The Republican journal., 1881-06-02
Sailor Life.

kleD OF DINNERS FURNISHED Al SEA.
But the forenoon watch is nearly over seyen
bells--half past eleven-have struck, and at noon
Jack dimes when he is at home 1t is beef and
duff day Yesterday there pea soup and
pork. The duff was made an hour or two ago
and nothing remained 10 complete Jack 5 pudding
but to boil it. 1t is now boiled and ready for Jack
to eat. and SO is the beef The beef is torked out
first from the copper and thrown into mess kid ;
then the pudding is shed out and dropped into
cold water after which the bag is opened and the
pudding slides out Of it, and falls, rather heavily,
into another kid. A boy or ordinary seaman from
each watch lays hold OF the kids belonging to his
mess. and CONVEYS them into the torecastle, by
which time, eight bells having been made by the
shippers seXtant. all hands assemble in the fore
castle and dinner begins. There is never much
ceremony in Jacks home, though what etiquette
there is is very stringent In the forecasle there
are no tables. The men help themselves, cutting
of a Junk of beet and lump of duff with their
sheath knives, each man udging-and judging
very accurately-how much he should take, SO
that he may not come Oft better nor worse than
his mates, and walking away with his tin plate
either to his bunk or to sea chest, or wherever
else he may feel disposed to sit. One may easily
conceive that Jacks appetite is usually very good
and though the fumes from the mess kids de-
cidedly more greasy than most land going palates
would relish, and though the beef may seem to
have queer color, and though the duff strongly
resembles mass Of putty after it has been turned
about by the hands Of glaZer, yet can only
hope, for the sake OF the poor fellows who sit in
all sorts Of places and attitudes munching the
queer repast with more or less avditY, that the
meat and the pudding are to Jacks taste and that
brny as they both are-that quality not having
been diminished by the salt water in which they
were bolled-notbing more unpleasant than the
excessive sadness predOminates over the general
flavor.
For when add a small allowance of molasses-
and every ship does not yield her forecaste so
much-and gill of rum, have so far as my own
experience goes, exhausted Jacks bill Of fare 1t
is beet and duff, pork and pea soup, tea and vine
gar, rum, biscuit and lime juice And those who
know the life will admit this, that-so far as re
spects the quality OF these articles as we find them
at seattle diet sounds very much nicer than it
looks and locks very much better than it eats
Let the public, therefore believe that when sail
Ors, charged with refusing to work ship. Satstac-
torily prove that the food served out to them was
not fit to be eaten, they deserve great deal more
compassion than is usually shown them, for their
sutterings very much keener than they have
the gift to express. To properly understand the
sutterings a sailor made to endure by such wick
ed neglect for instance, as that OF provisioning a
ship with bad stores, you should dwell for while
III his torecastle go shiyenng from the cold wet
decks to his narrow bunk his thin blanket and
straw Mattress be reused out twenty minutes at
ter, half asleep, to meet the sweeping ram ard
spray. and give battle to the iron hard canvas
that thundeTs IN the blackness aoft. be hungry
and thirsty with him. and eat from his mess kid
and drink from his Scutte butt. The routine is a
dreary one. We have followed it to the hour of
noon. and what has been written needs only to be
repeated to complete the record of the twelve
hours. lCor. London Universe