maria Theresa and sister to MarieAntoinette. They believed that Nelson had been influenced by the kingand queen when in a soft-headed mood to commit an act that can never beobliterated. It was not only cruel and heartless, but it had closeresemblance to a crime. "They talk, " said they, "of the murder byNapoleon of their duke (Duke d'Enghien), but was it not as bad ofNelson to have Commodore Francisco Caracciolo tried by a court martialcomposed of the prisoner's enemies (Neapolitan officers) which sat onlytwo hours aboard the _Faudroyant_ and found him guilty of rebellionagainst his sovereign?" He was ordered by Nelson to be hanged at thefore yardarm of the _Minerva_. The sight of this poor man dangling atthe yardarm must have had a revolting impression on the minds of thosewho witnessed it, and the aversion of the public who merely heard of itmust have been equally well founded. No wonder that it was handed downto subsequent generations of seamen, and caused them to say, as I haveheard them that, "Nelson should have left the dirty, bloody business tohis pal the King of the Sicilies and kept his own hands clean. " Theyalways spoke of his death as retribution. "If there isn't something init, " said they, superstitiously, "why was Collingwood and Hardy nothit?"

His relationship with Lady Hamilton was vigorously defended; bothvoluble and comic reasons were poured forth in support of his action. "Had she not on more than one occasion saved the fleet, and had she notrendered great service to the British Government by her clever tongueand alluring beauty, to say nothing of a supreme genius for intrigue?"They believed that she had sacrificed everything to serve her country, and now that Nelson had smashed the combined fleets of Spain andFrance, and lost his life through it, this precious government had nofurther need for her services, so threw her helpless on a callous, canting world. They built a monument for him, and left his poor Emma, whom he regarded in the light of a good spirit, to starve, though hehad begged that she should be provided for. That was the view thesailors took of it. They believed that Nelson's infatuation for thelady was his affair and hers, and nobody else's; but be that as it may, there were very few seamen in the merchant service who did not warmlysympathize with this poor, wretched, woman's fate. Nelson was oftenmade responsible for that which he might have nothing to do with, andsailors have not spared him for his supposed share in instituting thatmonstrous system of pressing honest, respectable men into a servicethat reeked with the odour of disgraceful bureaucratic cruelty. I knowsomething of the legacy of prejudice which extended to bitter, vindictive recollection of these days of brainless despots. I wasreared amid an eighteenth-century environment; both my grandfathersfought at the Battle of the Nile; both were taken by force from theirvessels which were owned by themselves and their relatives. One of themrose to the position of sailing-master; the other was a junior officer;but such was the condition of this kidnapping service they could nothope to rise higher. Both these men's lives were broken, as hundreds ofothers' were. Was it any wonder that strong feelings of wrong werehanded down and indiscriminately fastened on to whosoever held anyprominent authority? That is why Nelson came in for his share ofcondemnation. Personally, I think he was credited with more than hedeserved. I believe he thought so well of that branch of the service, and his patriotism was so strong, that he wondered why there was anynecessity to institute press-gangs. I should imagine that he was oftenamazed that men did not join in droves. But had he gone to the rightsource for information he would soon have become disillusioned. Thesegangs of ruffians preferred seamen as their prey, but they did notdiscriminate very much. If they could not get a sailor they tookwhatever came to hand--the bigger the better. And so, while on one oftheir prowling expeditions, it came to pass that a gentleman calledWillie Carr was seized, and at the point of the bayonet or musket madeto embark aboard their boat. This person was a ship's blacksmith. Hisstrength was abnormal, and his feats of swimming were a marvel. He wasknown to fame as the Hartley giant. Tradition has it that they putWillie in the bow of the boat, and after they had got a little way ontheir journey he asked them if they could all swim. This questionexcited great laughter; but the giant coolly placed his hands on eachof the gunwales of the boat, set his knees in position, called out, "then sink or swim, you B----, " and with one mighty wrench he severedboth sides of planking from the stem. Willie swam ashore, and how manyof the men were said to be drowned I do not remember, though I havegiven the main facts as I heard them scores of times in my boyhooddays. This story is told by Mr Soulsby in his excellent little historyof Blyth. 

Their military champions were: the great Emperor of the French ("Bonny"as they familiarly called him). Next came "the martyr" Ney, and thenArthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, and the Prussian General, Blücher. The relative merits of these great men were discussedsometimes with foaming partiality. Napoleon and Ney were theirfavourites. Their wrath against the allied Powers was unappeasable. Howoften have I heard them thunder out that Bonny would have wipedWellington and his myrmidons off the field but for the treachery ofFouché, Talleyrand, and his own generals (Fouché in particular). Wellington's prayer for "night or Blücher" was always used inmitigation of what might be called an unpatriotic opinion. I havelistened to the diatribes of these rugged critics who claimed for theirhero that he imbued his soldiers with a high sense of honour incontrast to our barbarous disciplinary methods of flogging. The imageof the great man, and the part Wellington played in having him banishedto St Helena, never faded from their memories. They believed the IronDuke to be the instigator and encourager of a shabby trick. It was awonderful phenomenon that made these men talk so systematically oftheir magical enemy, and yet they never lost an opportunity of showingtheir national dislike for and superiority over the French people as awhole. So strong was this instinct that it permeated British crews fromthe captain to the cabin-boy. Of course there were at times violentdifferences of opinion, but as a rule the Emperor was singularlypopular, and the aversion to his former subjects, especially civilians, was never disguised. They showed frequent hostility towardscoal-heavers, dockers, sailors, fishermen, and sundry other grades ofworkmen with whom they came in contact, but that is not to say theywere always successful in their attacks, though they invariably tookthe initiative. In the old days the average British tar could not solvethe mystery as to what foreigners, and especially Frenchmen, were madefor; even at the present time they put on a lordly air when they comein contact with people whom they regard as aliens. This attitude isadopted independent of all reason, and becomes quite infectious. I musthave caught it early in life. I went to a French port on my firstvoyage to sea, and although I was a mere child of twelve and a halfyears, I became smitten with the forecastle belief that my country andcountrymen had suffered irreparable mischief at the hands of the Frenchnation. I therefore deemed it my duty to be avenged, so picked out aFrench youth apparently my senior by some years, reminded him ofTrafalgar and Waterloo, and called him by the opprobrious name ofJohnny Crapo, the meaning of which I did not understand. I was promptlymade to run for my life before a sudden Napoleonic onslaught of abouthalf-a-dozen small boys, who had congregated to see their frienddemolish the avowed foe of their country. 

In discussing the many phases of Napoleon, the sailor was neverperplexed in coming to conclusions as to the right and wrong of his(Napoleon's) actions. Their quotations and manner of using them were attimes amazingly tempestuous and erratic. Captain Maitland, of the_Bellerophon_, was generally believed to have behaved with becominggenerosity towards the dethroned monarch, but the question as towhether he gave himself up voluntarily and without reservation, or, asNapoleon maintained, that he was prevailed upon to become the guest ofEngland, and put himself under the protection of her laws, was a pointthat occasioned great diversity of opinion, and I think it may be saidthat Maitland's version in the majority of cases was thought to becorrect. Admiral Sir George Cockburn came in for a good deal of harshcriticism for complaining about the Emperor rising from the table assoon as coffee had been served, and the well-known reminder of MadameBertrand was quoted in a form that almost put the original beyondrecognition, and had it been correct would have justified the admiralin putting the lady into solitary confinement for the remainder of thepassage, for using language to him that was not only coarse andimpolite, but unwarrantably seditious. Instead of this, Madame Bertrandmerely remarked with all the charm of a cultured courtier: "Do notforget, admiral, that your guest is a man who has governed a largeportion of the world, and that kings once contended for the honour ofbeing admitted to his table. " They had some misty notion that thatadmiral was not always considerate to his guest, and disliked hisattentions to the officers and crew of the _Northumberland_, not oneof which it is said could resist the magical influence of his actionsand words. It was natural that the salient incidents of a voyage withsuch a man should be passed on and handed down to later generations ofseamen. 

The story of the passage of the line was an everlasting theme retailedin order to justify the goodness of Napoleon. The boatswain representsNeptune and becomes sovereign for a time. Neither rank nor position isexempt from the customary shaving and baptism, but on this occasionNeptune graciously respected the distinction of the exiles, andreminded them that they had too often received the baptism of fire andof glory to require additional attention from him. The Emperorconsented to have Neptune presented to him, and gave him through thegrand marshal five hundred napoleons in order that he and his courtmight drink his health. Well might this generous gift bring forth wildhurrahs and loud cries of "Long live the Emperor Napoleon. " The amountby common consent was handed over to the captain to be distributed whenthe crew were discharged, but this did not prevent Neptune and a numberof his subjects intoxicating themselves, and it was only through theinterposition of the Emperor and his suite with the admiral that theywere saved from being cruelly flogged. "They may talk about this man asthey like, " said one of the crew, "but I won't believe the bad they sayof him. " His popularity with the sailors of the _Northumberland_ wasnot created by merely seeing him sitting for hours day by day on thegun which was named "The Emperor's. " He became their hero now aspassionately as he had previously appeared to them as being the foe ofall that was humane. His little attentions and kindnesses, accompaniedby an irresistible smile, and the act of putting them through some formof drill, endeared him to them long before they reached his lonelyrock. Then the story of Sir Hudson Lowe's treatment of him in so manypetty ways, such for instance as seizing a small bust of his son, theKing of Rome, which had been sent to the exiled monarch, made friendsfor the Emperor in thousands; and not the least of them were the bravefellows who had traversed the ocean with him, and whose souls werefilled with sympathy and horror at the crime that was being committed. Their testimony was that no one could live in close contact with himwithout instinctively realizing that he was a much maligned person. Nowonder that this impression was spread widely not only through thewhole navy but also throughout the whole mercantile marine. What ablunder the whole savage, senseless business was!

But while the British sailors claimed the little corporal as theiridol, they did not think that even for political reasons the Emperorhad any right to divorce Josephine, though they thought he might havereasons other than those commonly understood to have been engineered bythe arch-traitor Fouché, and ultimately agreed to by the Emperor. TheEmpress, when she was plain Josephine, had the reputation of carryingon violent flirtations with other gentlemen while her husband was inItaly, and subsequently, when he was in Egypt swiftly forging his wayto fame and to his destiny. So that when Napoleon was accused ofcruelty in putting her from him, there were ever some champions readyto palliate the act by putting her unfaithful conduct before theiropponents. But the Emperor's divorce of the little Creole was neverquite approved by his sailor admirers, more especially as they had astrong dislike to Marie Louise, the Austrian arch-duchess who took theplace of the poor, wayward Josephine, and who forsook her imperialhusband in the first hour of his adversity to become the mistress of anugly Austrian count, named Neipperg, who was minus an eye. Subsequentlythis man entered into a morganatic marriage with the gentle Marie, andshe bore to him several children who were declared to be legitimate, and this happened notwithstanding the fact that the Emperor her husbandwas still living in anguish under a tyranny and cruel despotisminstituted by the British oligarchy. This was the kind of anecdote thatfilled the sailors with sympathy for the great man who in the declineof his days was at the mercy of a lot of little men. Then they hadstories of how he could throw off the thought of his wretched position, and enter into a frolic with Betsy Balcombe and her sister at theBriars. He would play for hours with the two little girls, and alsowith the other children that became attached to him. The smatteringknowledge and comic rawness of the discourses on this great personalitywere always intensely attractive. Faith in the accuracy of their ownviews was strong. Long before I was old enough to be allowed to takepart in the forecastle Napoleonic discussions I used to listen to themwith eager interest, and well remember the attention given to even awrongly-informed orator. The subject was always made fascinating byserving up the tales in their own forecastle fashion. None of the othermilitary notables of Napoleon's time claimed their admiration ordevotion as he did; not even Wellington. 

Their views on politics and politicians, and their mode of expressingthem, were extremely queer. The prominent statesmen they talked of mostwere Fox, Pitt, Lord John Russell, Palmerston, Peel, Gladstone andDisraeli; and apart from the fault they had to find with the latter asa statesman, they believed him to be unwilling to legislate in theirinterests, though even they didn't appear to have the ghost of an ideaas to how those interests were to be legislatively served. They knewthere was something the matter, that was all. They also had a strongantipathy to Disraeli owing to his Hebrew origin. In fact, theyregarded the great Jew in the light of a foreigner, whose intrusioninto English politics was a humiliation to all British-born subjects. The confusion of opinions as to the character and duties devolving onmembers of Parliament was very embarrassing even to themselves, and thevivacity with which they delivered orations to each other on the meritsor demerits of members was exquisitely droll. The rivalry between Foxand Pitt was a subject that involved them in vehement chaos, just asthe rivalry between Disraeli and Gladstone did in later years. They hadsome mystified idea that those political gentlemen were ever thirstingfor each others' blood. They had gathered from some gossipy source thatMr Fox was a hopeless gambler, and that Pitt was exclusivelyresponsible for the Napoleonic wars, and that Palmerston was amischief-maker who set his impudence up to everybody, and his rashnesseither ended in war or coming near to do so. It was the latter that wasaccused in forecastle circles of bringing on that Crimean War whichcaused so much suffering and loss of life both to sailors and soldiers. I have heard Sir Robert Peel spoken of in words of vituperation forhaving introduced "peelers, " now known as "bobbies, " to interfere, asthey said, with poor people's rights. Many of them were full of wrathat his having repealed the Corn Laws. They had got some garbled notion, which was passed down to later generations, that it would tend to spoiltheir chances of getting employment and otherwise lower their wages. This doctrine had been well thumped into them by some agency or other, and it led to many a quarrel with the minority who held free tradeviews. They were opposed to the introduction of Board of Tradeexaminations for the purpose of obtaining certificates of competency, which is another evidence of their undeveloped sense. And I haveactually known instances where exception was taken by common sailors tothe close scrutiny of Board of Trade surveyors into the defects of avessel they had long sailed in and had formed a strong regard for. TheReform Bill did not appeal to them in the same way as it did to otherworkmen. They had occasional opportunities of hearing that a greatnoise was going on about household suffrage and the extension of thefranchise, but they had a very hazy conception of the meaning of theterms. It is no exaggeration to say that the former was often spoken ofas having reference to the sufferings of somebody in the houses of thepeople, and the latter was talked of as having some French connection!

They adhered to the idea of the nation being governed by the upperclasses, and yet they used to curse them with unrestrained fury fortheir indifference to the needs of the common people. Gladstone wasvery frequently in disfavour with them: for instance, they did notaltogether approve of the abolition of purchase in the army. It wasconsidered a gratuitous interference with a person's freewill. "Why, "said they, "shouldn't a commission be purchased if a man wants to spendhis money in that way? It was no business of his!" Besides, their fearswere excited lest the army should become composed of low-bred wasters. Their views on these particular questions were always very paradoxicaland very breezily expressed. How I used to listen and gape at the flowof what I deemed gifted intelligence when there was a heated discussionon. I did not understand it; indeed they did not understand it; butthey talked with a volubility and assurance that made deep impressionson me and on them. The advent of Thomas Burt from the mine into thepolitical arena was not welcomed with a gush of enthusiasm by seamen. They doubted the wisdom of a republican miner being allowed to enter alegislature composed of aristocracy and landed gentry! The idea seemedto have gripped their minds that this refined and gentle little man wasdestined to inflict severe punishment on dukes, marquises and earls, and in other ways disturb the British nation! Mr Burt was not long inParliament before he showed marked indications of wise statesmanship. Men on both sides of the House soon learnt to respect and admire him. He made it clear that he was not a mere class representative, andduring the whole time he has been in Parliament the sailors have had notruer friend than he. I think they have long been satisfied of thisthemselves. 

These sturdy, commonplace fellows, taking them as a whole, knew no moreabout politics than Tom Brown's horse; but, like many other simple, ill-informed people, they had a calm belief in their unmeasuredknowledge which was void of all reason, and when they were thrown intocontact with shore people it was one of the funniest things in theworld to witness the lordly air they assumed in the initial stages ofacquaintanceship, and the humour of it was exhilarating when the periodfor evaporation came, and they shone forth in all their artlesssimplicity. I cannot pretend to portray or exactly reproduce the sceneof a sailor's political or any other controversy for that matter; I canonly hope to convey some idea of it; and the rest must be left to theimagination of the reader. 

Some twenty years ago a group of sailing-ship masters was seated at atable under a verandah outside a Russian snap-shop. There were two ofthe old school amongst them, and these were being egged on to a debateby the younger men on a question that was creating a vast amount ofinterest at that time. The heir to the Tichborne estates had left hometo travel abroad, and as nothing was heard of him for several years, his mother became anxious and began advertising very widely in theColonial, English, and Continental press. The result of this was that aperson calling himself Sir Roger Tichborne turned up. He paid a visitto Wapping, and then presented himself to Lady Tichborne, who was inbed. She flung her arms around his neck in an ecstasy of joy andclaimed him as her long-lost son. The real Roger Tichborne was supposedto have been lost in a vessel called the _Bella_, which had sailed fromRio in South America for Australia. A claim was made on the Tichbornebaronetcy. The claimant's counsel, Dr Keneally, who did not get on verywell with the judges, commenced a paper called the _Englishman_, which gave full accounts of the trial. It was widely read byenthusiasts who believed that Dr Keneally's client was the real SirRoger. It was this trial that the coterie of commanders had gatheredtogether to discuss. One of them, Captain Rush, was a staunch believerin the claimant. He had just received the paper, and was brim-full ofthe convincing proofs that it contained. Another fine old salt, who hadneither education nor manners, endeavoured to take an intelligentinterest in the discussion. His name was Mark Grips. Both he andCaptain Rush belonged to the old school, and both were Northumbrianswho spoke the dialect without any attempt at moderation. 

"Ah, " grunted Captain Rush, almost jumping off his seat with delight;"Keneally has Hawkins there!"

"Where?" said Mark. 

"Why, here, " replied Rush. 

"Nothing but damned nonsense, " said Mark. 

"Nothing but nonsense? What? What? What d'ye say?" screamed Rush. "D'yemean to tell me that Keneally doesn't know what he's talkin' about?"

"No; you divent knaw what yo're talkin' about. "

"What? I divent knaw what I'm talkin' about? I tell ye' what it is, sor, Roger's the man!"

"Beggared a one, " said Mark. (It wasn't exactly "beggared" a one thathe said, but that is near enough. )

"D'ye mean to tell me, " said Captain Rush (as he frothed with wrath), "that a man doesn't know the Ass's Bridge when he's asked about it?"

"Beggared a one, " said Mark. 

"Then you're a leir. "

"A leir, d'ye say? Then I say beggared a one!"

"Another thing: d'ye mean to tell me, Mark, that a mother doesn't knowher own son?"

"Beggared a one, " replied Mark. 

"D'ye say that again?" said Rush; "I tell you, when a woman puts herarms around her son's neck, d'ye think she doesn't know it's her son?"

Mark by this time is also frothing at the mouth; and, standing in abellicose attitude, hisses:

"I says 'beggared a one. ' Roger's not the man!"

Rush becomes speechless, and his eyes flash with anger, and he flingsthe _Englishman_ at Mark, who in turn calls his friend, "Coward; that'sthe only argument you have. I tell you again, Roger's _not_ the man!"

"Who are you?" retorted Rush; "do you think yourself the Lord HighAdmiral Dundas, then?"

"No, " said the excited Mark; "I'm Mark Grips, one of Jimmy Young'sskippers, and I tell ye Roger never was the man!"

This finished the controversy for a time, as the two combatants wereprevailed upon to shake hands, and in spite of this spirited combatthey were soon enjoying their long pipes and their grog together. 

Just about the time the Radicals in the House of Commons, aided by theIrish Nationalists, were making a good stand-up fight for the abolitionof flogging in the army and navy, Mr Charles Bradlaugh was elected asone of the members for Northampton, with Mr Henry Labouchere as hiscolleague. The sanctity of the nation was violently shocked at theeffrontery of Northampton in electing so dangerous a Radical infidel torepresent them in Parliament as the notorious "Iconoclast. " A wave ofscreaming passed over the fair Christian land; the notorious advocateof atheistic principles was proclaimed a menacing danger to theChristian edifice. Injustice and untruth joined against him; shockingstories of blasphemy were circulated with mad recklessness against him. There was not a single word of truth in them. This was proved over andover again in courts of law, and yet the charges were encouraged andpersisted in. Poor Bradlaugh; what a time he had of it until thetempest of folly subsided, and both the people and some of theirrepresentatives in Parliament came back to their senses, and not onlyallowed the member for Northampton to take his seat, but passed an actgiving members the option of affirming instead of taking the oath, andalso ordered the erasing from the journals of the House those recordswhich were said to justify Mr Bradlaugh's exclusion. It was not to bewondered at that this rapturous concert of passion and prejudice shouldreach the impressionable sailors from one border of the ocean to theother, and formed part of their occasional riotous debates. Any one whohas had the privilege of listening to the fiery arguments set forth bysailors on the Bradlaugh or any other topic of absorbing interest mustever cherish it as a memorable experience. There is seldom any regardfor moderation in such conflicts, and the extraordinary confusion ofideas makes them fascinating. I have a vivid recollection of myattention being attracted to the clamour of about half a dozenweather-beaten nautical stagers that were seated outside a dram-shopwhich was known to fame as "Jack the Blaster's. " It will be readilyrecognized that the name was given to it by a north-countryman. Istopped, asked for a chair, and saw the whole thing through. Occasionally, while the controversy was travelling along its moreturbulent stages, I was asked to intervene in some way or other, but Ihad to act with studied impartiality, so adopted a neutral course. 

"They tell me, " said burly Captain Harvey, "that he's the best speakerin England. "

"Who's the best speaker in England?" asked Skipper Cowan; "do you meanthat fellow that's givin' members of Parliament so much trouble justnow?"

"I mean Bradlaugh, " said Mr Harvey. 

"Well then, " said Mr Cowan, "you're decidedly in the wrong. I heard aMethodist parson beat him to fits at Blyth. Bradlaugh lost his temper, and after that the parson wiped the boards with him. They called theparson Harrison, [2] and the atheists were all frightened of him afterthat. "

 [2] The same Mr Harrison is now a clergyman of the Church of England, and is pastor of St Thomas's, Newcastle. 

"I never heard that before, " said Harvey. 

"Very well, " retorted his friend, "you hear it now. I'm telling you;and another thing, instead of making him a member of Parliament I'd putthe fellow in gaol and stop him going about the country destroyingreligion and making people infidels. Lord Randolph is a grand chap; hewon't have any of his affirmin'. No, no, Sir Randolph doesn't believein that sort of cattle, and he means what he says. Randy's all theirdaddies [Randy is cleverer than they]. Look what he did when Bradlaughkept running up to the bar of the House of Commons to kiss the book. What did Randolph do, you say? Why he jumped after him every time, seized him by the coat tails, and said, 'Bradlaugh, stand back!' That'spluck, if you like. Of course he had what they call the sargent with asword by his side ready to stick him had Randolph not been too many forhim. And what do you think old Gladstone did? He's always up to somemischief. He wrote that pamphlet on the Bulgarian atrocities thatbrought about the war with Russia and Turkey. What did he do, sir? I'lltell you what he did. He said, 'Gentlemen, Bradlaugh's been elected; hemust be allowed to come among us. ' There's a fine Englishman for you!But never mind, _his_ day will come!"

A bulbous, beery-looking skipper tapped a companion on the shoulder, and said in startled undertone, "Cowan said something about Bradlaughrunning up to the bar of the House. Is there a bar there?" And Harveyoverhearing, said:

"Yes, Mister, there's a bar in that house, but not the kind of bar youmean. It is a bar sir, not a drinking-bar, mind you. "

"What do they call it a bar for, then?" asked the beery person; "abar's a bar, isn't it?"

"Yes, a bar's a bar, and you've got a lot to learn yet. What do theycall the speaker 'the speaker' for?"

"Because he can speak, of course, " said the beery gentleman. 

"Shut up, man, " said Cowan; "don't show your ignorance, and let me goon with the argument. It's not that at all. "

"What is it, then?" said the inconvenient heckler. 

"Never mind what it is. It's not what you say it is, " remarked Cowan. "By George, he was well served when they locked him up in the ClockTower for his impudence. Why, at one time it took ten bobbies to keephim from mauling a lot of Christian gentleman that had taken the oathand kissed the Bible over and over again. They tore his clothes, andthe pity is they were not torn off him altogether. Where was his cheekto talk about his conscience? And as to Gladstone, well, he's a fineEnglishman to back a man up in his infidel works. He deserves as muchas Bradlaugh; and as to Northampton, they should take away the votefrom it. "

The orator had completely exhausted and entwined a rich fund ofadjectives into his harangue as he went along; and, when he ceasedspeaking, a warm supporter of his gave some applause, and nudging thebulbous person, he remarked:

"He's a long-headed fellow, isn't he? Eh, what a wonderful man forpolitics, and what a speaker! Why, Bradlaugh wouldn't have much chancewith him. He should be in Parliament hissel'. By gum, he'd make themsit up. What do you say?"

His companion looked wise, and seemed smitten with awe. He could nottrust himself to speak of the brilliant oration they had just listenedto. Harvey followed up the debate by defending the right of freedom ofaction and freedom of speech all round. 

"What business is it of these members of Parliament to interfere withwhat people think or say? I say 'no business at all. ' Why, they tell methat when Bradlaugh beat them and took his seat and defied them, theTories flocked round him and said: 'Bradlaugh, we're glad to see you inthis honourable House, and congratulate you as one of ourselves. ' Nowthere was brazen hypocrisy for you; and what do you think he said inreply? He stood up and said: 'Gentlemen, I know you of old, but I'm notgoing to be sucked in by any of your snakish ways. ' Wasn't that fine?"

"Where did you hear that?" said Cowan. 

"I saw'd in the papers; it's all right, " said Harvey. 

"Yes, and what's more, " said Cowan, "I saw that Bradlaugh had becomevery popular with everybody, and the Tories said he was a rare goodsort. "

"Then I don't believe it, " said Harvey. 

"But I tell you I saw'd in the papers. "

"Well, " said Cowan, "if you hadn't telled me that, I wouldn't havebelieved it. "

"But I'm telling ye, " said Harvey; "and what is more, there'sLabouchere: he's a queer 'un. He has a paper they call _Truth_, and hewrites all about the Queen and the aristocracy. He knows everythingabout them, and doesn't care a damn for anybody. He's been had up forlibel many a time, but that never makes any difference. He goes onworse. They call him a Radical. He belongs to that lot that wantseverything for themselves. "

"But what about them Prussians wantin' to steal Denmark? What do youcall that but cowardly work; and had it not been that Austria, theother bully, came to their assistance, the little Danes had thePrussians by the throat, and then, like all bullies, they fell outabout the spoil and began to fight among themselves. No wonder that theGermans are hated; everybody liked the Danes. And where was yourEngland then? Was she frightened of Von Bismarck? Yes, I says; yes! WasPalmerston frightened of him or of all the Prussians in the world? No, certainly not! He said: 'Gentlemen, let us draw the sword for thefather of the Princess of Wales'; but these great Christian members ofParliament that you've been talking about so much said: 'No, we'llfight for nobody but ourselves. ' Where is your Waterloo, your Corunnaand Balaclava now? What about that foggy mornin' in the Baltic Sea whenthe fog cleared away and we were right in the centre of the Danishline-of-battleships, and the whole crew wanted to join the Danish navy, and the skipper said: 'No, men, you must stick to your own ship. ' Butwe saluted them with the old flag, and gave them three good Englishcheers, and they cheered us, and the skipper said: 'Ah, they're finefellows. What is England doin' of not to help them? There's noill-feelin' left about Nelson puttin' the spy-glass to his blind eyeand blowing Copenhagen down about their ears. '"

"Talk about makin' the Queen Empress of India? By George! Gladstone didwalk into Disraeli about that, and it was said the Queen got her humpup about it. "

"Well she might, " said Cowan; "what business had Gladstone tointerfere? He's always interfering. "

"Yes, " said Harvey; "and a good job for England he is. "

"What d'ye say? Good job for England? What about the Fenians? Whatabout Parnell and them Irishmen? What about the rascals who were nabbedsettin' fire to infernal machinery for blowing up the House ofParliament? And then he talks of givin' them Home Rule! What aboutPiggott, Parnell and company?"

"Yes, and what about the forgeries, Mr Sniggins, " said Harvey. 

"Don't call me Sniggins!" said Captain Cowan, "I'm a respectable man. "

"Don't you say this and that about Gladstone, then, " said Harvey. 

"We will if we like, " said the bulbous friend, who showed in hisphlegmatic way signs of taking sides against the great Liberal leader. 

"What do you know about it?" contemptuously interposed Harvey. "Myadvice is to you, 'keep yourself sober and your mouth shut, and don'tshow your empty-headedness to people who have forgotten more than everyou knew!' _You_ talk about Gladstone! Why, you would never have knownthere was such a man if I hadn't told you. Of all the brazen cheek, well! You take the cake to talk to me about a man that made England andstopped the gentry from pilfering the whole thing. "

"Get away, man!" replied our portly friend; "you would swear you werethe Duke of Argyle. I tell you he would have given the country away tothe foreigners if we hadn't stepped in. "

"Do _you_ call yourself '_we_'!" interjected Harvey, his utterancealmost incoherent with anger; "you want to go to school again and getsome learnin'. "

"Get some learnin', d'ye say, Mr Know-all? What has Gladstone done forthe sailors, you an' me? That's a poser for you; and look at the moneyhe gave away about the _Alabama_ to the Yankees, instead of fightin'them for it like an Englishman. That's another poser for you!" retortedthe big, burly antagonist who had wakened up and entered into thediscussion with elephantine zeal. "Some of you would let foreignersjump on your stomachs, but Captain Cowan and me says, 'England forever!' Why, if it hadn't been for Palmerston and the old Jew, we wouldall have been Russians or blooming Germans before now. "

"Bravo, John Bird, well said! That's a clinker for you, Harvey, " chimedin the devoted supporter of the previous speaker. "Fine Britishers theyare, givin' away the country of their birth in lumps at a time!"

Harvey was purple; his blood was at boiling pitch, and his poignantattack on Captain John Bird gave that gentleman some concern lest itshould reach to something more than mere words. His perorationconsisted of a luxuriant use of imprecating adjectives which stampedhim as a person of original thought. He apologized to his Creator as hepassed from point to point of these profane heights, and was obviouslysure that this chaste mode of seeking forgiveness commended hisobservations to the Deity. The attack on Gladstone's and his ownpatriotism roused him to produce prodigies of declamatoryillustrations. 

"Givin' the country away, " he said. "Gladstone's trying to stop themdukes and earls and such like from stealing it. What does he say thatthe House of Lords should be shut up for, and these gentry made to worklike other folk? I'll tell you what he says that for: because he wantsit fairly shared, and the men that go down to the sea in ships to havea bit of it. "

"Now you needn't repeat Scripture after you've been swearin' see hard, "interposed Captain Cowan. 

"No, sir, I'm not using Scripture. I'm saying that Gladstone wants toturn them fellows in the House of Lords out to work for their living, instead of cribbing all the land and gettin' such as you to back themup and crawl on your bended knees and kiss their hands for them; butI'm not one of them sort. I says what Joe Cowan says: 'The land for thepeople if they pay for it. ' Wasn't it Gladstone and Bright that said nogood would ever be done until the House of Lords was pulled down, andwasn't it Joe Cowan that stood up for them when they wanted to make theQueen the Empress of India? Didn't he say: 'No, gentlemen, the Queenof England's good enough for me; I wants no Empress'? And didn't thatfavourite Jew of yours say to him it was a grand speech? But I'm notgoin' to open my mouth to fill your empty heads. You don't know yourA B C's yet; and you talk to me about givin' away England, and aboutDizzy, and you haven't a good word to say about your own countrymen whowant to get you a bit of the land to grow something on. I tell you, you're nothing better than nincompoops, hobbledehoys that knows no moreabout politics than the old hookers you're skippers of do. " Heemphasized these last remarks by bringing his fist heavily down on thetable, knocking the glasses off, and then in a patronizing way hewalked from them a short distance, turned round quickly as though asudden impulse had seized him, and shouted at the top of his voice:

"You want to go to school again, if you've ever been there, but I don'tthink you have!"

A reticent man sat close by during the singular debate. An observercould see that Captain Harvey's last oration was having a convincingeffect on him, and immediately Harvey had fired his last shot CaptainGeorge Halligay rose, and with unaffected solemnity remarked:

"That man knows too much to be a shipmaster. He should be in the Houseof Commons. The language he uses, and his knowledge of men and whatthey say, is very clever. It would take a funny 'un to tackle him. Theytell me he's written to the papers sometimes. "

"All wind and blather, " said Captain John Bird, which remark wasendorsed by Captain Cowan and received with some applause. 

"Not so, " said Halligay. "He has great gifts. " And then they made theirway to the landing where their boats waited to convey them to theirrespective ships. 

These were some of the last specimens of our old-time sailor manhood. Rough, uncultured, careless of danger, their fighting instinctssometimes leading them to ferocity; but withal they were strong in manyways, and had intervals of docility which ofttimes made them lovable. Idare say many, if not all, of their generation (for they were aged menwhen I knew them) have passed beyond the reach of the political orsocial student, and we shall nevermore hear the same kind of confusionof thought that made the discussions of these aged mariners sodelightful to listen to. Of course many of the captains of that timehad real accomplishments far beyond the stolid men of whom I have beenspeaking. But even the most cultured of that generation did not reachthe zenith of fame to which the modern commander has risen. The averagepresent-day captain has little in common with his predecessors. Hispolitical creed goes beyond the mere assertion of the superiority ofBritishers over foreigners. He claims association with a party, andknows a good deal about prominent statesmen and politicians. He is upto date in the causes which led to the Boer War, the Coal Tax, the CornDuty, Irish Land Purchase, the Education Act, and Chamberlain'sagitation to force a change in our fiscal policy from Free Trade toProtection. He has a peculiar form of self-confidence which may beconsidered phenomenal though it is rarely offensive. 

VI

MARY ROUTLEDGE

I have often come in contact with old people living in the villagesclose by the sea and far away from the bustle of railroads and largetowns, who lament the good times gone by when they used to look forwardto the homecoming and the passing to and fro of the bonny sailor lads, who were always expected to lift the monotony from their dull, uneventful lives by strange stories and rollicking habits. Thevillagers for the most part lived under a kind of despotism. The Lordof the Manor and the parson dominated them, and fashioned theirpolitics, their religion, and even their social lives. The rule was tokeep within the limits of their own little community when they wanted awife or a husband, but if at any time their affections travelledoutside this sanctified boundary, the two potentates were assiduous intheir warnings that if the new comer in any way transgressed theunwritten code of laws that were framed in order that the estate mightbe kept free from contamination they would have to leave itperemptorily. Ranters, Wesleyans, and other Nonconformists wereregarded as heretics. A religious test was practised, and those whoopenly avowed their dissent from the established form of worship werefrankly told that there was a strong aversion to having that manner ofperson about the place, and that any attempt at proselytising would bemet by immediate expulsion. That was the state of things existent in acertain country village no further back than the middle of the lastcentury, when, as though Providence had pre-arranged it, a man who atone time had been a sailor came to live there. He was tall andwell-made, with broad shoulders, and he walked with a sort of militarytread. He had a broad forehead, firmly set lips, and altogether he wasgood to look on. No one could come in contact with him without beingimpressed with his strength of character. His wife was an equallyfine-looking person, with pronounced intellectual capacity. They wereboth evangelical Wesleyans. Their family consisted of five sons and twodaughters, a fine wholesome brood, who were all quite young, the eldestbeing about fifteen. The children were reared and trained with greatcare, and without distinction of sexes: they were all taught to dohousework. Family worship was held morning and night. If the father wasunavoidably absent, the mother took the service, and if both wereabsent, the eldest of the family, either son or daughter, took it. Thehouse was a hive of industry and religious fervour; everything about itwas neat and spotlessly clean. Soon after their arrival the parson madea call on them, and of course the father and mother were asked whattheir faith was. This being quickly settled, the man of holy ordersintimated that the parents would be expected to attend the parishchurch each Sunday with their family. They of course reminded him thatthey were Wesleyan Methodists, but that would not prevent themattending his church in the mornings. "In the afternoon and evenings Ihave been accustomed to conduct a service myself either in the open airor in my own or someone else's home, " said the placid-looking father. The parson gazed at him with apoplectic surprise, and hinted that hehoped he would not continue his mission work there, as Nonconformitywas not approved by the owner of the village, and, he might add, byhimself either. 

"I fear I must disregard your request, " said Mr Burnside, "and do whatmy conscience and judgement demand of me. "

The cleric took his leave, with the intimation that Squire Humbertwould no doubt call and have a talk with him about spiritual and othermatters. Burnside was not long in discovering that many of thevillagers were quite illiterate, and but little above the standard ofheathen. He resolved to throw his soul into the work of evangelizingthem at all costs. The first visit Mr Humbert paid him left no doubt asto that gentleman's wishes. He spoke of the disturbing influence layMethodist preachers were having all over the country, and said that hehad decided no such sensational work should be permitted on his estate. Burnside did not deem it prudent to enter into controversy, butdetermined that nothing should deter him from carrying out the workthat God had sent him to do. The circumstances were so discouragingthat no ordinary man would have persisted in going on with it. He wasscoffed at, hooted, and at times both men and women were so enragedthat they threatened a personal attack; but there was something abouthis physical appearance and his firm though gentle manner that cowedeven the most violent of those who were opposed to his religiousteaching. They felt he would stand no nonsense of that kind. He had notbeen long in the locality before a spirit of strong revival came overthe place. Some of the worst men and women in the countryside wereconverted, and ardently tried to influence others for good. They wereraw, crude, and uneducated, but there was a power behind them that madetheir influence irresistible. People came from far and near to hearthis strange gospel of pity preached and to witness such an unexpectedrevolution. Strong men and women were smitten with its force, until anyone of them who had shown ill-natured and violent dislike to evenlistening to the simple message of the lay preacher, eagerly threwtheir doors open to him in order that he might hold services in theirhomes. He urged them to attend the parish church in the mornings, asthere was only one service on the Sundays, and none during the week. Most of his own family did this, while the others went with him to thechapels he was appointed to preach at. He knew the squire and theparson were feeling full of wrath, and that they believed him to be amistaken instrument for evil, and that the whole parish was thrown intorevolt by his wild advocacy of a sacrilegious creed, and that it mustbe put a stop to or he would have to leave the village. 

When Burnside was having a stroll one morning with a little fellow offour years old, who was chattering to him about his services, SquireHumbert came upon them, stopped, and snappishly asked what he meant bydisturbing the whole district with such ranting nonsense. 

"I tell you, " said he, "it must cease, or I will ask you to leave theplace. "

Burnside withered him with a gaze that betrayed his feelings, andbegan:

"Sir, you may ask me to leave the village, but you may not ask me tocease serving my God in the way I choose. Now, sir, listen. You havebeen accustomed to talk to your village servants in a way that isinsufferable. I am not one of them, and if I were I should resent yourdoing so to me. I must ask you to carry out your threat, and when I getyour communication I shall give you my definite answer. Meanwhile neveryou attempt to insult me or make an attack upon my religion again. Andbear in mind that I refuse to allow you to be the controller of it. Good morning. "

The dignified "Lord God the Squire" gasped with suppressed fury, butthat which he wished to utter was unutterable, and he rode off in thedirection of his hall. Burnside told his wife what had transpired. Shecommended him for the manner in which he had treated it, though bothshe and the family were filled with concern lest the threat of turningthem out of their home should be carried out. It made an everlastingimpression on all the family, but especially so on the little fellowwho heard all that was said. _He_ never got over the cruel, senselessstab, and I have reason to believe it lives with him still. Burnsideregarded the whole thing with contempt, and continued his religiousservices as though nothing had happened. Mr Logan, the parson, not longafter called to see him, and Burnside drew him into discussion onTheology. He was a great student of Bishop Butler's "Analogy, " and wasfamiliar with the writings of other theologians. The parson was amazedat the plain man's strong logical instincts, the keen fluency of histalk, and the fulness of his knowledge, and so enjoyed the conversationthat he asked if he might hope to have a further opportunity of havinganother discussion. "Come any day you like except Sundays, " said theunconventional old sailor, "and I may assure you it will give me greatpleasure. " They parted with feelings of growing respect for each other. The parson evidently made some weighty communication to Mr Humbert, asthat gentleman's attitude towards Burnside soon underwent a markedchange, and this was shown by his commencing to chat whenever they met. It was not long before they were on the most cordial terms. The squirefound that Burnside was not only a powerful religionist but a strongpersonality. His reading was very wide, and his knowledge andconversational gifts made him an attractive man to come in contactwith. Humbert had evidently seen it to be unwise to meddle with hisreligion any more, and his friendship for him soon became apparent, forinstead of carrying out the threat of putting him off his estate, heoffered him a better house to live in, with a large plot of groundattached to it. The offer was gratefully accepted, but this did not inany way interfere with the steady progress of the propaganda, and in afew years the character of the men and women who would have thrown himinto the sea when he first came amongst them changed from hatred intoaffection. Gambling, drunkenness, wife-beating, profanity, all haddisappeared. 

As soon as his sons were old enough they left the district, and erelong some of them were heard of in the metropolis of England, and hadsucceeded in carving out distinguished careers for themselves. Two ofthem gladdened the old man's heart by choosing the sea as a profession, but no discrimination in point of affection was ever shown, though whenhe heard the hoarse moaning of the wind on troubled nights, he neverfailed to put in a supplementary prayer for his two seafarers. He hadpassed through the dangers himself, and had a steadfast belief thatclose communion with God was a strong safeguard against disaster. Thehomecoming of these sailor lads, who frequently brought friends withthem, was a great joy to the Burnsides, and also to those of thevillagers with whom they associated. Both lads were very sailorly, andit was well known that they never failed to make things hum with mirthand mischief, as soon as they had taken their bearings and found thecoast clear of "squires" and "parsons. " It was a pretty sight to seetheir two sisters rush out of the house as soon as their brothers wereseen in the distance crossing the long stretch of moor and run to meetand fondly greet them. This had been one of the fundamental points intheir training, that they were to be affectionate to each other, andlengthened separation did not diminish the well instilled habit. Butthe joy of the young people's meeting was only second to that of seeingtheir reunion with their parents, and great were Mrs Burnside'sbewildering exploits of cookery. The first night was generally spent intelling queer stories of their skippers, mates and shipmates, whilstthe father sat smiling placidly and obviously living over again hisyouthful days when he also was a sailor lad relating the same kind ofstories in the same old way. The girls asked all sorts of questions, and the merry babble was kept up until Mrs Burnside reminded herhusband that it was long past the usual time for prayers, and that theyhad better postpone the narrative until the morrow. A chapter suitablefor the occasion was given out, and they read verse and verse aboutuntil they reached the end of the lesson. Then they knelt round thetable and listened to the tremulous tones of their father's prayer. When he had finished they all repeated after him the Lord's Prayer andthen rose. At one of these reunited gatherings one of the brothers hadbeen restless, and persisted in nudging his sisters and winking at themwhen his parent had reached his most impressive periods and wasoblivious of everything but his communion with God. The scamp was takenaside by the younger sister, who was a strong-minded little damsel withfixed ideas, and she sharply reproved him for his irreverence; and theelder sister, who had a keen sense of humour as well as fixed opinions, was so thankful that the boys had been brought safely back to them, shecommenced to make the most comical excuses for their erring brother'sbuoyant indiscretion. The young man's contrition was signified by histaking hold of his sisters, waltzing them round the room, and thenproceeding to stand on his head and dangling his legs in the air. Thisthrew them into fits of laughter, and though it was against the rulesof the home, the joyous chatter was resumed and continued until longpast the regulated time for going to bed. When I hear people ridiculingreligion and its forms, I think of those simple days of villagemethodism with a throbbing of the heart. 

There were coteries in this small out-of-the-way place as there are inlarge towns and cities, and perhaps the exclusiveness was even morepronounced there than in the larger centres. The fisher people were aclass by themselves, with whom the squire's employés thought it beneaththeir dignity to be on regular visiting terms. They married andintermarried amongst themselves, while Mr Humbert's servants were amixed class. Some had intellectual ambitions and rare musical talents, and others had not; and it was amongst the former that the Burnsidesfound something in common. Their home gathered up all the more culturedpart of the population. But apart from that, every young and old personin the village was known to the others. The well was situated a gooddistance from the cottages, and the girls of the village generally hadto carry the water to their homes either because there were no sons orbecause they were employed elsewhere; but if any of them were about, the lassie with the burden was always offered help, and rarely refusedit. When the two young sailors came home they made a point of insistingon carrying water for any young girl they by chance saw at thefountain, hence they increased their popularity and were sought afterfor that reason as well as for the fact of their being rollickingsailors. In fact, it seemed as though the little circle were of onefamily. The day following the home-coming from any given voyage wasspent in formally calling upon their friends, and in the evening allthe young people gathered up at their home to have tea, and afterwardsdancing, singing, talking, and all kinds of games. Of course thesailors were called upon to do some step-dancing, and so the happy daysand evenings sped on until the time came to prepare to set off on along voyage. Then for several days previous to their departure thehouse was full each afternoon of voluntary helpers, washing, makingshirts, knitting stockings, and making all kinds of underclothing. Things were kept moving in such a lively way when these young seafarerswere about, that a feeling of desolation depressed the whole villagefor many days after they had left it. 

Yet amid all the simple charm of the people and the natural beauty ofthe place there came a period of sorrowing and grief. The motherlessdaughter of an official of the Lord of the Manor, a beautiful girl whowas the idol of her family and loved by everybody, fell a victim to thevillainy of her father's assistant to whom she was engaged to bemarried; he betrayed her and then left the village, and no one couldtrace his whereabouts. When her condition became apparent, her fatheralone failed to realize her true state until he received a note fromhis master to have her removed from his estate, and with brutalseverity the squire insisted that she should never be allowed to stainthe purity of his grounds by her presence again, nor could he permitany intercourse whatever between her and any of his servants eithermale or female, direct or indirect. The father was brokenhearted, andindeed the whole community were stricken with grief for her and forhim. She was removed to a town a few miles away and then gave birth toa male child. The father in his thoughtless anger left her to thecallous mercy of an inexperienced person, and through want of propercare consumption set in, and the shadow of doom swiftly encompassedher. A burning remorse was charring her to pieces. She craved theforgiveness of her parent, and longed to see the home she had beenruthlessly turned away from. This desire was intensified by a passionto feel the thrilling of the sea winds that came from the moaningocean. What insufferable cruelty to refuse the appeal of a sweet girlwho had been wronged, and who was passing from earth and would soon beput to rest in a grave within easy reach of the springy links andglossy sands where so many days of her joyous girlhood had been spentin innocent and jovial scenes! A last appeal was made to the hard oldsquire, who, to do him justice, believed he was an instrument in thehands of divine Providence to enforce the cultivation and carrying outof high ideals. Human fallibility was not sanctioned on his demesneoutside his own personality or household. The poor, grief-stricken girlwrote to him hoping that her wishes might become known to his wife andtouch her to have compassion, and her plan succeeded, for on receipt ofher letter permission was given to have her brought home. Here is thesimple, pleading request:

 "SIR, --I ask you for pity's sake to forgive me and allow a poor girl who is humbly and bitterly penitent, wrecked in body and soul, to be taken from here to her father's home so that she may seek forgiveness of him before she is called to appear before her God. I have only a few weeks at the most left to me, and then I shall pass from the scene of conflict and grief into that long sleep which never endeth. 

 "I am, yours obediently, "MARY ROUTLEDGE. "

The day following the receipt of this letter Mary was brought home, andthe good Mrs Humbert engaged a nurse to look after her. Mr Logan, theparson, was sent for, and he administered what he regarded as apassport into heaven. He pronounced a stern reproof, and then impressedon her the idea of the great sin she had committed, and in the good oldecclesiastical style admonished her to say her prayers and read herBible night and morning, and if she did that there might yet be hopefor pardon. The girl did not think the prescription comforting enough, so after a few days' misery she asked for Mr Burnside. She had heardhim both pray and preach in days gone by, and the impressions made thencame back to her vividly. On entering the little home he chatted withher in his accustomed cheery way, never even hinting at her greatsorrow, and then he asked if she would like him to pray with her beforehe went. She said: "Oh, yes, that is one of the reasons I sent for you;and if you could make it convenient I would like you to come often. " MrBurnside acquiesced, and before leaving his little friend he joked withher judiciously until she laughed so heartily that a casual looker-onwould have thought she had neither mental nor physical trouble, but asshe said to him: "You make me forget all my affliction. " "That isexactly what I should like to do, " said her bright companion, "and Ithink we are making some progress. "

His visits were always a joy to both of them, and after paying severalshe called out to him one day when he entered her room, "I have foundGod. I know now the plan of salvation that you have been so anxious forme to see, and though I deeply regret to leave you and all those whohave been so considerately kind to me, I am anxious that my Mastershould claim me soon and take me to dwell amid the silent glory of alast long dream. I am now prepared to meet Him. My last dying requestis very sacred. It touches me so keenly I feel some doubt as to whetherI can approach it without giving you a mistaken thought of what Ireally do mean. It is this: may I ask you to give an eye to my childwhen I am gone, and should you detect that he is not being cared for, or trained properly, will you use your influence in having this done?Perhaps one of the lads (meaning his sons) when they get on will takean interest in him for the sake of his mother to whom they were so kindand gentle in other days. Ah, what memories of sweetness I havegathered up since I was laid aside; and these lines, which I committedto memory long ago, have sometimes come to me:

 But 'tis done--all words are idle; Words from me are vainer still; But the thoughts we cannot bridle Force their way without the will. "

She then assured Mr Burnside that she was quite resigned. He listenedto her gentle musings, only interjecting a word now and then in orderthat the current of thought should not be stranded. But his heart wasfull of grief, and when he stooped to kiss her brow and say"good-night" the tears were dropping from his eyes. 

"Ah, " said she, "I know the sorrow you have for me, and your distresspains me, but after all I am only passing to the shadows a few yearsbefore you, and when you come I shall see you. " And then she whisperedsoftly, "I should like, if it be possible and my boy lives, that hismother's shame be kept from him. You, I'm sure, will try to preventthis. "

He promised that her dying injunction, so far as he could arrange it, would be strictly observed, and then he went out into the mystic night. 

They did not commune together again, for the Omnipotent had willed thatshe should pass through the valley before the long beams of light hadbeen drawn from the dawn. The little colony was cast into gloom, andneither the chilly, puritanic doctrine of the Lord of the Manor, northe mechanical piety of his adjutant, the rector, could stay the angerthat permeated even the dullest of the inhabitants, who believed that acrime had been committed in the name of righteousness. The indignationof the female portion of the Burnside family was well subdued, notbecause of any cantish false delicacy, but in order that their own ladsmight not be encouraged to say or do anything rash. They left thefather to communicate the news of Mary Routledge's illness to them. Hehad prayed for her on the first night they were at home; this gave themthe first intimation of the tragedy, but the ghastly character of itwas learnt from outside, and they never either forgave or forgot thewicked perpetrators. 

The hearts of the two sailors were sorely touched by the tale ofsuffering and treatment of the poor girl whom they were accustomed toregard in the light of a sister when they were boys at school, andthough a few years of rough sea life had rubbed the finer edges offtheir early training, they still retained a strong affection for thegirls who were their favourites, and as she was one of them, theiraffection and their grief for her was never concealed. The fulness oftheir pleasures had been marred by this great affliction, but as theywould have made any sacrifice in order that their sympathy might beknown to her, they steadfastly observed an attitude of conduct thatwell-nigh approached piety; and after she had been "put away" and theirfather told them of her last dying message, they resolved that ifspared to reach a position, and her boy was alive, and those who hadcharge of him were agreeable that he should become a sailor, either oneor the other would undertake his training. Meanwhile the child was leftas a legacy to the grandfather, but incredible though it may appear, hewas not allowed to bring it to the estate during the sanctifiedlifetime of Mr Humbert. 

The young men had reached the limit of their period ashore; it was onlyfourteen days, but that was all that could be spared, as the vesselsthey were to sail in were nearly at the fitting-out stage. The nightbefore they had to depart a tea-party was given by a distinguished oldlady, who was known for her great kindness to needy people in thedistrict, and to wayfarers who passed by her house. She owned a largeadjoining estate, and managed it herself with consummate skill. She wasvery fond of the two lads, so that they were invited to the party, and, truth to say, it was really in their honour it was given. Nearly thewhole of the young people round about were there, but the tragic deathof their young friend prevented a full outburst of joyous revelry, though they arranged their mode of amusement to suit the occasion. Thehostess was charming to everybody, but especially to the sailors. Herexhortations that they should be careful not to slip when they wereclimbing all over the rigging and yards, and to be sure not to getwashed off the jib-boom, as she had heard of so many others being, andto keep ropes tied round them when the sea was coming aboard, so thatthey might not be washed overboard, were absurd and laughable, buttender. Of course the young men, in the true orthodox fashion ofsailors, on being pressed by her and the young guests, male and female, told a few stories of their adventures that created both admiration andsensation; then by request they sang a few sea songs that were muchappreciated. And when the regulation hour came for closing theproceedings the time had slipped away too quickly. A request was madeto their hostess for an extension of time, and with a goodness thatalways characterized her it was granted for one hour longer, part ofwhich was used by an appeal made by the sailor lads to be allowed tocorrespond with her two granddaughters, who were young ladies ofprepossessing appearance. After some delicate negotiations and manyassurances of honourable intentions, they were told that, providedtheir letters were confined to a history of their movements and theirdoings, and without any foolishness, they might write twice a voyage tothe girls and to herself. "But, " said she, "there must be no proposalsof marriage until you have both reached the head of your profession. "This condition was gratefully agreed to, and when the young men joinedthe party again there were many inquiries and many hints as to thenature of the conference with their hostess, but the secret was onlydivulged to the two who were directly interested, and then the jovialgathering formed themselves into a ring, sang "Auld lang syne, " andadded "Will they no come back again?" which was specially intended toapply to the sailors. These formalities having been completed, theyoung mariners proceeded to say their farewells, and kissed and cuddledwith astonishing rapidity first one girl and then the others until allhad shared the ebullition of their rugged endearment. The male portionof the assembly viewed this form of emphasizing good-bye with sheepishamazement. They would have been stupefied with shame if any one hadseen them walking even with a girl, although the enterprising seafarershad done their best to assure them that it was the only true style ofshowing genuine goodwill. 

Long before dawn the following morning the lads were tramping over awild expanse of common towards a seaport, and they carried on theirshoulders as fine a kit as ever went into a vessel's forecastle. Allthe things that had happened during their stay, especially theincidents of the last night, were talked of amongst the villagers formany a long day after the sailors had left the district and travelledto the southern hemisphere. Yes, and many an eloquent petition was sentup from the familiar cottage homes that knew them so well for theirsafe-keeping and speedy return. This phase of sailor life existed inthe country places, and to some extent in the smaller seaport townsbordering on the country, in the middle of the last century. It isalways pleasant to think of the innocent, robust enjoyment these betterclass seamen planned out for themselves, aided of course by their ruralfriends. They were sought after and loved by everybody. What balderdashhas been spoken and written about poor Jack everlastingly misconductinghimself! Assuredly the Christian virtues did not take complete hold ofall of them, and no one will deny that a large percentage were waywardand took a lot of steering. But compare them with other classes of men, and I do not think they would take a second place. 

Norman and Kenneth Burnside worked, saved, and studied very hard, andrapidly rose in their profession. They had no sooner got their extramaster's certificates than they were offered and accepted the commandof handsome square-rigged vessels employed in the Eastern trade, andboth of them became famous for making quick passages. The old lady whohad been their friend so long became impressed with the idea of theirreaching great heights, and was quite frank in stating that she wasproud to see the speedy advancement of two boys that had been rearedwithin sight of her home. She indicated to some of her closest friendsthat she had no misgiving now about giving her granddaughters inmarriage to the young sailors, and this interesting confession was madeknown to them by some unknown agent. They arrived in England within amonth of each other, and were quietly married. The venerable ladysettled a considerable sum on her granddaughters, and no lack ofinstructions were omitted as to its purpose. The sailors said it wasvery good of the old girl to do this for her young relatives, but theyeach reminded their wives that they did not marry them for money. Aftera brief holiday the brothers rejoined their respective ships, andsailed, one from Liverpool to Australia, and the other from London toCalcutta, and little did they expect when they parted that it would benearly two decades before they were to meet again. 

Many years after, two vessels were racing down the China seas, one ofthem a new barque heavily sparred and very crank, and the other alarge, full-rigged ship. Both were rushed through the sea at greatspeed. The full-rigger, with Norman Burnside in command, drew ahead ofthe barque and lost sight of her in the darkness. Between ten andeleven at night the second officer was on the poop chatting with thecaptain; the sky was cloudless, not a speck to be seen, and the windstrong and steady; every stitch of canvas was set, when all of a suddenthe captain ceased conversing with the officer, told him that a whitesquall was close upon them, and to call all hands to shorten sail. Theyhad only got a portion of it in when the squall struck her, andeverything had to be let fly. During the few minutes it lasted it wasterrific; many of the sails were torn to shreds, the masts were heavilystrained, and the vessel herself was well-nigh doomed. Nothing was seenor heard of the barque after that night, but the fears of those aboardthe full-rigger were great lest trouble should have come to her. Whenthey arrived in London an account was sent to them of the loss of theircompanion in the China Seas. The paragraph stated that the vessel wasstruck by a white squall, thrown on her beam ends and literallycapsized; the captain was Norman's brother. He was on deck at the timeand tried to get down into the cabin to rescue his wife, but the rushof water prevented him. She was drowned almost before his eyes, and herbody went down with the vessel. Some of the crew who were aft managedwith the assistance of the captain to get the gig disentangled from thewreck, but he refused to save himself and had to be dragged into theboat by force. Others of the crew clung to floating spars, and wereeither killed or drowned, and only one survived until succour came. Theday following the casualty, those that took to the boat were picked up. A day later a passing vessel saw some wreckage ahead, and as they drewtowards it they discovered a boy clinging to a spar which was beingtossed about by the motion of the sea. The vessel was at once hove toand a boat went to his rescue. The only clothing he had on was a lightflannel shirt and a pair of drawers. The poor little fellow had triedto lash himself to the spar with a piece of rope. When they got closeto where he was his feeble voice whispered from it a few words oftouching thanks; and then, as though a supernatural force had beengiven him, he said in a tone that seemed to have been flashed fromanother world: "It is too late. I am about to pass on to where mymother is. I feel my stomach is chafed through. " His face, it was said, wore a spiritual air, and his eyes had an expression of quiet, resignedsadness. They cast off the rope that bound him to the spar, took himgently from it and placed his disembowelled body in the boat. Hisremains were sewn up in a hammock, heavy weights were put at his feet, and at the dead hour of the night the mourners, with uncovered headsbowed in hallowed manifestation of pity, listened to the harrowingwords that came throbbing from the captain's lips as substituted forthe written funeral service. When he had finished, orders werewhispered to lower the body in silence down the side of the vessel, andthen the waters covered him over. Many weeks elapsed before it wasknown that it was Mary Routledge's boy. 

Nothing could exceed the genuine sympathy that was shown to the poordistracted Kenneth Burnside, but all attempts at consolation werereceived by him with a sad smile that conveyed the idea of an unhealingwound. He lived the life of a recluse and never went to sea again. 

VII

FORECASTLE LIFE

The modern sailor can have no idea of the hardships and discomforts ofhis predecessors even up to thirty or forty years ago. Unless a personhas lived with sailors in the forecastle as one of themselves and takenpart in their daily life, no accurate conception can be formed of whattheir peculiarities and conditions of life were. It may be that theyfluently cursed about the latter, and had some idea that they werebeing imposed upon; but posterity must ever remember that they boretheir wrongs with heroism and with a steadfast belief in thesuperiority over those of other nationalities of their owners, theirships and themselves. Comparisons were never indulged in: they insistedthat all things British took in the nature of things first place, andthis child-like faith was never broken in spite of glaring, wickedcallousness to their men's sufferings on the part of some employers andcaptains. 

Their accommodation was in the extreme fore-end of the vessel, and thespace allowed was low-roofed and cramped, frequently leaky andinvariably dismal. Immediately abaft the forecastle ladder was thecable stage where hawsers, cable-chains, tar-barrels, tar-pots, tar-brushes, marline spikes, serving-mallets, cork-fenders, water-casksand other spare gear were stowed. The first impressions of smell to aperson who had been reared in a pure atmosphere were deadly. I think Ican feel all my first sensations even now. On each side of the space, hammocks were slung to hooks, or to eyebolts fastened into the beams, and on account of leaky decks the men were obliged to have oil-covershung the full length of the hammock like a tent to keep the water frompouring on to them! There was great pride taken in the spotlesscleanliness of these canvas sleeping cots. The rings that the lanyardsand clews were attached to were neatly grafted, and the art of hangingwith accuracy so that the occupant lay in perfect comfort without fearof being lurched out was often the cause of mutual criticism and heatedcontroversy. It looks a very simple matter, but there is an art thathas to be learned in slinging a hammock correctly. Alongside of themwere the seamen's chests, with skilfully carved oak or mahogany cleats, grafted rope horseshoe handles, and turk's head at each side of thecleats. These were painted white to give variety and effect. The lidinside displayed a full-rigged clipper, barque, or brig, either underfull sail with a peaceful blaze of blue sea, or under close-reefedtopsails labouring in the wrath of a cyclone with a terrific turmoil. Underneath this work of art was the name of the person to whom thechest belonged, painted in block shaded letters, and the fate of many acrew has been traced by the washing ashore of a relic of this sort. Allthis was done by the sailor himself, and during the process ofelaboration many a castle was built in the air and many a vow made thathis conduct for evermore should be regulated by a strict adherence torighteous principles. There was great competition in this as in otherthings. The forecastle sides and the deck were whitewashed with lime, and the floor in fine weather, at sea as well as in port, was keptclean. The apprentices were made to take week and week about inscrubbing the floor every morning, and sweeping it after every meal. Inwell regulated vessels that sailed on long voyages, as soon as they gotinto the N. E. Trade winds the crew settled down to a daily routineduring the first hour or two of their watch below in the daytime, ofmaking, mending and washing their clothes. Some never got beyond this, or making mats, but there were men who varied their pastime by carvingmodels of vessels, making wood sails or rigging, and fitting them outin every detail. This work was done with great skill and neatness. Those that could read and were fond of it gave a share of their time tothat. There were others who worked hard at learning navigation, theirchest lids serving as a desk. It occasionally happened that some of theforecastle hands could neither read nor write, but if they were willingto learn there was always someone ready to teach them, who in theprocess of teaching learnt much that was useful to himself. A fewmonths ago there died an old man whom I taught to read and write whenhe must have been over forty years of age. He was one of many skilledseamen of that day who were much sought after to command collier brigsduring the winter months, notwithstanding they could not read, or writetheir own names even. This man never failed to make the quickestpassages and voyages on record, and in the summer, without presuming onhaving been master, he would ship on a deep sea vessel as able seamanor cook. It was in the latter capacity that I first met him when I wasan apprentice of fourteen. I was seated reading Sir Walter Scott's "OldMortality, " and laughing as heartily as a boy will at some of thesayings and doings of the Covenanters, when he asked what amused me. Itold him, and he expressed a desire for me to read to him. I did so aswell as I could, and when the time came for me to resume my duties andclose the book, he said in a very sheepish way, "I wish I could readand write; I would make a fortune if I could. " I immediately offered myservices, and with a slight indication of sensitiveness he acceptedthem. It was a long, dreary process, but my pupil was so eager, especially after he got to know three letter words, I soon led him intofiguring--addition and multiplication sums--and two years afterstarting him, he was learning from me what little navigation I was ableto impart. He seemed to pick this up instinctively, which gave him apassionate desire to go to a navigation school, and in a short time hehad made such rapid progress that the teacher thought he could pass theexamination; and his opinion was confirmed by Ned going to Dundee andpassing at the first attempt. He got a mate's berth in the summer, andwent master in the winter, continuing to save money until he hadaccumulated sufficient to purchase a small ketch which he ownedentirely himself. For some years he did well, then sold the littlevessel and commenced business ashore. I had not heard of or seen himfor many years, when one afternoon a friend of mine called at my officeand intimated that my old friend was in the workhouse, and had desiredhim to call and inform me of it, feeling sure that I would not allowhim to remain there. I asked my friend to have him taken out and putinto respectable lodgings until I could get him some relief from aphilanthropic institution, and the odd easy jobs I saw put in his waykept him comfortably. He often came to see me, and when I could sparethe time I gratified the fine old fellow's wish by encouraging him totalk to me of those days that were such a joy to him. I believe heregarded himself, when aboard one of my vessels, in the light of aspecial guardian of my interests, and I think he must have assumed anair of superiority over others which was occasionally resented. At anyrate, one morning on reaching the office I found him ready to receiveme; he was well dressed, clean-shaven and looked all over like acaptain of the old school. I saw he had a grievance, and he at onceplunged into the object of his visit; complaining that one of thecaptains had treated him as none of the others would think of doing, and when I asked what he had said to the captain to cause hisdispleasure, he replied with energy and warmth that he had told him hewould "go and see his betters who had known him before he (the captain)was born. And what do you think the impudent fellow said? He told me Imight go to h--ll if I liked, and so I'm here to see whether _he's_to boss me, or if I'm to take orders from you. He actually had theimpudence to give me an order for my money on the office instead ofpaying me as the others did in cash!"

This was the only time he ever complained to me about the treatment hereceived from anyone. I was much amused, and humoured the old man intoa good temper. He never quite forgave the insult that had been offeredhim, but went away satisfied that he had scored. Twelve months afterthis there were signs that the hard usage of his earlydays was breakinghim up. He struggled on in the hope that his iron constitution wouldthrow off the malady that held him in its grip, but ere long thesuffering old hero passed away. 

My brother once volunteered to teach another old illiterate, who sharedhis watch, to read and write. It was one of the most comicalproceedings I ever witnessed, and when I reflect on it now I see atouch of pathos that fills me with remorse for the part I took inmaking fun of that fine seaman, who had been brought up in anatmosphere of heathenism, and was, in many ways, little better than aheathen himself. He stood six feet four inches, and had the frame of agiant; a large, well-formed head poised above a pair of broadshoulders; his face was strong and highly intellectual; his nose, mouthand full blue eyes indicated that he had sprung from a race ofwell-bred people who may have declined on their luck. Had hisintellectual faculties been given a chance when young, he might havebeen great in any profession. As it was, he was merely a rough, uncouthman, but a well-trained and accomplished sailor. He had been trained inthe hardest of all schools, that of the coasting trade, and he knewevery swirl of the tide and every sandbank between St Abb's andDungeness. He did not rise to be captain, though he frequently went asmate during the winter months. It was not until his ambition led him toa knowledge of the bigger world far beyond the continents of Europethat he determined to learn how to read and write. I am not surewhether he ever felt humiliated at having to seek the aid of a youngman so much his junior and occupying a subordinate position to himself;if he did, I cannot recall having observed it. The owners' confidencein him must have been great. He was signed on the ship's articles asboatswain, but really he was intended to act as second mate, keepingthe captain's watch and doing the ordinary duties of a second officer. The first intimation the captain had that his owner had sent such astrange personality was on the evening that the vessel was towed out tosea. The decks were in a condition of confusion, and this ardentofficer was busying himself in getting them cleared up before dark. Themaster intimated to him that he was feeling very tired, and would liketo lie down. 

"You may go to bed, sir, " said the officer, "and when you get thereremember you have a better man on deck than yourself. "

The captain stared at this extraordinary creature, and when he hadrecovered from his amazement at the unblushing audacity, he said:

"Sir, I wish to intimate to you that you are not aboard a collier brig, but a deep-water ship, and you are addressing a deep-water captain whohas never been spoken to in such a strange way before. "

"Good God, man!" said the irate second mate, "get away to your bunk, and don't stand there talking damned nonsense about what you calletiquette. I know nothing about that, but I'll take your ship along thecoast for you, and I want you to know as well that I can handle amarline spike or a palm and needle with any of your South Spaindandies. You may go below, sir; I have not time to talk to you justnow. "

"Well, Joss, " said the subdued captain, "I will admit I believe you area better coasting navigator than myself"; and in the assurance that hewas, the captain went below, and was not seen again until we got clearof the English Channel. The navigation was left in the hands of themate and second mate. It was after reaching the north-east trade windsthat the latter's elementary education began. The tutor could be seenany morning or afternoon watch below sitting on the forecastle floorworking at the construction of a miniature full-rigged ship. His pupilsat beside him with the alphabet written on a slate, and as he advancedin knowledge, three letter, four letter and five letter words weregiven him, and it was when he arrived at this stage that the processbecame feverishly attractive and amusing. The following is somethinglike how it appeared to those who were looking on:

"AND--and; FOUR--four, " said the tutor, without lifting his eyes fromhis work. 

"THEIR, what the h--ll's that, Jack?"

"Their, " said John. 

"THERE, that's a b---- jawbreaker, Jack?"

"There, " said the tutor, and off he would go in his own peculiar way. Almost every word was introduced by a harmless swear, the droll thingbeing that my brother simply took it as a matter of course, and neverlaughed unless some unusually inventive oath combination wasinterjected; if the pupil confined himself to ordinary swearing, therewas no interruption; he was allowed to rattle along in his own volubleway, letting fly vigorously at the inventor of "larnin'. " The resultwas that Joss learned to read and write before the voyage was over. Itis true there were few people outside the forecastle that could tellwhat it was all about, unless they studied very closely his eccentricpronunciation and the wild scrawl of his writing. He never went farenough to get even a second mate's certificate. He thought it anunnecessary waste of time, seeing that he intended to leave the sea assoon as he could attain a pilot's branch. This he succeeded in doing, and had a long and successful career; his fame as a pilot only equalledthat which he bore when employed as a sailor. He lived to a good ripeage, and died in harness still adhering to the up-to-date belief thatEngland was being imposed upon by "a set of b---- neckends(foreigners), who took the bread from the mouths of Englishmen. " He issaid to have saved and left a good deal of money, and this I can wellbelieve, as even when a common sailor he lived far below his income. Joss, unlike most sailors, had not a note of music in his composition, but there were few professionals on the halls who could surpass him atstep-dancing. I saw him dance the double-shuffle with a professional onone occasion in the Ratcliffe Highway. I think the place was called the"Gunboat, " and he was there declared to be the champion. Jossconsidered it a part of a sailor-boy's training that he should learn todance a hornpipe and other steps with facility, and he devoted a goodshare of his spare time to teaching recruits how to do it. Undoubtedlya good step-dance was a great acquisition on a long, dreary, oceanpilgrimage, and his performance always added to the amusement of aSaturday evening when a concert was organized. The songs were mostlycomic, and were sung with an imitative touch of the professional dandy. Occasional lapses into sentimentality never failed to strike a penitentchord for some real or supposed sins that had been thoughtlesslycommitted. But the mood was merely of brief duration, and only requireda comic interjection by someone to send the little community intoprolonged gaiety. It was quite usual when they were in the mood tocarry their revelry far into their watch below. 

When the time came for the hand-spike to be thudded on the deck overtheir heads, and eight bells called them from slumber to duty, therewere found some of whom it was said they would sleep with their headsin a bucket of water, and these were speedily brought to consciousnessby the head of their hammocks being let fly by their less somnolentcomrades. This was one of the jokes which often led to days ofestrangement between the sleeper and the supposed culprit. It wasalways a mystery who committed the offence, as great caution was usedto preserve secrecy. It was a wonder no necks were broken, notwithstanding the care taken to avoid injury in carrying out thismode of arousing the heavy sleeper. Many were undoubtedly hurt, but asthere was a good deal of disgrace attached to sleeping on after beingcalled, there was rarely open revolt or complaint made. Another methodof dealing with hands who could not keep their eyes open when on watchwas to reeve a rope through the scupper-hole, attach one end to theperson, and the other to a coal basket, which was thrown overboard. Ifthe vessel was travelling fast, the poor culprit was rudely awakened, and before he could extricate himself he was dragged into the leescuppers. As that portion of the deck was usually flooded when thevessel had any speed on her, there were soon loud cries for mercy. Whenit was not prudent to adopt this plan, a bucket of water was thrown atthe sleeper's head; this produced the idea of having to swim for it. Ihave often seen the culprit after an ablution of this character strikeout on the deck until his hands or his head came in contact withsomething harder than either, and made consciousness revive. 

But there were methods for dealing with the habit of sleeping on deckother than those, which were fraught with greater danger. I was servingon a vessel whose mate was in the habit of napping when on duty. It wasarranged to stretch ropes across the deck about one or two feet fromit, and about six feet apart. It was a dark, dirty night; the top ofthe sea was all alive with phosphorus, which made it difficult to makeout lights. The mate slumbered peacefully, leaning against the weathertopgallant bulwarks. The man on the look-out shouted: "A red light onthe starboard bow!" The man at the wheel repeated it. The mate wasawakened, and went straight into a panic. 

"Where is the light?"

"On the lee bow, " said the helmsman. 

"I think it is green, " he said. 

"Yes, " said the helmsman; "so do I. "

"No, it is not green; it is bright, " said the mate. 

"What do you think?"

"I think the same as you, George, " said the helmsman. 

The mate proceeded to rush along the deck towards the bow; each ropetripped him up, and each fall caused him to see different-colouredlights. After a succession of somersaults, he arrived at the fore endof the vessel wide awake, but in a state of distraction. He called tothe look-out man to point out the light he had reported, and a deep, sepulchral voice came from a tall figure robed in white, warning theofficer of approaching disaster because of his neglect of duty. Suddenly a trumpet sounded, and in an instant the vision haddisappeared, and in another two men stood at the bow. They each spoketo their officer, but he was speechless. At last he managed to jerkout:

"Did you see that figure?"

"No, " said the men. 

"Then, " said he in great tribulation, "it is an apparition. "

The ropes were removed, and when he made his way aft nothing interruptedhis progress. What could it have been? His fear was terrific; he musthave known that something like a joke had been practised upon him, buthis superstition, together with the consciousness of having committed acriminal breach of duty, seized the imagination and made him desire tobelieve that a supernatural visitation had taken place. He was neverknown to sleep on deck again, and such was the shock to his nerves I ampersuaded he did not do a great deal of sleeping below. Whether it wasowing to this or not, the poor fellow never properly regained hisequilibrium; and his judgement, never reliable before, became afterthis event a negative quantity. Long years afterwards he used to bechaffed about it, and stood it very badly. A few months since I chattedwith one of the men who with myself took part in this plot. He stilltreasured it as a great diplomatic feat, and laughed immoderately atthe recollection of the poor mate's troubles, and warmly complimentedhimself on the success of the enterprise, but added very seriously:"There is no knowing what might have happened had we all taken tonapping. At the same time I am sure, " said he, "this sharp lesson put_him_ off doing it again, and it may have saved our lives, though, poorman, he wasn't very much use when left to himself. "

Many more experiences not identical but similar to those I have beenrelating were crammed into a long passage, which relieved the monotonyof the stereotyped character of everyday life. Day after day, when theweather was fine, the same kind of work was carried on with unbrokenregularity. In the morning at five-thirty the cook made coffee for thewatch on deck, and at six they commenced to wash bulwarks, decks, etc. By eight o'clock this was finished. The watch who had to relieve themwere knocked out at seven-thirty, had breakfast and came on deck ateight o'clock. The duties of these watches varied: If the rigging wasbeing rattled down, the mate's watch did the fore, while the secondmate's did the main and mizen; or if it were only the fore, main, ormizen that was being "rattled, " the port side was done by the chiefofficer's men, and the starboard by the second officer's. There wasgreat rivalry among the seamen who were selected to do this or anyother skilled work, but only in regard to the quantity done and itsneatness. At times, of course, there was a common understanding that acertain number of ratlines should be put on. This greatly depended onthe treatment they were receiving. If it was good, no restriction wasarranged, for each tried to excel the other, and this applied to everydepartment of work. Some of the dodges to evade work may not be writtenhere; but if it could be done it would reveal a phase of sea life thathas never been put into print. If it were not that our conventionsforbid offending the finer senses it might be written, and thereby showsomething more of the really comic side of Jack when he is on therampage against constitutional government. There were occasions whenthe pride of the British tar was not abashed at being called a dockyardloafer, but these were rare. 

In making a sea passage there was great care taken that no chafing wasgoing on to the foots of the square sails, nor to the rigging, when theyards were braced up against it. Hence thrum and sword mats wereconstantly being made and laced on in order to obviate the possibilityof a chafe wherever there was a nip. Then the sails had to be kept inrepair. Some sailors were clever with the marline spike: could do allmanner of neat things about the rigging, but they were of no use withthe palm and needle; while there were others who could do anything withboth. Some captains through vanity and ignorance believed it to be"classy" to keep the men of the afternoon watch below on deck with therest, and the sailor who had to take the helm at 6 p. M. Was sent tohave tea at five-thirty; the others were kept at it until six. Then theapprentices had to clear up the decks and sweep them down with a hairbrush. The accumulation of dirt when far away from the centre of muckyindustries has always been a great mystery to seamen. Interminableallusions were made to the late Mr Edward Cocker, writer, arithmeticianand engraver, as being the only person who could have solved theproblem. The phrase "according" or "not according to Cocker" wasconstantly used in connection with matters that the scientist does notappear to have included in his works, or in any way concerned himselfabout. The custom of keeping men up doing their afternoon watch-belowwas common though not universal; in fact the shrewd, sensible captainnever did it unless it was a necessity, and it was a rule in allwell-regulated vessels to give Saturday afternoons when at sea (andeven in port when it could be arranged) to the men, in order that theymight do their washing and thereby prevent them doing it on Sundays, which day was reverently spent by those who could do so in reading andre-reading letters that had been sent to them from their friends athome. 

Those who have relatives at sea can never estimate to what extent awell-written, cheery letter is appreciated, and the influence it has inkeeping the recipient out of mischief and in helping him to form goodhabits. I cannot sufficiently urge the importance of never allowing asailor, no matter what his rank or capacity may be, to feel that he isbeing neglected by those of his family whom he desires to believe havea strong affection for him. I do not urge this exclusively in thesailor's interest, but also in the interest of those whose duty it isto keep him well supplied with news of what is going on at home. I haveseen most deplorable results from this thoughtless indifference. Thereis nothing the average sailor looks forward to so keenly during apassage as the receipt of letters from home, and the disappointment ofnot receiving any as soon as the vessel arrives has not infrequentlybeen the cause of irreparable mischief. If the relatives of these mencould only witness the eagerness with which the arrival of the captainor his agent is watched for each day at noon, in the hope that lettersmay have come for them, they would realize how necessary it is toattend regularly to this phase of domestic life, and how little thetrouble is compared with the joy it gives. On the other hand, I thinkif those who do not carry out the behest could see the effect of theircallousness, they might either be frightened or filled with remorse andpity. But they cannot see it, and the poor fellows are often toosensitive about showing what would appear to them as feminine weakness, and so the thing in some cases drifts on, each not knowing the uglyconsequences that are being inflicted on the other, until the climaxinevitably comes and it is found the wreck cannot be repaired. I havedrawn an extreme case, but there are such cases, and it is because Iknow of them that I have made the picture emphatic. All manner ofexcuses are made, such as being a bad letter-writer, and having so muchto attend to, and "he doesn't reply to my or our letters as he should. " My reply to this nonsense is, never mind whether he reciprocates yourextreme condescension or not. The communication with him should be keptgoing, and if letters are bright, chatty, and without a word ofindiscreet reproach for any lack of attention on his part, depend uponit he will ultimately melt into penitence and become a self-accusedrascal. Of course I have known many cases where unjustifiable crueltyhas been shown by sailors in not writing and in not answering letterssent to them by their wives, mothers or sisters. They did not reallymean to cause suffering. They merely drifted into a condition ofrecklessness which perhaps their environments predisposed them towithout ever reflecting that they owed the same duty to their relativesas they invariably complained was not being done to themselves. 

I am reminded of a beautiful instance of unwavering devotion to a poor, wayward fellow, who was engaged to serve in the far eastern trade forthree years. At each port the vessel touched at on the way out, letterswere sent home, and every mail took letters to him, so that when hearrived at the port of discharge quite a batch were received. He wroteregularly for some months, then his letters began to fall off, and atlast ceased coming altogether. For two years nothing was heard of hiswhereabouts except that which was gathered in a mysterious reserved wayat the owners' office, and during the whole of these agonizing monthsnever a mail went without a letter for him, and never a word ofreproach was uttered or written, though the heart of the little writerwas throbbing with soreness. The shipping newspaper was scanned eachday, and whenever she saw the vessel he had left home in reported, herhope revived almost to the point of gaiety. Could she have known thather husband had long since left the vessel whose name she watched soeagerly, and the sight of which filled her soul with strange emotion, she might have succumbed to the numbing intelligence. When the weatherwas fine she strolled to the white sandy beach that was only a fewminutes' walk from her house, and there she would give herself up tothe luxury of day-dreams. Her fancy was sometimes pleased by thethought that she could see the wake of the beautiful vessel as itploughed through the peaceful ocean. She listened to the gurgle of theminiature waves until the sigh of the night wind came and reminded herit was time to go home. These occasions were made memorable by the usethey were put to. Many a subject for a new essay that was to be sentover the seas found its text on the lonely stretch of sand. Sometimes ashrewd hint was dropped in by the way that his communications must havemiscarried, and that there was a painful longing to see his handwritingonce again. "I cannot imagine you wilfully or negligently ignoring me, "said the writer, but she had a grave suspicion that she was beingneglected, and a still graver suspicion that the cause thereof was notexcessive sanctification. 

After twenty-four months of roving and of silence, a letter came fromhim announcing that he was tired of staying away, and by the time theletter was received he would be on his way home. He acknowledged havingreceived a number of letters, and then proceeded in a clumsy way tomake it appear that he _had_ written, and many sanguinary descriptionsas to how some people who were supposed to be concerned in the plot ofwithholding his letters had to meet their death at his hands. In duecourse he arrived home, but nothing could induce him to be drawn into aconversation about the missing correspondence. Time had made him morecharitably disposed towards the mythical burglars of his preciousdocuments, and no more threats were indulged in. The lady did not deemit wise to raise the question again, and seeing that nothing but harmcould have arisen by doing it, I commend her for the wisdom of resistingthe temptation of an inquiring mind. This woman's long-suffering, tactful endurance is an example of splendid magnanimity that might beemulated with advantage by those who may come under the devilish lashof similar treatment, and who may be prompted by the spirit ofrebellion to make matters worse by indiscreet retaliation. The goodwoman won back the loyalty of her poor erring partner by her persistentgentleness and toleration. 

The following is a portion of a letter I have come across, written manyyears ago, in which the writer's concern for the spiritual well-beingof her sailor brother is very apparent. She knew that it was letterssuch as this that appealed to the susceptible seafarers. I have said itwas their habit to read and re-read their letters every Sunday, especially if they were of a sentimental or religious character. Muchof this letter is obliterated, as the person to whom it was addressedtumbled overboard with it in his pocket, and it has crumbled away:

 "MY OWN DARLING BROTHER, --I cannot tell you all the joy I feel at being able to write to you in England again. It has seemed a long time while you have been away, and yet now, when you are nearly beside us again, it seems but as yesterday. This may arrive before you, but still it is happiness to think that your vessel's prow is turned homeward. Our love and prayers have travelled with you all the way, and I thank God that you are preserved thus far, and trust He will bring you safe to us all. I know you will be as glad as we are, and I know, too, that though it has pleased God to give you the blessing of that best love of all earthly love, yet you prize the old ties of home. 

 * * * * * *

 "I think to cherish those who have loved him all his life is not the least of a man's duties, but I think where the love is, people don't think about the duty of it at all; it is given and received as a mutual blessing, for which the heart often rises up in silent thanksgiving. I trust, my dear, that you are keeping to your determination to live to God's glory. Don't be discouraged because of the difficulties of the way; the Bible, which I hope you study, says, 'Mighty is He that hath promised, ' and the whole Book is full of promises of help to those who are in earnest, and you know if one is not in earnest even God cannot save us. We must do our part, and we must work out our own salvation. It is just and right that it should be so. The glories of heaven, the reward of dwelling for everlasting in an atmosphere of unspeakable purity, will be no reward to those who do not value purity and holiness. Those who do will strive for the reward with all their might, and when our weak and sinful nature overcomes the powers of evil within and without, He comes with His promised almighty help if we ask Him for it. How very tender the words of scripture are when speaking of God's children! He is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. God help you, my darling, to take this word to yourself. 

 "With devoted love from us all, "Your loving

 "SISTER. "

It must not be taken for granted that the reasons I have enumeratedwere the only ones that influenced the sailor not to write. There weremotives that may tax the credulity of the reader, but they existed, nevertheless. I have served in vessels myself where a large proportionof the crew would not trust the captain to post any letters for themowing to the habit of mean peculation that was commonly practised bysome captains in those days of grossly overcharging postage and puttingthe proceeds into their own pockets. But that was not the only methodof pilfering from the poor creatures whose wages ranged from £2 15s. To£3 10s. Per month, according to the trade they were engaged in, andmight have a wife and group of children depending on them. The captainswere purveyors of tobacco, and sold it to the crew at profits that farexceeded the limits of decency. Many of them carried what were known asslop chests, which comprised every article of apparel the sailors wereaccustomed to wear and use: oilskins, sea-boots, suits of dongarees, jumpers, ducks, dark flannel drawers, stockings, mufflers, mittens, blue flannel shirts, fustian and pilot cloth trousers, soap, soda, needles and thread, worsted, knives, and any other thing that was wornor used and likely to be marketable. It will be readily understood thatmen who traded in this way were not particularly anxious to have awell-fit-out crew at the beginning of a voyage, nor did they repine ifbad weather prevailed at the outset. The worse the weather, the barerthe sailor's kit, the better the market for the captain's commodities. These slop-chest skippers were perfect terrors to the needy mariner, and many a physical punishment would be endured so that he might besaved the ruinous cost of having to buy from his covetous commander, who was not satisfied with a mere hundred per cent. , but regulated hisprices according to the severity of the weather and the demand thatmight be made for his goods. These human vultures carried on anefarious trade on lines that would have put a Maltese Hebrew to shame. When the days were radiant with sunshine, and the sea made glassy withcontinuous calms, the shrewd sailors who wanted supplies would applyfor them, expecting that they could be had at reduced prices under suchcircumstances, but the predatory vendor did not do business on theseoccasions; he waited until the poor devils were overcome and punishedby the treacherous icy winds and the mad rush of the waves that tumbledover them and made their sufferings so acute that they were driven toask their captains to supply them with clothing, and the prices chargedwere such as to justify the sailors regarding the said captains as theworst types of usurers. A common phrase of the sailors in referring tothis class of man was that he would not hesitate to rob "Jesus Christof his shoe-strings. " I have heard these nautical clothiers boast ofhow they had worked the oracle so that the wretched men who servedunder them would be obliged to come and on their knees beg that theymight be forgiven for not taking the articles when offered, and thatthey might have them now when they had seen their error. Of course onlythe wasters would put themselves in any such position. A captain whotraded in this way had a right to cover himself for the risk he ran, but it was a wicked imposition to charge more than a reasonable profitfor clothing, tobacco, or postages. In settling up at the end of avoyage, the overcharges were frequently contested, and I have knowncases where a substantial reduction was enforced. The rate of exchangeat which the advances to the crew abroad were worked was invariably onethat realized a profit to the captain and caused grave suspicion that apetty theft was being committed. Captains used to brag that they madeas much as their wages came to by the sales from their slop-chests andtobacco. Judging from the amount of trade done and prices charged, Ican quite believe this. 

One of the most mischievous customs of that period was that of givinggrog to sailors on Saturday nights, and whenever sail had to beshortened or any extra work done, and many a drunkard was made thereby. What suffering, what untold misery has been wrought by this damnablecustom! The lives that have been sacrificed, the property damaged, andvessels lost by having grog aboard, and by captain and officersimbibing it and serving it out to the others with too generous a hand, can never be estimated. Much of the calamity that has occurred, anddoes yet occur, at sea could and can be traced to its direct use, andthe unutterable grief and ruin it has brought into many a fine sailor'shome is an odious testimony to those who put temptation in their wayand perhaps encourage the use of it for their own benefit. A poor ladwhom I knew many years ago acquired the taste for drink aboard thevessel he served in. She was what is called by sailors a grandgrog-ship. He was assisting to discharge cargo, and in the middle ofthe forenoon the bottle was passed round. Being a general favouritewith everybody, especially with the steward, whom he was always readyto give assistance to in many little ways, he jokingly asked him for "agood second mate's nip, " a phrase which means that the rum or otherspirits had to be three fingers up from the bottom of the tumblerglass. It was never doubted that the steward gave him a good deal morethan the regulation quantity, for he became very lively soon after. Just at the time grog was served, empty waggons ran short, and the crewwere ordered to do odd jobs. The poor lad was sent to the fore topmasthead to splice a new lanyard into the main royal stay. He had donethis, and was setting the stay up when the marline spike must haveslipped out of the hitch in the lanyard. Suddenly the song he wassinging ceased; a jerky, nervous shout attracted attention to what hadhappened; then the hush of anguish seized the horror-strickenspectators who watched the tragedy, and soon all was over. He tumbledbackwards, and the sails all being loosened to air them and the topsailyard at the mast head, he fell over it, broke his fall on the foreyard, clutched at the reef points of the foresail, and then tumbled headfirstinto the jolly-boat which lay at the bow, and was smashed to pieces. When the body was taken out of the boat it was seen that the flesh ofhis hands had been torn off by the clutch he made at the reef points. 

The crew of this vessel was supplied with alcohol with the specificobject of getting them to work hard at the discharging of the cargo. Inplain language the owners or masters gave no thought to the personaleffect of the custom so long as it did not interfere with theirmaterial interests, but should their policy cause the man to imbibe onhis own account and commit a breach of discipline, or to be temporarilyabsent from work, he was punished with shameful severity, and in thisthe master or owner was encouraged both by written and unwritten laws. No account was taken of how far the employer was responsible in havinghelped his employee to form habits by which the law was broken. Thepoor lad who lost his life might have done so anyhow; but theimpression that has been fixed on my mind is that the cause of histragic death lay at the door of those who gave him the second mate'snip. 

The unrestrained appetite of the old sailing ship seamen for doingsomething ridiculous was a problem that even those closely associatedwith them could never solve. When their minds were bent towards a freakthey plunged into it regardless of consequences. The more daring theadventure the more enjoyment they got out of it. On a memorableoccasion long ago, several ships' crews went ashore in a foreign porton leave, and at a late hour they were returning aboard theirrespective ships. Some were half seas over, and others badly sprung, but all seem to have been smitten with the idea of reckless mischief. Sentries were stationed along the banks of a river that Byron has sungof. They were not supposed to allow any one to pass without a permit, and as the seamen were not in the temper to brook coercion of thiskind, they came into conflict with each other. One of the sentriesstruck a sailor, who attempted to pass the line, with his bayonet. Thiswas the beginning of a carnival of lawlessness. The tars were maddenedby the attempt to slay their comrade, and a wild rush was made uponseveral of the soldiers. They were promptly overpowered, disarmed, andtheir muskets used in disarming their friends who were panic strickenby the vigorous onslaught, and soon succumbed to Jack's bellicosepersuasiveness. It then became an easy task to carry out the impromptuplan of campaign of putting each soldier into his sentry-box andcasting both him and the box into the running stream. The call for helpwas unavailing; none came, and soon no voices were heard, but thefollowing day the funeral knell was sounded by the roar of the cannonfrom the gunboats, splashing shot into the river with the hope that thevibration would resurrect the bodies of the victims from their muddytomb. Many of them were brought to the surface by this means. 

Jack is said to have thought it a great joke, and it must be admittedthere is a grim humour in the cool audacious method of disposing of thehuman obstacles which stood in his way. No argument, however eloquent, could convince them that a murderous act had been committed. Their ideawas that no b----y foreigner had any right to question the goodintentions of a British sailor or to intercept his perambulationseither drunk or sober. Pageantry and armed force did not appeal tothem, but a kind word and an expressed desire to escort them aboardtheir ship would have caused them to fall on the neck of even a foreignsoldier in adoration. The thirst for joviality often led waywardsailors to crave for drink, and under its baneful influence they wereeasily wafted into a delirium of foolhardy devices that would neverhave entered the mind of the ordinary mortal. 

A large barque was once in mid-ocean homeward bound, and was beatingagainst strong head-winds under whole topsails, courses, lowerstaysails, and jib. It was the starboard watch on deck from eight p. M. Until midnight. The captain had retired for the night and left thesecond mate in charge. His watch, with the exception of one man, wascomposed of as fine a brood of young athletes as ever ran aloft. Theywere on the most friendly terms with their officer, whose genialdisposition led him to converse with them. I daresay he was attractedby their boisterous cordiality. Be that as it may, he either winked ator encouraged the successful negotiations that were devised to inducethe steward to invade the grog locker, which was situated beneath thecaptain's bed, and bring from it the jar which contained whiskey. Atfirst Jimmy the steward was obdurate. 

"It cannot be done, " said he, "without wakin' the aud man. "

"What the devil's the good of you talking that nonsense, Jimmy?" saidthe persuasive orators; "why, you know he'd sleep with his head in abucket of slush. "

"Yes, but I'm feared he'll waken, and then there'll be an almightyrow. "

"Well, " replied the tempters, "we always thought you a real shipmate, and as full of pluck as a pitman's badger. What's come over you, man;surely its not the same old Jimmy Dinsdale that had the courage tostand before Hennan and Tom Sayers? It's not as though you were notgoing to have a nip with us. "

"Look here, " said one of the enterprising coterie; "if you are fearedto go, show me, and you bet I'll have the stuff on deck in a jiffy. IfI can do it, surely _you_ can. "

The form of dashing flattery, the appeals to his bravery andcomradeship, and the prospect of himself partaking of the convivialcup, punctured Jimmy's will, and he fell. The coveted jar was broughton deck without arousing the captain, and the seamen insisted that theycould not touch or taste till James himself had partaken; they wouldthen have pleasure in drinking his health. This order of things wascarried out, the second officer joining in by assuring his men that he"endorsed their complimentary remarks about the steward"; he was anardent sportsman, said the condescending officer, "whose popularity wasunequalled. "

"Hear, hear, " responded the breezy tars. 

Jimmy had another nip, beamed all over with merriment, and pledgedhimself to live for evermore up to the high reputation they had givenhim, which he was proud to believe he deserved. At ten p. M. The windand sea had increased, and the vessel was plunging her jibboom andbowsprit under. The second officer intimated that all hands would haveto be called to reef the topsails and haul the mainsail up and stow it, but his men were imbued with heroic dash, and would not hear of suchunseamanlike weakness. They assured him that they could take the sailin without calling the watch below. Amid much noise and many larks theymanaged to get the foretopsail reefed. A chanty was lustily sung whenhoisting the yard up, and when they undertook to reef the main topsailit was quite obvious the over plentiful supply of grog was takingserious effect. Their articulation became thick and incoherent. Theywere alternately effusive with joy and senseless laughter, andoccasionally quarrelsome. The lee yardarm man insisted on hauling outto leeward before the weather yardarm man told him to, which was ofcourse contrary to the order of nautical ethics. The situation becamevery strained between the men to windward and those to leeward, becauseof the profusion of tobacco-juice the former were expectorating intothe eyes of those to leeward, not intentionally, but with alcoholicrecklessness. The elderly stout man of the watch felt that it was noordinary occasion, and grunted out that he was b---- well going to lashhimself to the haulyards, as he felt wearied. The lee yardarm manmanaged to crawl in on the foot-rope, got into the maintop, and fellasleep there, while the gradual cessation of speech from the championsto windward indicated that they also slept. The second officer and thehelmsman conferred as to what had best be done, and concluded not torisk startling any of them out of their drunken unconsciousness byshouting, lest they should loose their hold and be smashed to pieces orfall into the sea; but as the watch was drawing to a close it wassuggested by the sailor who was at the helm that he should go up aloft, and make his way noiselessly to the weather yardarm, for the two menwho were there stood in the greatest danger. When he got to them hefound both had partially secured themselves, though the least lurch oftheir bodies would certainly have placed them in a more perilousposition. The young sailor's task was both delicate and difficult, buthe managed it so well that no harm came to them. One of the men, as isthe practice when reefing, was straddle legs on the yardarm, and had aturn of a rope round him. The other had his feet on the foot-rope, andhis chest rested on the yard. They made a good deal of jovial noisewhen they were aroused, with the obvious intention of making it appearthat they were very much alive. The stout man, who was in the slings ofthe mast, and the first to succumb, was rudely awakened by therollicking yardarm man slapping him sharply on the back and shouting athim, "what the h---- he meant by sleeping there and risking his ownand other people's lives?"

The phlegmatic gentleman grumbled out: "What business is that ofyours?"

"Why, " retorted the younger seaman, "you old scanamaran, you ought tobe put in irons for the remainder of the voyage, and have your wagesstopped into the bargain. "

This was rather high-class audaciousness on the part of a young rascalwho had just been rescued from a worse position while committing thesame offence. The task of getting them round was nothing compared tothat of getting them humoured into a sufficiently sober condition sothat no mishap would befall them in the process of coming down therigging. It is a perfect marvel how Providence protects people underthe influence of drink. Almost every step downward threatened acalamity, so they slipped from one rattling to another until their feetlanded on the topgallant rail, and they slid under the shear pole on tothe deck. The second mate was greeted with much affection; the attitudetowards him was that of men who had been a long time absent and comesuddenly in contact with a dear friend. He was sensible enough toreciprocate the kindness shown him. The reefed topsail was hoistedvigorously up to the accompaniment of rapturous song. This being done, the watch below was called, came on deck, and received a greetingunequalled in every sense, but especially in its spirituouseffusiveness. The faithful James was in great demand, and after aprolonged search he was found coiled up under the long-boat; anoutburst of fluent profanity indicated that his condition did notwarrant him being entrusted with any commission of grave, secretintricacy, so he was expeditiously stowed away in the galley for theremainder of the night, and the port watch that had just come on deckwere bitterly chagrined that they were not given the chance of"liquoring up, " as they called it, with their shipmates. The followingday they proclaimed Jimmy a pink devil for getting intoxicated, and hisconfederates were treated to a withering flow of invective for notkeeping some of the stolen property for them. The captain was serenelyignorant of what was going on, but in the morning at breakfast hisattention became centred on the worthy James, whose performances wereof an unusually destructive character. The steerage and cabin exhibitedheaps of broken crockery-ware, mixed with the humble repast that hungrymen had been looking forward to. Jimmy, in an ordinary way, was reallya devotee of religion, who adhered to all its forms most rigidly solong as drink was kept out of his way. He could quote Scripture by thefathom, and when in his cups used to do so copiously. The captain saidto him:

"Any one with half an eye can see, sir, that you have been at my grog. "

James became virtuously indignant. 

"Captain, " said he, in a thick, guttural voice which indicated whiskey, "you judge me wrongly"; whereupon, falling on his knees, he clasped hishands, and in the attitude of prayer began as follows: "O Lord, forgivethe captain. Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity: Ihave trusted also in the Lord, therefore I shall not slide. "

The mate, a burly fellow who stood hard by, muttered:

"Get up, you d----d fool. You _have_ slid. " Whereupon the pious Jamescalled him a liar, and continued:

"Examine me, O Lord, and prove me: try my reins and my heart. "

When he had finished the sentence, the captain interposed:

"I'm quite satisfied that you are intoxicated, and must request you, MrJones, to see that he is put to bed before he does any more mischief. Ishall keep my grog under lock and key for the future. "

This strong indictment caused James to become piously agitated. Themate eloquently remarked:

"Yes, it is all damned fine quoting Scripture, but that won't give usour breakfast. What do you say, Mr Second Mate?"

"Amen, " said the gallant officer, and, with a merry twinkle in his eye, he added in a whisper, "but I don't quite agree with the grog beinglocked up. "

Jimmy was very popular with all aboard, and everyone was full ofsympathy with him for having had the misfortune to fall into disgrace. In a few weeks after his fall he was paid off in Bristol, and tocelebrate the occasion he and a young lad, who was much devoted to him, had a glass together. He was very fond of his wife and his home, andused to confide all manner of sacred things to his young friend. Theywere walking down a fashionable street together, and observing awell-dressed lady looking in a shop window, he remarked to the youth:

"That is a fine dress the lady has on. I would like to have one like itfor our Nanny (meaning his wife). I wonder if it cost much. "

His young companion was eager to have some sport out of the incident, so he urged him to ask her how much the dress cost. He was not quitesure of the propriety of doing such a thing, but was reassured of thisby his friend in whose judgement he had profound confidence; so he wentup to the lady, took hold of her dress, held it up in his hand beyondthe limit of discretion, and asked her in pure Anglo-Scotch how much ayard it might cost. The lady was startled, and looked contemptuously athim. 

"Sir, " said she, "how dare you! whatever do you take me for?"

"I take you for a lady, " said Jimmy, "and I'm asking how much a yardyour dress cost, because if it's not over dear I would like to buy onefor wor Nanny. "

His young friend kept close to him, and was in convulsions of laughter;but seeing he was drifting into trouble he advanced towards where theystood and tried to explain to the lady that it was he who had prevailedupon his friend to satisfy his curiosity as to the price of her dress. Up to that point she seemed to be embarrassed, and did not know whetherto resent such unconventional conduct or not. She asked if they weresailors; they replied in the affirmative. It then seemed to dawn uponher that it was merely a mischievous prank being played on herinterrogator; but she was assured in a sailorly manner by both thatthey knew it was very funny, but they were in earnest all the same. Sherealized the true situation and laughed very heartily. 

"Come along, " said she, "and I will take you to the shop where I gotthis dress. "

Jimmy assented, but suggested that she should walk ahead of them; butthe lady insisted that she wished them to talk to her of their seaexperiences, and before the shop was reached James had told her withtouching simplicity about his fall and how penitent he was, and that hefelt he ought to do something for the wrong he had done his wife, whowould be very grieved when she heard of it. 

"Will you tell her?" asked the lady. 

"Tell her, " said he; "why, I wouldn't dare do any other. I tell hereverything. "

"Ah, " said she, "sailors are very confiding. Now we are at the shop;come with me, both of you. "

The material was asked for, and the announcement of the price nearlymade Jimmy run out of the establishment. 

"I am very sorry, " said he, "but I cannot afford to buy it. "

"How many yards does it take to make a dress for me?" asked the lady atthe shop-woman, without heeding his remark. She was told. 

"Then, " said she, "cut me a couple of yards extra, include thetrimmings, make it into a parcel, and send it and the bill to me atonce. Now, " she continued to her two sailor companions, "come to myhome with me and have tea; by that time the material which I havebought for your wife will have arrived. "

"Madam, " said the much-affected James, "surely you're no going to buythat garment for me?"

"Oh yes, I am, " said she, laughing; "don't say more about it, but tellme some more of your adventures. " And, fearing she was neglecting theyouth who had got over his frolicsome fit and become very shy, sheadded: "I wish both of you to talk to me. "

However, the youngster preferred to allow his friend to have all thesay, and contented himself by chipping in only when there was a pauseor when he was referred to. In due course they arrived at a mansionwhich stood in beautiful grounds. The sailors were in awe, andreluctantly followed their hostess. They had never seen anything likeit before. They were taken into a room that to them was gorgeous. Teawas brought in, and two other ladies joined the party. They made bothsailors feel quite at ease, and before very long they were talking withas great freedom as though they had been in the forecastle. The ladieswere made very mirthful, and laughed merrily at many of the quaintyarns that were told them, which were for the most part personal. Jimmytold them of his domestic bliss and the form of petticoat governmentthat controlled him in a charmingly simple way; and his companion hadto relate all about his home and when and how he came to go to sea. Hebecame quite confiding, and asked them to read some letters he had justreceived from his sister, so that they might form some idea of the homehe came from. They declared they were the sweetest and best-writtenletters they had ever read. 

"I am sure, " said the hostess, "you must be fond of your sisters. "

He admitted he had good reason to be proud of them, as they were notonly good sisters but clever ones. 

"But now, " said he, "it is time for us to go, and I thank you on behalfof myself and my friend for your great kindness towards us. "

Jimmy was handed his parcel, and in the course of a few originalsentences he committed himself, his friends and his family toobligations of gratitude for generations to come. A five pound note wasput into the hand of the younger sailor, who declined to take it, butthe good woman said:

"I am sure you will not intentionally give me pain by refusing toaccept a small gift from me. You have told me that it is your desire totake a present home to your sisters, and I wish you to buy somethingsuitable for them with what I have given you. "

"Yes, " said the young man; "but I intended to buy it with my ownmoney. "

"I know you did, " said she, smiling, "but I am informed you are goingto try and pass the Board for second mate, and that it will cost you agood deal. Now I wish you to get your certificate and to use your ownmoney to enable you to go to school and stay long enough ashore to doso without feeling pinched. "

With marked self-consciousness he agreed to accept the gift, and theyeach thanked her again with all the natural gratitude that sat solightly on this class of sailor. And when she and her friends saidgood-bye they felt that they had been the guests of big-hearted Englishwomen. As soon as they had passed outside the gate, Jimmy remarked that"there was none of the jellyfish shake of the flipper about them folk. "

The two friends walked down the principal street together, and had itnot been the prevailing opinion that sailors of that time did notmeditate either coherently or incoherently, they might by their mannerhave been thought to be in deep soliloquy, whereas their silence wasmerely momentary. Any one hard by could have heard a spontaneous "Well, by George, we are in luck! What an experience!" And then in a sharp, jerky utterance: "Why, there's Jack Rush ahead of us. Won't he get asurprise when we tell him where we have been and how it all cameabout?"

When they came up to Mr Rush he was found to be more thanhalf-seas-over, and commenced grinding out odds and ends of profanityabout the shabby trick that had been played on the port watch on theoccasion when the captain's grog was purloined and some people had tobe sent to bed. 

"Shut up about that, " responded the conscience-pricked James, in asudden gust of rage. 

"All very well for you to say 'shut up, ' but why the syntax didn't yousave some of the stuff for our watch: that's what I want to know?" saidthe injured mariner, with an intoxicated air of Christian virtue. Jimmy's friend, anticipating trouble, came to the rescue by judiciouslycalling his attention from his grievance and asking where theirshipmates were, as he wanted to stand drinks and relate to him and themthe singular experience and good fortune of Jimmy and himself. Whereupon Mr Rush became effusively obliging, and guaranteed to havethem in the midst of their friends in a few minutes. No furtherreference was made to the escapade that was remembered with suchaversion, and they were soon reunited to the whole of their comrades, who received them with the joy of reclaimed brethren. They had enteredupon the initial stages of a vigorous spree, and were cheerfully readyto listen to Jimmy's romantic story. They were not even envious of him, but they did resolve amid a chorus of merriment to emulate him in theart of sampling ladies' dresses, and in the exuberance of uncontrolledmischief some of them went forthwith on the expedition. Needless tosay the experiment was not an unqualified success. They found thattheir rude pleasures were neither understood nor appreciated by theladies of Bristol, and I have reason to know that some of the moreenterprising came to sudden grief. 

These freaks of sailor life are recorded, not with a view of holdinghim up as a drunken, ill-behaved, lawless creature, but merely asincidents that seemed necessary adjuncts of his calling, and for thepurpose of showing the mischief that may be caused by supplying himwith drink or putting temptation in his way. For even in these days heis deplorably susceptible to influences that are injurious to him. Heis very weak, very reckless, and also very human; but I am inclined todemur at the notion that in the good old times he was pre-eminently so. There is one characteristic of the whole class that should never beoverlooked, and that is their devotion to one another. 

VIII

GRUB

In the extreme end of the forecastle, above what is called theforehook, was a locker to keep the beef, duff (pudding) and sugar kids, bread barge and other small stores, such as tea, sugar, coffee, etc. Ifthese were not carefully covered over, and there was any rain, or ifsea-water came aboard, they soon were destroyed, and the apprenticewhose work it was to look after them was held to blame by the men whometed out punishment to him in one way or another, but they themselvessuffered the penalty of his fault, for they were reduced to shortrations until the following week's allowance was distributed. It wascustomary for the captain to weigh or serve out the stores, and many amean trick was adopted at the expense of the poor sailor by the use offalse scales, weights, or measures. I have seen instances of this mostwretched and meanest of all thieving more than once. One incompetentconniver at inexpiable wrong thought by cheating his men out of aportion of their meagre allowance he would make the insufficiency ofstores put aboard by the owner spin out till the voyage ended. Thewater was served out just as exactingly as anything else, and as soonas the day's allowance was handed over to each man, the bung was put inthe cask with canvas nailed over it, and the dipper, which is a long, narrow copper or tin pot, with a lanyard attached to it, was bent on tothe signal halyards and run up to the masthead, so that no one couldsneak any more water than their whack during the close time. In spiteof gross imposition, which, if committed amongst any other class ofworkmen would have provoked the spirit of murder, these jovial, light-hearted fellows were always ready if it was fine weather to spendthe dog watches in providing amusement for each other, and at the closeof each entertainment they never overlooked what was inherentlybelieved the patriotic duty of combining a display of loyalty to theirsovereign with a proportionate degree of disloyalty to the captain andowner who were responsible for supplying them with food that even aRussian serf might have felt justified in complaining about. So adoggerel verse was composed and sung fervently to a modified form ofthe National Anthem by way of intimating their grievance forcefully tothe notice of their commander. Relevancy did not come within thecompass of their thoughts; what they desired was to sing something thatwould strike home, so the anthem was chosen as the most fittingbenediction of all. Here are the words:

 God save our gracious Queen! Long may she reign over us! Pea-soup and pork amongst all hands of us, Not enough for one of us, God save our Queen!

After this had been repeated several times over, it usually happenedthat one of the songsters who claimed to be gifted with moreperspicuity than his comrades would remind them that he had seen theold squirrel wriggle under the lash of the song. And so their wretcheddays of starvation were often made shorter by a more or less harmlessattack on the poor skipper, who might only be the instrument of aparsimonious managing owner. But that was not the only method adoptedof showing their dissatisfaction. The seaman who had the most flippanttongue and legal mind was chosen (or, as frequently happened, heselected himself) to introduce a deputation of the whole forecastle. Ialways look back on these episodes as amongst the most comical of mysailor life. The spokesman would pick up the unpopular food, and withthe air of an oriental dignitary march at the head of his shipmatesright up to the captain, plant the wooden kid down on the deck at hisfeet, and ask if that "was the sort of grub for men to do a hard day'swork on; besides, it was beef or pork, not bones or fat pork we signedfor. " If the captain happened to be a conceited, combative person, hewould at once reply that he fed them according to what he thought theywere worth. Then there were heated altercations, which sometimes endedin blood being spilt, or some of the crew being put in irons and loggedfor having instigated rebellion on the high seas. "I'll teach you toimpeach my authority, " the stupid, arbitrary tyrant would say; "youshall be fed on the smell of an oil-rag in future, and have your wagesforfeited at the end of the voyage into the bargain. " Alas, this wickedthreat was too often carried into effect so far as the forfeiture ofwages and ill-treatment were concerned. Whereas the diplomatic, sensible master would deal with a case of this kind in a way that wascalculated to soften Jack into a condition that resembled penitence, and make him feel as though he were a pig for having complained in thisdirect way at all. I know there are cases that cannot be dealt with atsea in any other than a despotic fashion, and although there is nonecessity to show weakness, there is as a rule a better chance ofgoverning men by kindness than by adopting a harsh, unyielding attitudetowards them, as though they were Mohammedan dogs. 

A vessel short of provisions is seldom heard of in these days of steamand up-to-date precautions, but a generation ago it was a commonoccurrence. Landspeople used to speak of it as one of the ordinaryrisks of a sailor's profession that the general public had noparticular interest in, excepting that it added somewhat to seafaringromance. I have often wished that those whom I have heard speaking in acasual, airy fashion of this phase of sea-life could have the facultyof imagination put into them so that they might realize what reallyhappened to those who had to experience the manifold sufferings andprivations of being short of water and provisions in mid-ocean wherethere was little chance of seeing a sail for days, and when perchance avessel was seen, the weather might be so boisterous that communicationcould not be effected, or _they_ might even be short of provisions. In order to minimize the suffering of hunger and thirst, sailorssometimes buckled their stomachs in with a belt, and those who had nota belt did so with cord. Hunger is a terrible sensation anywhere, butit is doubly intensified at sea when there is no hope of it beingappeased, and the whole surroundings become impregnated with a sense ofcoming doom. Those who have never known the pangs of prolonged hungermay have some idea of it conveyed to them by trying to imagine thatsome wild animal is tearing at their internals. That is an accuratedescription of it, and I should like to know what other thing iscalculated to create madness sooner. Sailors of that generation nevermade a noise about their troubles once they got ashore and left themastern, and so the possibilities of recurrence were left open. Onefeels inclined bitterly to assail the owners, their captains and thegeneral public, for having allowed such things to happen, but in commonfairness we must put some of the responsibility on the seamenthemselves for playing into the hands of a gang of unmitigatedblood-suckers who, in some cases, purchased silence by payingcompensation for the time the men were short of grub; but never morethan the bare cost of the food for the time they were short of it wasallowed. In the majority of cases payment was evaded altogether. I havebeen amongst this sort of thing on several occasions, and feel somedifficulty in writing with calmness when I reflect on all theunnecessary hardships and sufferings that were caused by sheer wantongreed. On four different voyages I learnt how terrible it was to beshort of provisions and water, and in three out of the four this waspreventable. The first case was excusable owing to the long continuanceof easterly gales in the chops of the English Channel. Some vesselsmanaged to reach Scilly or Falmouth, but many failed to do so, and wewere amongst the many. On several occasions we were nearly able tofetch into port, and then the wind increased and we drifted back intothe ocean. This gaining and losing process went on for three or fourweeks. Each fresh sail sighted was signalled or hailed to the effectthat we were short of provisions and asking if they could supply us, and invariably the reply came back, "Impossible: our supplies have runout. " We in turn were frequently appealed to for succour, but had toplead the same thing. The one redeeming feature of the criticalposition of the large fleet that was held in the grip of the wind forso long a time was the knowledge that we were all in the samepredicament, and if we could not supply each others' wants we had atleast the pleasure of companionship, and this kept us from losing hopeuntil a slant of wind came to our aid and carried us into port. In thiscase we had been on very short rations for many days, and yet there wasnever a word of recrimination, and singularly little grumbling exceptat the perversity of the wind. 

Nothing whatever could be said in defence of the other cases, for thevessels were not only sent away from a home port criminally short ofsupplies, but they left the port at which they loaded for home withonly sufficient stores to last half the time it would take to make thepassage with average success; and not having any good fortune at all, our allowance was reduced before the passage was half covered. We sweptpast the last port of call with the wind right aft. The captain andsteward knew that the provisions were getting low, but the formerdecided to trust to Providence giving him a fair wind all the way, sowe romped along for several days, and then adverse winds came andeverybody realized the seriousness of the position. Orders were giventhat all hands had to be put on half fare, and not many days elapsedbefore every article of food was exhausted and we had to broach ourcargo of lentils and sustain ourselves on lentil soup. Even that had tobe sparingly used on account of the scarcity of water. On some days wedrifted under two close reefed topsails into the heart of the westernocean and out of the regular track of vessels bound out and home. Whenever the weather fined down, sail was set according to the force ofthe wind which kept in the N. E. , varying perhaps a couple of pointseach way. A look-out man was kept on the maintopmast crosstrees fromdawn until sunset each day to watch for passing vessels, and long, painful days rolled on without our sighting anything. Sometimes a sailwould be seen hull down or too far off to attract attention. Thisnaturally had a saddening effect, and we wished they had never beenseen; but in spite of privations, which increased day by day, there wasa gaiety kept up until the last sweeping up of the provision lockershad taken place, and we were reduced to the exclusive diet of boiledlentils, which I have heard is considered by some people to be aluxury; but whether this be so or not, I never wish to realize itstaste again. May Providence protect me from ever again having to put itto my lips. 

Up to a certain point our impoverished crew had borne the strain ontheir minds and stomachs very manfully, but the period of despair wasnow come. They talked indeed of which one among their comrades shoulddraw the lot that by shortening his life would prolong theirs. Sicknesshad smitten some of them so that they could barely crawl on deck. Eachday showed signs of a galloping atrophy. Letters were written to theirrelatives conveying in a matter-of-fact way all they were enduring: noflowery phrases; no attempt at effect; but merely a statement of baldfact. These communications were to be put into the orthodox bottle anddropped into the sea in the hope that the sombre tidings would bepicked up and read at home. The stage of openly cursing the owner hadlong since passed. Now and again they wondered if their spirits wouldhaunt him in the event of their having to succumb, but that was only apassing mood. Their thoughts were mainly centred on charitable anddomestic matters, and what would be the end of all their sufferings. Itis a strange destiny which causes the agony of despair to be prolonged, and then when life seems to be flickering out, suddenly the angel ofdeath is withdrawn and light and life burst forth with a radiance thatfills the sufferers with hope. The look-out man at the mast-head shoutsas loud as his strength will allow: "A sail! A sail on the starboardbow, crossing our track! The vessel is hull down. " Immediately thewhole crew except the man at the wheel are in the rigging scanning thehorizon, and a running flow of conflicting opinions are expressed as tothe exact course she is steering and whether she will discern our flag. The captain gives peremptory orders to set every stitch of canvas andease the yards, so that his vessel might go quicker and meet the otherat an angle. Something like superhuman effort was made by enfeebled mento get the canvas smartly set. The sight of the vessel impressed themas a providential apparition. In less than an hour the hull came inview. It was seen that the stranger was under a cloud of sail, including royals, and topgallant studding sails on both sides. A freshwind blew right behind her, and the sea, though not rough, was showingwhite feathers on the surface of the Atlantic rollers. The signal thatwe were without any provisions was hoisted, but no notice was taken ofit. Night was drawing near, and the clipper was slipping fast away fromus. Our captain ordered his vessel to be hauled close to the wind againin case the flags might be obscured by running free. It turned out thatthis might have been the case, as we had no sooner manoeuvred in thisway than they began to take the other vessel's studding sails in andhaul to the wind. Our vessel's course was shaped towards her, and whenwe had got fairly close to her both vessels had all small sail takenin, courses hauled up, and their main yards laid aback. Our pinnace wasthen hoisted out, and we proceeded to row alongside a beautiful teaclipper. We were a lantern-jawed, scarecrow lot, and our generalappearance emphasized the story we had to tell of the privations we hadsuffered. We had scarcely strength enough to lift the oars into therollicks, much less pull the boat through a choppy sea. The captain andcrew of the British clipper were very kind, supplied all our needs, including tobacco, though we did not ask for the latter; this wasobviously given to express more emphatically their sympathy and kindlyfeelings towards us. Very little water could be spared, as sailingvessels at that time were nearly always stinted in accommodation forwater supply, but we were very grateful for the sacrifice the captainmade in allowing us to have even a few breakers full. The act whichtouched the heart-strings most was the request made to their captain byhis crew to be allowed to row the supplies to our vessel. It wasgranted by him and thankfully accepted by us; and over all the yearswhich have passed since that scene took place it has constantly livedin my memory as one of the many traits that endear the sailor to hisfellow men. This self-sacrificing crew had been caused much additionalhard work on account of our misfortunes; some of them were losing theirwatch below; and all of them had the arduous task of hurriedly takingin the necessary sail and manipulating the yards so that acommunication could be effected, and then, after their mission wasdone, the vessel was put on her course, and all the work of settingsail, etc. , had to be done over again. We knew all this, and thereforeappreciated all the more the little touch of sympathy which promptedthem to add to their labours by undertaking the work they saw we werehardly fit to perform. Before leaving the hospitable deck of theclipper our captain made a well-chosen and appropriate little speech ofthanks to our benefactor, by whom it was suitably responded to; andthen a cordial shaking of hands took place, and we parted with heartsfull of gratitude to those who had so beneficently helped us. When wegot aboard three cheers were rung out from both vessels, and then theiryards were filled and sail made, and we swept away from each other intothe gloom of the gathering night. 

An unthought-of protracted passage was in front of us, and long beforeit was completed the fresh water ran short again; but we were more inthe track of vessels then, and succeeded in getting a further supplywhich lasted until our arrival at Falmouth, where all our ills weresoon forgotten amid the charm of its scenery and the atmosphere ofcongenial excitement which the tavern of that day afforded. Songs weresung and step-dancing, such as none other but a sailor could do, asusual aroused and kept local interest on the stretch. The audienceswere composed mainly of sailors, their sweethearts for the time being, or those directly interested in him. Indeed these were occasions whenthe place was kept humming with a salty brightness. Jack had thesingular gift of making his own amusement, and so long as he kept fromtaking too much drink he was not only a source of pleasure to himself, but in his way entertained other people. Of course the sailors here, asalways, told their experiences to each other when they met, andincidentally their owners came in for a share of contumely such as"God-forsaken robber, " or "scrape-backed thief who was not fit to carryguts to a bear, " and other more or less harmless invectives. 

The men were rarely vindictive or bitter even, after the thing hadpassed on, and an example of this was shown in the story I have beenrelating where there was just cause for resentment and claim forcompensation, and yet none was made, nor was compensation asked for oroffered in the other two cases which I have mentioned, although theywere on almost identical lines with the first. On these last occasionsthe crew lived on Indian corn for two weeks. The corn was put intocanvas, battered as small as possible, then put through the coffeemill, and after the last process it was made into bread or puddings;but the mill did not last long, so we were driven to eat it in a veryrough state, and soon experienced the penalty of doing so. We could nothave kept on eating it. The captain reported that he had been obligedto broach the cargo for food, and the receivers charged him with theestimated amount used. He and his crew thought this very mean, and Ithink I remember them expressing strong regret that they hadn'tscuttled the ---- ship and thereby have inflicted great personal losson the owner of the cargo who, they apprehended, would have rather seenthem starve than that a bag or two of his cargo should be used for thepurpose of saving their lives. That was the impression they had formed. Of course it was a harum-scarum impression, but it gratified them tohold it. The real culprit was the owner of the ship, who had notprovided sufficient stores. He had not escaped notice, but the meanersinner had obscured him for the moment. 

An extraordinary characteristic of this age was the sailor's jealousylest improper innovations should be introduced into the mode of takingtheir food. Knives and forks, cups, saucers, soup and plain plates werea violation of sound forecastle principles, which in their eyesthreatened a coming degeneracy of the profession. Their use was viewedas an attempt to become aristocratic, and those who dared adopt it werelooked upon as fops and mongrel seamen. The average man believed in histin pot, plate and pannikin, galvanized soup spoon and clasp knife;there were no second course articles recognized. The tin pot had a hookin front so that it could be hooked on to the galley grate to boil, though it was not uncommon in long voyage ships to dispense with thehook pot and have instead a large kettle for the whole of theforecastle hands. The tidy man kept his utensils spotlessly clean. Atseven bells in the morning the watch below were knocked out to havebreakfast; this generally consisted of cracker hash, i. E. , bread hash;or cold salt beef or pork, whichever joint they had had on the dayprevious hot for dinner; if she was a well-found ship butter wassupplied; they always had tea or coffee for the morning meal. If thebreakfast was of beef or pork, the platter or kid was put on the floor, and each seaman took the piece of meat he intended to cut in one hand, cut it off the junk with his clasp knife in the other, and if by anymeans he happened to touch that which he did not cut he was submittedto severe chastisement by being forcibly put over a chest lid and givena dozen hard slaps with a boot jack. The piece of meat intended to beeaten was put on a hard ship biscuit which served the purpose of aplate, and was cut as required with the clasp knife and put into themouth with the right hand. Dinner was served at noon. On Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, it was beef and duff, according to scale;Saturdays, beef and "strike-me-blind, " i. E. , boiled rice; Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, pea-soup and pork. The mid-day meals werepartaken of in a similar way to the breakfast, except that the tinplate was used for either duff and molasses, or pea-soup, or rice; itmight not be used for the beef or pork--this greatly depended on thenatural delicacy of the seamen, many of whom proclaimed that fingerswere made before knives or forks, therefore it was proper that theyshould be used in preference. If he possessed a chest he sat on that, and his knees served him as a table; if he had no chest, then he sat onthe floor or on the forehook, i. E. , a beam which stretches across thebows. This class of food and the method of eating it went onuninterruptedly during the whole voyage. The duff, which was made offlour, water and fat, was boiled in a canvas bag made in the shape of anightcap; it was very leathery, and was responsible for much dyspepsia. It was cut into equal parts according to the number of men who were toshare it. On Sundays a few currants or raisins were scattered amongstthe flour and water; this was considered a luxury which was often takenoff at the caprice of the captain. Sailors have the character of beingborn grumblers, and their knowledge of maritime law is much exhibitedby them at meal times. Poor creatures, what trouble they get themselvesinto at times through this belief of theirs in their legalacquirements! There is a story of a sailor who, insisting on breakingthe law because he was positive he was not breaking it, got himself putinto prison in consequence, whereupon a forecastle friend called to seehim. He immediately exclaimed on seeing and shaking hands with hisfriend, "I know d--n well, Jim, they cannot put me in here, and they'llhave to pay for it. "

"What's the use of talking such d---- rot, you fool? Why, you _are_here!"

On another occasion a large, square-rigged vessel belonging to Londonarrived in the West India Docks, and the captain, on being asked by hisowner what sort of a crew he had, replied that they were sailors allover, always grumbling about their work or their grub, and it did notmatter what they got to eat they would always find something else theywanted. The owner declared that _he_ would provide a meal for them that_would_ satisfy, and there wouldn't be a single request for anythingelse. The captain said he did not know what he was undertaking. Theowner said: "Well, captain, if I do not succeed in satisfying them Iwill pay you one hundred pounds. "

"Done, " said the skipper. 

The crew's accommodation was in a house on deck; it was arranged tohave the skylight up and the side windows open, so that everything thatwas said could be heard outside. The meal was cooked and served byfirst-class men, and it was given on the occasion of the owner'sbirthday. A large party assembled aboard, and the host addressed themen appropriately, asking them to accept his hospitality. The sailors'spokesman replied that they never wished to serve a better governorthan he, and the banquet commenced. The owner, his wife, and hisdaughter--a beautiful girl of twenty--together with the captain, wentquietly up the ladder at the fore-end of the house and listened to whatwas said. The owner was grateful at hearing such good things said abouthimself, though the eulogy was flavoured with a pungency of languagethat was not intended for delicate ears. At last one of the crewfinished, tossed his tin plate on the floor, and said:

"That's a damned good dinner, boys. "

A second, third and fourth said the same thing. The owner was worked upinto an ecstasy of joy, and poked the skipper in the ribs as the otherskept throwing their plates down and expressing satisfaction. The ownerwhispered: "It's a walk over, captain. "

"Not yet, " responded the skipper. 

The last of the three broke the continuity of complete satisfaction byremarking that the dinner was all right, but to make it perfect theirwives and sweethearts should have been asked. The captain becameobviously nervous, and asked the owner and his wife and daughter towithdraw, but they refused. Then came the last but one, who said thatthe only thing that would make the dinner faultless to him would bethat he should propose marriage to the owner's daughter and beaccepted. The mother and daughter became virtuously agitated, and thecaptain again urged withdrawal, but they insisted on staying for thelast chap's opinion, who became eloquent in his praises of allconcerned. "But, " said he to the last speaker, "you want to have theold man's daughter in marriage. I don't mind her so much; the onlything that would make me satisfied with the thing would be for theowner to die, so that I might marry his widow and get the coin. "

The captain nearly took a fit, and the worthy host exclaimed: "Oh, mondieu!" Thereupon the ladies became hysterical, and the commander havingrecovered from his embarrassment, said:

"Well, I suppose you will admit that I was right?"

"Yes, " said the owner; "I never for one moment anticipated it wouldtake both my wife and daughter to satisfy them, but you have won, andmy faith in the possibility of pleasing sailors is broken. You shallhave the hundred pounds. "

There is a more recent story, which is said to be quite authentic. Itneither belongs to the class of vessel or period with which I amdealing, but there is something in it that is characteristic of the oldsea cook who was devoted to his ship and his employer. Lord RandolphChurchill was travelling on a steamer owned by a well-known Line, andhad reason to complain of the cooking and the quality of the food, sohe wrote in the visitors' book that both were bad. The old chief cooktook it to heart; and several years after poor Lord Randolph had ceasedto live, as the old man himself lay dying, his family saw there wassomething troubling his mind. They asked him if it was something inconnection with his work. 

"Yes, " said he, mournfully, "it is, and I want you to send for Mr----, " who was an old and trusted servant of the Company. The officialwent to the cook's home, and before leaving him asked what it was thatmade him unhappy. 

"Well, " replied the old fellow, "I have never got over what was saidabout the food years ago, and I wanted to see you about it, so that youmight hear me say before I die: 'May the Lord forgive Lord RandolphChurchill for saying the cooking and food of the ---- Line was bad!'Now I have got it off my chest I can die happy. " And before theofficial left, the old man had passed away. 

Amongst the numerous traditions which cling to the sailors of thesegood old days of which Mr John Ruskin used to speak so reverently, wasone of a London baker, who was known to have amassed fabulous wealth inmanufacturing biscuits from ground bones and selling them for humanfood to complaisant shipowners who were of kindred spirit to himself. Hundreds of poor seamen who were obliged to eat this vile stuff calledbread, provided by their God-forsaken employers as per scale of onepound per day per man, had their bodies saturated with disease. Nay, hundreds of them were killed by its use, and those who survived itspoisonous effects had to thank the pure air of the sea and a good dealof self-sacrifice on their own part by preferring to starve themselvesrather than eat it. 

This system of villainy was openly carried on long after I first wentto sea, and although the London purveyor had passed to another place hemust have left behind him a set of imitators who acquired an equallycharming aptitude for murder by supplying vessels with deadly food ofone kind and another. The tradition went on to say that ultimately hedied, and having sold himself to "Jimmy Square Foot, " his spirit wastransferred from Ratcliffe Highway to a volcanic island in theMediterranean called Stromboli. There he frequently appeared in hisprofessional garb, standing by the edge of the crater along with hissatanic friend who was reputed to have secured an eternal lease of thisrock in order to provide a suitable abode for some of those to whom hehad been closely attached during their earthly pilgrimage. Whenever thevolcano was unusually active, the sailors who were in the vicinitywould say, "Ah, Jimmy is taking it out of the old Baker to-night. "

The first time I visited this part of the world, the vessel I served inwas creeping close past Stromboli with a light wind. Some of theforecastle hands became reminiscent. They spoke of how they had beenfed on biscuits made by the gentleman whom they had seen standing bythe molten fire gesticulating to be taken from it. Strange tales wererelated as to the reality of this notorious person's existence. Ilistened with feverish greed to the yarns until my vision becameconfused and I fancied him not only close by me but imagined I heardhis sombre cry of despair beseeching our compassion. The sailor'sdelight in hyperbole led one of our comrades to relate most charminglythe story of the baker's first appearance in Stromboli. An Englishbarque some years ago lay becalmed within a mile from the Strombolishore. The captain and officers knew the biscuit manufacturer well. Thechief officer whose watch it was walked the quarter deck in deepmeditation. A sailor who was at the wheel suddenly became aware of twofigures close to the crater. One was stoking and the other wasvehemently urging him to greater effort. He called out excitedly:

"Look! Who's that standing by the glare of the fire? My God, if we werenot safe on salt water I would say we were near enough to hell!"

"What do you mean?" asked the flurried chief officer. 

"I mean, " said the sailor, pointing towards the shore, "the flames andthe figures yonder. May heaven send a breeze so that we may get awayfrom the sight of it. "

The mate was over-awed; he steadied his nerves, took up the telescopeand looked towards the crest of the hill for a few seconds. The glassdropped suddenly from his hands on to the deck, and he exclaimed:

"The Lord save us! It is the London baker with Jimmy Square Foot. Jumpdown and call the captain while I say a few words of prayer. "

The hand who aroused the commander told him that they were too near thenether regions. The captain rushed on deck, and in a nervous tone askedwhat was the matter. 

"The matter?" responded the officer, "_there_ is what's the matter. Look at them, and if you are not satisfied that we're as near hell asever we will be until we get into it, I am. "

The captain was agitated and tremulously stuttered:

"Why it's the baker! How piteously he pleads to be rescued, but we cando nothing for him. "

The day, hour and minute of the appearance were entered in thelog-book, and when the vessel arrived home, the tale was told andparaphrased in a way that attracted national attention. The comparingof notes disclosed that the entry in the log-book correspondedchronologically with the date and time of the baker's death. 

Contemporary with this traditional gentleman was a well knownshipowner, who was notoriously mean and wicked towards the sailors whomanned his ships. Prayers of a highly peculiar character werecontinuously made that he should be transported to the same region ofwarmth as the Baker. Of course all shipowners are relegated to theseparts when they do anything to excite the anger of Jack. But the ownerof whom I am writing had put himself beyond all forgiveness; he was anunspeakable wretch who would stoop to the most revolting methods ofsensuality. The sanctity of homes was invaded by the fiend who carriedon a double game of starving his men and destroying all that was dearto them. The curses that were continuously poured forth upon him fromall parts of the world cannot be spoken; they may only be imagined. Ultimately he died amid a storm of rejoicing, and when the hearse cameto take him to the graveyard the horses are said to have refused tocarry the body. It was no sooner placed in the hearse than they wentwild and smashed the conveyance; other horses were brought up, but theywere equally obdurate and violent, and it became necessary to employmen to carry the coffin, but only the lowest roughs could be found forthe service. The community, especially the seafaring part of it, wereconvinced that his wickedness had been so great that even the devilrefused to have anything to do with him in a respectable country. Hewas forthwith passed on to Stromboli to assist the Baker in his arduoustask of keeping the fires going, and for the purpose of confirming thesailors' belief in the law of retribution. This traditional person wasa butcher--if it be safe or lawful to use such a phrase as "tradition"in connection with one of the mariner's solemn planks of faith. He lefta large fortune behind, which has been a curse to his descendants, andit would have been a great disappointment to the contemporary seamen ifit hadn't, as much of their time was used in the imprecation of ghastlyforms of punishment and in imagining modes of disposing of what theyvehemently avowed was ill-gotten wealth. 

In my youthful days I listened to these tales and drank them in withjuvenile credulity. How often have boys remained on deck during theirwatch below to get a glimpse of these personalities, and sometimes Iimagined I could see all that others had told me they had seen. Incidents of this kind varied the monotony of a long passage, as thetalk about it went on until some other thing equally sensationaldeveloped. To make any attempt at ridiculing the reality of such thingswas to offer a gross insult to the seamen's susceptibilities. 

To say that shipowning, even in the early part or middle of the lastcentury, was synonymous with a system of heartless starvation would betoo sweeping an assertion to make. There always have been men whostrove to act generously towards the people serving in their vessels, though these, I am persuaded, were in the minority, and it is to thecredit of that minority that they had to struggle against precedent, example, and it may be the habitual conviction that it was part of thesailor's business to take whatever food was put aboard for him. Runningshort of provisions was to them only an incident natural to thesailor's calling. This view had been handed down by successivegenerations of avaricious stoats, not the least prominent andcontemptible of whom was Elizabeth, with her chilly heart, at one timereceiving from Drake the spoils of his voyage in the _Pelican_; atanother walking through the parks publicly with him, and listening witheager fascination to his stories of "amazing adventure, " adventuresthat some of her Catholic subjects maintained to be "shocking piracy. "We all remember the story of his sailing off with bullion from Tarapacaworth half a million ducats; also of the chase and capture of the_Cacafuego_, which had aboard the whole of the produce of the Limamines for the season, consisting of silver, gold, emeralds and rubies. The hanging of Mr Doughty Philips, the spy, was talked of; the cuttingoff from the Church of God for cowardice of the chaplain, Mr Fletcher, and the chaining of his leg to a ringbolt in the deck until he repentedof his sin. And she is so much interested in all these things that aroyal banquet is held aboard the _Pelican_. Her Majesty attends andknights Drake. Mendoza demands for his master the stolen treasure. Leicester wants to share it with his friends; but Elizabeth puts herfoot down and maintains it to be a legal capture which must be held. She conceives this to be a part of the game. Subsequent events causeDrake to plead with her to grant supplies, and she rebukes him for hisextravagance. The Armada is close at our shores. Lord Howard remindsher that food is exhausted and that her sailors are having to catchfish to make up their mess, and yet they are praying for the quickarrival of the enemy. Their commander says English sailors will do whatthey can to vanquish the invaders, but they cannot fight with famine. "Awake, Madam, " writes the poor distracted Lord admiral; "awake, forthe love of Christ, and realize the danger that confronts the nation. "He managed this time to squeeze one month's rations out of her, butwhen asked if any more should be provided, this lovely virgin monarchreplied peremptorily, "No!" And when the great Armada came in sightthere was but two days' food remaining. "Let tyrants fear, " she says;"I have always so behaved myself that under God I have placed mychiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good will of mysubjects"!! She knows that she has the body of a weak and feeble woman, but she is assured she has the heart of a king, and rather than anydishonour should grow by her, "I myself will take up arms and be yourgeneral, judge and rewarder of all your virtues. " That is all verypretty, and sounds pre-Napoleonic, but we cannot all swallow sweet, cantish little nothings in place of food and wages. Better would ithave been had Elizabeth shown some practical evidence of "devotion" toher "people" by granting supplies and food to her starving sailors whofought and won in the most deadly naval encounter that the world hasever known. Their stomachs were empty but their hearts were big, thoughmany of them went under with sickness brought on by famine, while sheheld tight that seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds which Drakebrought home for her. It is amazing that a historian should be found toregard that speech of hers as being "free from affectation. " But onehistorian not only says this, he adds: "She was the protector of hercountry, and the prudent executor of its will. " She was nothing of thesort; on the contrary, she was a cold, greedy, heartless termagant, whorisked the loss of her country by her parsimony, and it was only savedby the dauntless courage of the famishing seamen. I think that is oneof the most gruesome and humiliating pieces of British history: for themonarch of a great empire to exhibit herself in the light of a sailor'sboarding-housekeeper; squeezing his life's blood out, and herselfhanding down to posterity a character for meanness that would put tothe blush the owner of a collier brig whose main idea of economy may bestarving his crew. When I hear her spoken of as the Good Queen Bess, Ithink of how she ordered the Puritan lawyer, John Stubbs, and theprinter of his pamphlet to be led to the scaffold and have their righthands driven off by the wrist with a butcher's knife and mallet, andhow in God's name she commits many other unspeakable acts ofdevilishness, the most dastardly of which was her refusal to providefood for the thousands of brave men who saved her and her kingdom. Whata contrast between this woman and the great Queen Victoria, whose longcareer is free from a single act of cruelty, and whose whole life teemswith good deeds, while Elizabeth's reeks with an odour so bad that nostudent of history can peruse the account without wondering why she wasallowed to live; for truly she was as bad a shrew as ever wore a skirt!

IX

MISCELLANEOUS

Fifty or sixty years ago the N. E. Coast ports were all tidal; noharbours of refuge; no twenty-four feet on any of the bars at low wateras there is now; no piers or breakwaters projecting as they do to-dayfar into the German Ocean. It therefore frequently happened that duringneap tides there was not sufficient water over the bars for even theshallowest drafted vessels. In that case, if the weather was fine, i. E. , wind off the land, and smooth water, the vessels were takenoutside, and the balance of their cargoes sent to them by a peculiartype of lighter known in that part of England by the name of keels. These craft were skilfully managed by two men called keelmen, whoworked them up and down the stream with the tide and manipulated themwith long oars. One of these lighters was being rushed out of the riverby a heavy westerly wind and a current of abnormal velocity. The twomen were doing their best to control their little vessel towards itsdestination, when the skipper spontaneously observed that they weregoing to drift out to sea unless aid came to them, or some means ofstopping her progress were not adopted. He naturally bethought himselfof the anchor, and shouted out to his mate:

"By gox, Jimmy, w'or gan to drift into the German Ocean! Let go theb--y anchor!"

The mate shouted back:

"What the devil's the use of lettin' go the anchor when there's nechain fast te'ed?"

"Never mind a d--n about that, " shouted the skipper at the top of hisvoice and with feverish excitement. "Chuck the b--y thing ower andtrust to Providence for'd hangin' her. We better de that, ye' fool asdrive to Norraway or some other place o' worship!"

The anchor was thrown over, but Providence did not yield to Geordie'spersuasive ingenuity, thereupon his faith gave way and he switched hismind and utterance on to a singular form of petition to "Had her, Lord, had her" (hold her). History tells us that Geordie believed this latterappeal to have been answered, as it fell calm, and the sea becamestill. 

Some sailors were rowing off to their vessel in a jolly-boat on thesame occasion, and when the wind went down a dense fog came on, withthe result that they missed their ship. They were all night in the fog, and in the morning as there was no indication of it clearing up theywere filled with anxiety. At last one of their number said there wasnothing else for it but to pray, and called upon a companion to do so, but he said that he had never prayed in his life. 

"I don't know what to ask. "

"Divvent ask, " promptly replied his shipmate, "until you've made allkinds of promises"; whereupon all kinds of specific pledges of anextraordinary character were prompted, and the praying commenced andwas continued with great facility and becoming earnestness, when all atonce the sailor who had suggested prayer called out:

"Stop, stop! Don't commit yourself too far. I think I see the land, "and the man who was in the act of praying opened his eyes, beheld theland himself, and called out:

"Why the devil didn't you tell me sooner, before I made all thempromises?"

"I cautioned you as soon as I saw it myself, " said his friend; "whydidn't you keep your own eyes open?"

"Eyes open, d'ye say? How d'ye think a man can pray with his eyes open, you fool?"

 * * * * * *

These men belonged to an old-fashioned race, sailed in old-fashionedships, at a time when the old-fashioned winters, as they are sometimescalled, were a terror to underwriters, owners and seamen alike; for theeasterly gales always left in their wake along the whole seaboardrelics of devastation. Wrecks used to be strewn all over the coast, andsombre tokens of bereavement were everywhere visible. When the WhiteSea, Baltic and St Lawrence were closed to navigation, the class ofvessels that were employed in these trades were either sent to the Bayof Biscay or the coast of Portugal with coal in order that they mightbring from that country to this cork or salt, or both; and from theFrench ports in the Bay of Biscay cargoes of sugar were frequentlyobtained as return cargo; but the coal freights were generally so goodat that time that vessels could be brought back in ballast and _then_leave a big profit. 

Owners, however, always aimed at getting employment over the wintermonths in the coasting trade to France or London, and when freightswere depressed beyond paying point they did not hesitate to lay them upuntil the White Sea and Baltic season came round again. It frequentlyhappened that this course had to be adopted, and the ports all alongthe coast became blocked with idle tonnage, and the little townsovercrowded with seamen, who, as a rule, stuck to their ships and didodd jobs, without pay, until the time came for them to be again engagedin active service. It was customary for the captain and mate tospecially look after the vessels when laid up so that no harm came tothem, and they were expected to do so without remuneration. The honourand pride in those earlier days of having command or being mate of evena leaky old craft was very pronounced. Each brig, brigantine, orschooner, carried three or four apprentices. These lads were allowed10s. Per week, which was called board money. The owners, it may bepresumed, found it cheaper to make this arrangement rather than havecooking aboard while the vessel was laid up; but though an allowancewas made for food, it was a standing instruction that at least two outof the four boys should sleep aboard the ship, and as soon as she wasput into commission none but the oldest apprentice could have theprivilege of sleeping ashore. This personage, by the way, was looked upto as a kind of Mogul even by his commander, but especially by theyounger apprentices. He claimed the right indeed to chastise a waywardyouth with the rope's end, and when very bad offences occurred, adouble punishment was inflicted by keeping the little delinquent ondeck in the cold at night, until his superior thought fit to pardonhim. On the other hand, I have seen a mate soundly thrashed by thissame person for striking a young boy during the process of a voyage. Such were the peculiar ethics of this class of seamen that, while theyconceived it to be their duty to uphold the dignity of discipline whenthey were in supreme control of the little colony of apprentices duringthe time the vessel was laid up in port, they would not brook unduephysical interference with their co-apprentices on the part of thechief officer when in active commission. Sometimes the stay in portwould last three months. The master and mate were in attendance everyday, and in order that their berths might be retained, the sailors cameaboard on fine days, repaired sails, running gear, standing rigging, scraped and tarred the holds out, scraped masts, painted yards, scrubbed bottom, tarred and blackleaded it, and, in fact, when the timecame to fit out for the spring voyage to the Baltic, the little vesselslooked as trim and as neat as it was possible to make them, and therewas little left to do except bend sails and take stores aboard. 

[Illustration: A NORTHUMBERLAND HARBOUR. ]

Nor were the apprentices allowed to be idle. Each day they had to washdecks when the tide was up, and although it may seem a very smallmatter to refer to, it is worthy of note that the drawing of water bythe youngest boy was the occasion of much interest to the onlookers, who always congregated in large numbers on the quays when anything ofthis sort was being done. The bucket which supplied the water wasstropped with rope so that it did not injure the side of the vessel;great care was observed that no harm came to the planking, no matterhow old the craft might be. The boy was expected to draw with suchrapidity that the person who was throwing the water along the deckshould not have to wait. It was considered quite an art to throw thewater properly, and also to supply it, and it taxed both the strengthand the deftness of the youngster; many a wigging he would get in theprocess of training even in this small matter. 

The two youngest boys took week and week about in keeping theforecastle clean. It was insisted that the floor should be spotless. This was enforced by the oldest apprentice, and he had to account tothe master if it were not as he wished it to be. They of courseassisted the men during the period of inactivity, but on those dayswhen no work was being done by the sailors it was usual for the mate togive them so many _nettles_ to plait: that is, five or seven rope yarnsplaited into seizings for _bends_ in hawsers, mooring chains, andropes. Sometimes the mate was a person of artistic taste, and in thatcase they would be given bucket strops or man ropes to _graft_, orturkheads and _grafting_ to work on to some deck arrangement oryardarm, and bunt gaskets to work with marline. Indeed, the course oftraining was so systematic and so perfect that these young fellows longbefore their time had expired could do anything that a sailor might becalled upon to do. To be taunted with laziness was a grievousindictment. The average lad of that period would do himself physicalinjury in the effort to avoid such a stigma. They prided themselves onbeing the pupils and under-studies of the finest sailors in the world;and so they were. When the time came round for the spring fleet to fitout, there was great commotion amongst the little community. The crewsemulated each other in the effort to make their vessels look smart, andthe distinction of being first ready for sea claimed a prominent shareof their ambition. They knew also that they would be subjected to thestern criticism of the female population, the limitations of whichwould not necessarily be confined to wives and sweethearts, or evenrelations. 

Neither men nor women found companionship in books. If the women readanything, it was what the newspapers said about shipping movements, andit is safe to say very few concerned themselves about that. So theirmental energy found an outlet in the gossip of things nautical. Theyknew by instinct almost when a vessel was thoroughly cared for, andalthough they might not be able to call things by their proper names, they never liked their husbands or sweethearts to have any hand in, orassociation with, an untidy vessel. Hence, to secure approval fromtheir women critics, these sailor men and apprentice lads would strainevery faculty to have sails stowed in a cloth, that is, stowed so thatnot a wrinkle could be seen anywhere. The youngest apprentice furledthe royals and staysails, two other boys the topgallant sails, and allthe crew, except the master, the larger square sails. The yards weresquared by the braces. The lower yards were made to correspond with thetopsail yards by means of the lifts, every rope was hauled taut, andevery coil round the belaying pin was made strictly uniform. Every endof a rope had to have what is called a cross-whipping to prevent theend from becoming a tassel. A well-worn, though authentic story, whichbears on this, did service many times in those days of nauticalrectitude. A gentleman was brought from another district to our littleport to serve as chief mate aboard a hitherto well-kept brig, and hischief characteristic was in neglecting to conform to one of the greatessential nautical principles by allowing everything to get intodisorder; warps and rope ends were allowed to go without whippingsuntil it became an eyesore and a subject of strong condemnation. Hiswife, who did not conform to the orthodox faith, began to drawcomparisons, and vigorously proclaimed that her husband's taste was athing to be emulated. "Look, " said this incensed lady, "at the fringesand tassels. Do they not look better than having things tied up likewhipcords?" But her ęsthetic opinions did not prevent her husband'sservices being dispensed with. 

I have said that some of these small vessels were in the St Lawrencetrade carrying timber from Quebec, and grain or timber from Montreal. They usually went out in ballast in order to make two voyages duringthe season, and there were very few that did not succeed in doing it, provided they kept free from accident. The spring voyage was fraughtwith great danger owing to large fields of ice and icebergs driftingout of the St Lawrence across the Banks of Newfoundland. Sometimes thespring fleet would be fast for days, and many of them got badly damagedin the effort to force a channel through the ice-field, while some gotso badly crushed and damaged that they foundered. That was a realdanger at the beginning of the season, but it did not compare with thedanger of encountering the terrific westerly hurricanes that swept overthe Atlantic in the fall of the year. We speak sympathetically aboutthe six and seven thousand ton steamers that tramp across during thewinter months at the present time, and yet it is less than fifty yearssince the whole of that trade was done by tiny brigs and barques wholeaked and worked like Russian prams, but were handled with an abilitythat saved both them and their crews many times from destruction. Everyautumn some of them became waterlogged, and not a few were never heardof after leaving the port of loading. The owner of an old brig which Iknew very well was induced by the high rate of freights from Montrealto fix her to load a cargo of heavy grain from that port. Some of theowner's friends expostulated with him on the danger of sending so oldand small a vessel to the St Lawrence so late in the season. "Old?"said the owner, "hasn't she had new decks? And you call her small! Whatabout Drake's ships that he sailed to the Pacific Ocean and all overIndia with? Why, the largest wasn't half the size of mine! No, gentlemen, ships were built to go to sea, not to lie and rot at thequays. " So to sea she went, and arrived at Montreal none too soon toassure the completion of her loading and sailing before the winter setin. She was, however, quickly loaded, and sailed on her homewardvoyage. A quick run was made to Cape Breton, and thence through scoresof "Codbangers" right away to the edge of the Banks of Newfoundland. Anchors, boats, hatches and everything else were made secure inanticipation of a wild passage. The studding-sail booms and other sparsor planks were lashed at each side of the hatchways in order to breakthe weight or fire of the sea before it tumbled on to them. This wasthe old-fashioned plan of protection, and I hope it is still practised. I have often had recourse to it myself both in sailing vessels andsteamers. There was no Plimsoll mark in those days, and thiscockle-shell of a vessel was literally loaded down to the scuppers. Awesterly hurricane struck her just after crossing the Banks, and shewas run so long before it that to attempt to heave to meant certaindestruction. 

The whole length of two hawsers were put out at each side of thetaffrail, and as the mountains came roaring along, towering far abovethe stern of the little ship and threatening her with extinction, thesehawsers broke the wrath of the rollers, and made them spread intomasses of prancing foam. The captain and crew said they would neverhave been able to scud before the hurricane but for their influence. She arrived at Queenstown a complete wreck having been literally underwater or covered by it from leaving the Banks until they passed theFastnet; bulwarks were gone fore and aft; boats were smashed, but thehatches were intact. The captain had been so long without sleep andproper rest that he had lost the power of sleep. His nerves were sobadly shattered, and his physical endurance so completely exhausted, anew captain had to be sent to relieve him, and the poor fellow neverreally regained his normal state afterwards. I have often heard him say"it was death or glory; scud, pump, or sink, " which was one of thecommon phrases used by seamen in describing circumstances of thisnature. 

Stories more or less sensational are written from time to time of theterrors of a passage from Liverpool to New York aboard one of the WhiteStar or Cunard liners, or even a passage on an ordinary ocean tramp, and although I would not under-estimate either the danger or thediscomforts of either the crew or the passengers aboard one of these, Iam bound to say they can only form a meagre conception of what it musthave been like on one of the diminutive frail sailing crafts that builtup the supremacy of the British mercantile marine. No one can reallyimagine the awfulness of the work these vessels and their crews had todo except those who sailed in them. This vessel, like many others ofher class and size, did useful work in her time in building up ourtrade with other parts of the world. Distance and danger were noobstacles to the crews who heroically manned them. They feared nothingand dared everything. Their pride of race was inherent. They aimed atupholding the fine traditions of their nautical forbears, andcontemptuously ignored the right of other nations to a place on thehigh seas. It was their dominion, and their prerogative therefore tomonopolize them. Uneasy, ill-informed, political propagandists andcommercial theorists would do well to ponder over what it has cost incourage, in vital force, in genius and in wealth to build up an edificethat represents half the world's tonnage. This structure of nationalstrength has been erected without the aid of subsidies or bounties, andit may be not only maintained without them, but grow still greater ifit is left alone to pursue its natural course under a system thatbrought us out of commercial bondage into a freer air over fifty yearsago. That system has been the secret of much of our success, and oncewe embark on the retrograde course of protection then that will be thebeginning of our mercantile decadence. Is the heritage not toomagnificent, too sacred, to have pranks played with it?

THE END

THE WALTER SCOTT PUBLISHING CO. , LTD. , NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE. 

BY THE SAME AUTHOR. 

"WINDJAMMERS AND SEA-TRAMPS. "

_With Six Full-page Illustrations by Thomas Runciman. _

"The special attractiveness of the volume arises from the fact that theauthor began as a cabin-boy, worked his way up to master, and is now aleading steamship manager, and that he has been at the pains toepitomise his experiences and state his views. "--_Fairplay. _

"In _Windjammers and Sea Tramps_, Mr. Walter Runciman, sen. , has puttogether memories and information drawn from many years' experience ofthe British mercantile marine, mostly in sailing vessels. "--_St. James'Gazette. _

"His yarns are chiefly of the things that took place a generation ago, when there was far more brutality on ocean-going ships than there is inthese more enlightened days. "--_Daily News. _

"Mr. Walter Runciman, sen. , has given the characteristic title, _Windjammers and Sea Tramps_, to a little book of recollections andopinions on the merchant service. His pages are full of experience andrich anecdotage, and smack refreshingly of the sea. "--_ManchesterGuardian. _

"Mr. Runciman packs together a surprising amount of information on ourmerchant service, and his modest hope that 'he has succeeded in makingthe book interesting' is very fully justified. "--_Saturday Review. _

"To all lovers of the sea, to all those whose hearts go the merrier forthe sight of a ship or a yarn with an old salt, this book will come alittle sadly, and bring regrets for the old days and the deadtraditions. Not many men now living can remember the old seaorder. "--_The Speaker. _

"Mr. Walter Runciman is a practical sailor. He has had experience ofthe sea in many capacities, and this lends weight to his opinions onmatters connected with the mercantile marine and interest to thevarious yarns which he has to spin. "--_Pall Mall Gazette. _

"Every self-respecting Briton knows that a windjammer is a sailingvessel, and the book before us, written by a man who 'went in at thehawse-hole and came out of the cabin-window, ' should commend itself toa maritime nation. "--_Birmingham Gazette. _