Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1885-12-05
SUNDAY ON BOARD.
HOW JACK MANAGES TO WASTE HIS
WEEKLY HOLIDAY.
A Prerosative That He Insists Upon. but
Which Gives No Pleasure-A Sunday
without Chaplain
Sunday Lost
fNew York Timas.l

New York Times1
Jack consents to be deprived Of many
comforts and advantages which the hum
blest working landsman has Ho puts up
with the most trying hardships and allows
himself to be restricted in the quality and
quantity Of his food; he accepts without a
shudder imitation tea and coffee, but
nothing will induce him to give up his holt
day. II he Is on an American ship he must
have his Sundays and Fourth Of July, and
II he Is on an English vessel, he must have
his Sundays and his Christmas True, his
holiday may DO lacking in agreeable foat-
ures It may be dreary, withered, abject
mockery Of holiday, but Jack has 1t just
the same.
WITHOUT CHAPLAIN.
The ship holiday Is demanded by the
sailor and given by his employers for rest
and recreation. Although both the skip
per and Jack ought to be religious, neither
is 80 inclined, and, generally speaking, no
part Of Sunday on board ship is devoted to
religious exercises On the average we'll
regulated man. of-war there is chaplain
who makes IL his business TO remind the
mon on every first day OF the week that
tbere are certain duties not connected with
the handling Of the ship which IL would DO
we'll for them to turn their attention to oc-
casionellY. But the great bulk OF this
worlds tonnage consists of merchant YES
soils, which are unpro vided with chaplains
Ono occasionally reads In moral story
books about some sweet-faced, tender
hearted sea captains wife who makes 1t her
business TO render jacks holiday agreeable,
and at tho same time to fill his honest brain
with moral precepts and useful knowledge.
The philanthropic sweet faced 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, and the weekly
holiday which he insists upon having is
passed something after this fashion. The
sleepy membors Of the watch on deck yawn
and rub their eyes with irritable looks when
they are requested by the mate in charge to
turn to-"
THE SUNDAY PROPER.
Although IL Is holiday tho decks r.ust
DO washed dow II the brass FURNISHED
up This is work Of cleanliness, and Is
consequently classed as holiday rest and
recreation. The men, unmindful of this
great truth, grumble while at tho work.
When washing down the quarter dock inn
mediatoiy above the captains berth they
drop their buckets and stamp as much as
possible. When passing the forecastls doors
they find some excuse for yelling like fends
II the captain or their shipmates OF the
other watch who are then resting should be
awakened by these noises it is OF course
their own fault. The cook appears to be
cross when he enters the galley. and he pre-
pares as wretched breakfast as possible
for the inmates OF the forecastle, but with
Wow to self-preservation he cooks a much
better meal for the captain and the Other
people Of the cabin
After eight bells sound the men are sup
posed to begin their holiday proper, al
though they are liable to be called ON at
any moment TO aid in the handling Of thu
ship The breakfast, OF course. docs not
cheor the men, They are all cross They
wash and shave themselves, and this pro
cess seems to render them all the moro cross.
The leading bullies glare at each other and
seem spelling for a fight. but out OF natural
.,arverseness they stubbornly refrain from
entertaining thsir shipmatss with hand
to-hand combat
After the cleaning process has besn fin
ished, those who have spent the first morn
ing watch on deck try to get little Sleep
The men Of the other watch, mindful Of the
proceedings which accompanied the wash
ing down of the decks, become noisy and
the would-be sleerers get little rest. III the
meantime the cook, who has felt hurt be.
cause none Of the men have praised the
breakfast, proceeds to concoct dinner
compared to which the breakfast was a
banquet
IN A CHEERFUL WAY.
After this meal had been disposed of the
ebb tide of the crews cheerfulness sets in.
Those who have put on their best clothes
arc even crosser than those who have on
their worst habiliments A few Of those
who can read take out dog's-earsd novels,
and spell over them. Others play cards for
plugs of tobacco and quarrel over the game
like group Of cutthroat pirates Those
who can think of nothing else to do swear
roundly at anything and everything in the
hope Of keeping up their spirits
After the men have finished the supper,
which consists Of the lsavings Of the break
fast and dinner, they begin, strangely
enough, to grow more cheerful. Their oaths
are brisker and crisper as a rule, than dur
ing the afternoon or morning. Some few
entertain their shipmates with interesting
"reminiscences Of their last stay OH shore. A
few play at cards, but they do not quarrel
with the ferocity which characterized their
games in the afternoon. Some OF the sailors
realize that tho holiday has been wasted,
and resolve that on the next Sunday thoy
will make it their business to enjoy them.
selyes