Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-07-27

below to sleep out the remainder OF our
| four hours. one of which has been lost.
| At eight bells, or A. NJ. We are called
for the morning watch. On going on deck
we find the sun shining brightly. and the
! long. rolling swell is al that is left to re-
mind us o. the storm of few honrs pre-
vious. Before turning to for work we will
get our breakfast. Each man takes his
pot-hook or tin cup. and walking to the
galley receives his supply OF coffee or tea
as the case NAV be. and mayhap small
chunk of salt beet, if any happened to be
left from the rations of the day before.
Returning to the forecastle he sits down
upon a sea chest. and. helping himself to
bread from the locker. enjoys the frugal
repast as best he can. About half an hour
is allowed for breakfast. and then COM
mence our labors for the day. Changes
necessary to the sails and rigging, taking
our trick at the wheel, and numerous
small jobs will occupy most OF our
time, probably. till eight bells again
come around, which now means II NJ.
Then the watch below are called, and we
get our dinner This sumptuous repast
will consist today of beef, which we sail
ors call s.salt horse. 1T certainly is Il
tough one,-and duff" which last is a
composition of -four, grease and raisins
mixed up into a dough and boiled like an
old fashioned bag pudding. They are
placed together in large iron kid and
carried to the forecastle and each man
helps himself with a sheath knife to what
ever he deems his share. Add to this a
little tea or coffee without milk or sugar,
and you have the dinner of foremast
hand Some days instead of beef we have
pea soup. or lobscouse, which is mix
ture of pork and potatoes tried up togeth
er. Thee. and few like dishes, consti-
tute the entire bill of fare for poor Jack
on long voyage. After dinner is over
all hands are on deck until dark. 1t may
be fine weather and moderate, and there
may be consequently very little to do as
far as sailing the vessel is concerned, but
sailor must never be idle, and it is the
business of the mates to find plenty for him
to do. He will consequently find himself
picking oakum, spinning rope yarn, plait-
ing sinnet or perhaps setting up some Of
the standing rigging which may be slack,
scraping masts or yards. painting bulwarks
and deck houses. tarring rigging or doing
any one of thousand and one other jobs,
too numerous to mention.
At 4 P NJ. the dog watch commences,
being but half the duration Of an ordinary
watch. its object being to change the ro-
tation of the night watches. At 6 O'Clock
we have our supper. which is about as
elaborate as our breakfast was After
this all hands remain on deck till 8
o'clock, when the Captains watch goes
below, and we, being in the mates watch,
have our first watch to night, and to-mor-
row night the Captains will come first
again.
We have tried to give fair specimen
OF a sailors life at sea for twenty-four
hours. The routine is at best a dreary
one, but of course, it is sometimes easier
and sometimes very much harder than we
have depicted it. In some vessels we find
Jack at work all the afternoon. and some
times even all day, with the exception of
the second dog watch, which, if the
weather be fine, is generally given him.
Then he is allowed to spin yarn or sing
a song, as his fancy may dictate. Some
captains are good, kindhearted men, and
others just the opposite. so that Jacks
position is very much influenced, by the
kind of master he has. The life of sail
or, at best, is a hard one, full of suffering,
toll and privation We have tried it and
know from experience, and if any of our
boys who picture to themselves the life OF
a seaman in glowing colors, will 90 one
year before the mast in a "square rigger,"
and not change their minds, we shall be
very much Mistaken Good Cheer.