News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-01-24
WHAT JACK GETS TO EAT.
THE FORECASTLE NOT SWIMMING
WITH MILK AND HONEY.
The Cooks Duty Done When His Dishes
are Warm-SailOrs Allowed to Smell
Pork Chops at Intervals.

The sea cook prepares for the sailol
several dishes which are rarely met will
on shore. ''Dandyfunk" is the name by
which one of these compounds is known
This is made of ship-biscuit and molasses
The biscuits are placed in a bag and
beaten with an iron Delaying pin or &
hammer until they crumble. The ada
1nantine qualities of the biscuits are such
that much physical force must be called
into play in order to crumble them. As
this work is more than the, cook wishes
to undertake, he usually delegates it tc
one of the ships boys. The fragments
of the biscuit are mixed with molasses
and the compound is placed in a large
pan and baked. It is immaterial to the
cook how long it remains in the oven.
It is usually served out to the sailors al
supper, and when the hour for that mea,
arrives the dandyfunk comes out of the
oven. It is much more digestible when
it has been we'll burned than wher
underdone. In the latter state it is
somewhat trying to the stomach. A
very hungry sailor will never refuse
dandyfunk, although he does not regard
that dish as luxury. But there is
something about Jacks countenance
when engaged in masticating dandyfunk
which would lead an observing philoso
pher to fancy that if the choice were
given him he would prefer to eat some
thing else.
''Cracker-scouse' is another of the
dishes which are rarely eaten except in
the forecastle of a ship. This is made
out of fragments of biscuit and odds and
ends in the beef or pork line. The bis.
cults are carefully soaked until they &C,
quire some of the peculiarities of soft
ness. Then they are mixed with the
meat scraps 4and..z placed in a kettle.
The compound is heated, and IS served
ing has been gone through. The cook
usually selects the fat scraps of meat
which cannot be disposed of in any
other manner, for scouse. The biscuit
are usually the poorest in his stores,
and apt to be inhabited by small white
creatures, which are particularly OBJ
noxious to the palate when eaten raw,
but when cooked in scouse are less oh.
jectionable. Some fastidious sailors at
tempt to remove the little creatures, but
they find it very difficult to do this work
thoroughly. "Lobscouse" is somewhat
similar to cracker-scouse. The only diff
ference between the two is that in the
former potatoes are used, instead of bis
cults. "Cracker-hash" is another sailors
dish. Crushed biscuits and meat scraps
are hashed together, and, after being
moistened with warm water, are placed
in pan and baked. Jack prefers this
dish to dandyfunk. ''Sea-pie" is a
favorite of his. This is stew of meat
and vegetables, which is covered ovel
with thick crust and baked in large
kettle. As vegetables are not plenty al
sea, Jack rarely gets sea-pie unless his
ship is in port. 'Duff'' is flour which
has been boiled in canvas bag. Tc
obtain ''plum-duff'' is is simply neces
sary to throw a handful of unstoned
raisins into the -four. Plum duff is
served only on grand occasions. Canned
meat and hot water is a luxury which
the sailor speaks of as ''soup-and- bully. ,
The beef consumed in the forecastle is
called "salt horse" and is usually of al
inferior quality when it is picked. L
does not improve with age, and toward
the end of long voyrge it is apt to be
come very unpalatable. Jacks meat die
while at sea is confined to salt horse anC
pork, which sometimes becomes rancid
His coffee is compound of chiccory
and ground biscuit, while his tea is {
mixture of leaves which never come from
China, molasses takes the place of sugar
and condensed milk and butter are IN.
known. Vinegar is provided in limitei
quantities, and on English vessels the
seamen are given lime juice to counteract
the evil effects of the salt provisions
The sailor sometimes steals few pota
toes and slices them up in vinegar. This
is the only salad which he gets at sea-
and this he is obliged to steal. Beans
are a luxury of which Jack is very fond
and as they are cheap and keep well, he
is som etimes allowed to make a dinner
of them. Pea soup is the only dish con.
cocted in the forecastle which the lands.
man likes, but that the sailor detests.
The deep-rooted antipathy of the latter
for this wholesome compound has never
been accounted for. Pea soup and pork
are frequently set before Jack and he as
frequently grumbles and swears. Some
times when in very bad humor he will
leave the pea soup and pork and make
his meal out of dry biscuit.
Captains have often complained that
one of Jacks worst vices is disposition
to grumble about the wholesome food
with which he is provided. When a ship
enters port fresh meat is at once pro-
cured. 1t is said that simply because
such meat, although undoubtedly fresh,
did not happen to be tender, ungrateful
seamen have been known to describe it
as being fully as tough as the hinges OF
a certain very hot place which is never
lightly mentioned by goodpeople. There
is a legend among old Captains to the
effect that one of their number once
demonstrated the fact that sailors were
chronic grumblers, and that they would
not be satisfied even with the best OF
fare. The hero of this legend laid in a
stock of the finest provisions and pro-
cured large chicken-coop. An extra
cook was employed, and instructions
were given to pamper the seamen in the
highest style known to gastronomy. But
the men seemed unhappy. They were
gloomy while gorging themselves and
sadly reflective afterward. One
dark night the Captain stole foreward,
and observing two old seamen standing
in the lee of the long-boat, he listened
to their conversation. 81 say, Bill, "
said one of the old salts, 81 think as it Is
a bloody, blasted, bleeding shame that
we don't getro more pork norpea soup. "
The average Captain thinks that it is a
sin to have any of the stores wasted.
The meat may become rancid and the
biscuits may be inhabited by white
crawlers and little black ''weasels," but
the food is still nourishing, and it must
be eaten. Seaman who, when they
reach port, complain that they were not
provided with proper food usually pre-
serve samples of the meat and biscuit
which they were obliged to eat. The
Captain assures the Commissioner who
investigates the matter that he himself
had partaken of the same viands which
the ungrateful seamen refused. He ex-
amines the samples with interest and
shifts at the meat as though he were
sorely tempted to bolt it on the spot.
Some Captains, however, make it point
to see that their men are fed as well as
the circumstances will admit. On their
ships the salt provisions are good and
butter and sugar are allowed. When IN
port, there is always an abundance of
fresh meat and vegetables. At sea pig
is occasionally slaughtered and the men
are provided with fresh pork.
When such vessel is in port in some
distant portion of the world her sailors
are enyied by all of the less fortunate
seaman in the harbor. The converse
ton in the forecastles of those ships on
which only the allowance of provisions
prescribed by law is given out invaria-
bly, turns on the generous Captain and
his happy men. One of the sailors who
nrnfasses to have been on board the ship