Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-19
SUNDAY on BOARD SHIP.
HOW POOR JACK WASTES HIS
WEEKLY HOLIDAY.


A Prerogatiye That He Insists Upon
but Which Gives Him No Pleasure
A Day Devoted to q 4mblinR, Grum-
bling and swearing-SOme Things that
Exist In Imagination and Reality.
Although the exigencies of sea lie are
such that the sailor cannot hope TO enjoy
himself as thoroughly as he might were
his lot cast on shore, he still insists upon
attempting to sweeten mis- existence by
some OF those luxuries TO which the PAM
pered landsman has grown 50 accustomed
that he regards them as necessities.
Jack has With a commendable show of
resignation agreed that he viii when at sea
refrain, except when under certain surTep-
utiOus circumstances, from indulging in
intoxicating liquors, and he has even
consented to do without female society
when on board ship, but he draws the
line at tobacco. He puts up with the
most trying hardships and allows himself
to be restricted in the quality and guam
tlty OF his food; he accepts without shud-
der imitation tea and coffee, but nothing
would induce him TO give up his holiday.
If be is on an American ship he must
have his Sundays and Fourth of July,
and If he is on an English vessel be must
have his Sundays and Christmas.
The ship holiday is demanded by the
sailor and given by his employers for the
purposes of rest and recreation. AL.
though both the skipper and Jack ought
to be religious, neither is so inclined, and,
! generally speaking, no part OF Sunday on
board ship is devoted to religious exer-
cises. On the average well regulated
mRn-0t-war there is a chaplain, who
makes it his business to remind the men
on every first day OF the week that there
are certain duties not connected with the
handling Of the ship which it would be
well for them TO turn their attention to
occasionally. But the vast bulk OF this
worlds tonnage consists Of merchant
vessels which are unprovided with chap
! lains.
Occasionally some missionary on his
way to the cannibals tries to keep his
/ hand in by attempting every Sunday to
convert the sailors Of the vessel on which
he has taken passage. On the average
mail steamship there is usually al least
one Clergyman who is willing TO help Jack
/ to kill a portion of his Sunday holiday
with an appropriate address in which
Jonah and the whale figure largely. But
/ there is no merchant ship owner who is
/ philanthropic enough to provide his veg
sci with chaplaius. There are chaplains
who labor among merchant seamen
/ while on shore, but 1t does not seem to
pay either from a temporal or a spiritual
standpoint to supply a small crew OF
sailors with a chaplain. Consequently
/ Jack ia allowed TO spend his Sunday holt
day like the genuine practical heather
| that he is.
One occasionally reads in moral story
| books about some sweet-faced. tender
hearted sea captains wife who makes it
her business 10 render Jacks holiday
agreeable, and at the same time to fill his
D hon krng =
useful knowledge. The philanthropic
/ sweet-taced captains wife unfortunately
exists only in the fertile imagination of
! the moral rOmancer. The captains wife
IN reality does not care how Jack spends
| his Sunday.
! Alter eight bells sound the men are SUP.
posed 10 begin their holiday proper, al
/ though they are liable to be called on at
! any moment to aid IN the handling OF the
ship. After the usual morning wash and
breakfast have been finished, those who
have spent the first morning watch on
deck try to get little sleep. The men of
the other watch mindful of the proceed
ings which accompanied the washing
down OF the decks, become noisy and the
wOuld-be sleepers get little rest. In the
meantime the cook, who has felt hurt be-
cause none Of the men have praised the
! breakfast, proceeds to cOncOct a dinner
compared to which the breakfast was a
! banquet. Every thing which is not over
done is UNDERGONE, and the favOring is
/ put in with a view to scandaliZing the
most easy-going palate in the whole ships
company.
When this meal has been disposed of
the ebb tide of the crews cheeriulness
sets in. Those who have put on their
best clothes are even crOsser than those
! who have on their worst habiliments. A
| few of those who can read take out dogs
/ cared novels and spell over them. Others
| play cards for plugs OF tobacco aud quar-
| rel over the game like group Of cut
throat pirates. Those VINO can think of
nothing else 10 do swear rOundly at any
thing and everything IN the hope of keep
ing up their spirits. Thus passes the
afternoon away.
After supper, which consists of the
leayings OF the breakfast and dinner. the
men begin TO grow more cheerful. Their
Oatns are brisker and crisper, as rule.
than during the afternoon or morning.
Some few entertain their shipmates with
| interesting "reminiscences of their last stay
on shore. a few play at cards, bat they do
not quarrel with the ferOcity which char
acterized their games in the afternoon.
| When the dog watch is drawing to a close
they join in a song. To be sure. the song
is not hymn, since it contains a smat-
tering OF profanity and various other OBJ
jecti0nable features. Still the singing Of
it indicates a return Of brotnerly feeling
| among the men, who, by the completion
Of the dog watch, have become almost
jolly. But Jacks change OF spirits has
come TOO late. His holiday is already
over.
had A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTa.
| Seaman from Gibraltar Ohfects 20