Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-07-27
Mrsfeiiarr1'-s
BEFORE THE MAST;
OR TwESTY-FoUR Hours OF A SAILORS
LIFE.

OR TwESTY-FoUR Hours OF A SAILOR
LIFE.
One of the first dreams of boyhood il
of the sea and the sailors. and many are
the ianciful pictures painted of life or
the rolling Deep" imagining that the
career OF a sailor is full of fun, frolic
and happiness. How pleasant" think
these young theorists. ito be sailing on
the mighty ocean, visiting the far-ofl
countries of the earth and seeing all man
ner of strange people and their customsp'
How little are they aware OF the tolls and
privations that fall to the fate OF poor
Jack, of the countless dangers he must
necessarily encounter and the thankless
life that ne, through the force of circum-
stances, must leadi
w. Clark Russell. who has himself been
sea farer, says: 81 remember the case
of snip bringing up off certain pert,
with a signal for assistance flying. On
being boarded her crew were found to be
in a state of mutiny. They were sent
ashore and locked up for the night. and
next morning were taken before bench OF
magistrates. They stated that the pro-
visions on board their ship were not fit
to give to dogs On this, an authority,
deputed | believe by the Receiver of
Wrecks, was dispatched to examine the
vessels stores He shifted, tasted, and
said that the men were right have no
doubt those men thought it very hard to
be locked up for refusing to perform their
part of the compact, until the: man they
had signed articles to serve under per-
a l. A. 4 ~.
rough halt clothed, dark-skinned crew,
all of them looking very earnestly, al
most wistfully. at the magistrates, answer
ing questions with sailor-like promptitude,
carrying no defiant air in their folded
arms and yet by their attitude and ex-
pressions conveying a deep sense of the
right OF their cause and the unfairne 8
OF their treatment, my imagination fol-
lowed them into their forecastle. | thought
of the hardships of their life, the un-
savoriness of their TODD. even when the
best OF its kind and wondered what sort
of picture of forecastle life those mag
istrates, who were asking the men ques-
tons, would draw were they requested to
write down their ideas upon paper
For the benefit of some of our young
folks, whose Imagination is likely to mis-
lead them in regard to the life of sailor,
we will give. without exageration, a
sketch OF the life of foremost hand on
square rigger," for twenty-tour hours
We are in the first mates watch, and
come on deck al 8 bells, or II 2. M
We have had our watch below during the
first part OF the night, that is, from p
NJ. to II p. NJ The night is a disagree
able one, cold, dark and stormy, and as
we emerge from our den of forecastle
and we feel the storm tull in the face, we
perceive that the weather is what would
be called decidedly nasty. We have on
our oil-skins and sou'westers, otherwise
we should soon be drenched to the skin
We are hardly on deck when our work
begins. That yard must be squared. this
sheet made fast, that sail clewed up and
another reefed, etc. The wind seems to
be breezing up, there is an increased slant
to the deck. and the waves as they strike
against the bow occasionally break and
flood the main deck making it decidedly
unpleasant footing. We have been on
deck now nearly two hours, and busy all
the time. Presently the mate bawls out
in his deep, hoarse voice, I'm with the
outer jib Get tor'ard there, men Come,
be lively! Lay out, men! !" The vessel is
now pitching around good deal, and at
every plunge the sea goes over her bow
spirit, and often even over the foot of the
llving jb- boom. We feel our way out as
well as we can, nothing separating us
from the angry waters below but the Slip
perry foot-rope. We have to lean well
over the iib-boom to catch hold of the can
vas. which is hanging down and starting
away to leeward. To appreciate the mo-
ton of a ship well one wants to be ont on
the iib-boom one moment you feel YOUR
self rising it would seem to the verv
clouds, and the next sinking down into
n iathomless ABYSS. We have the outer
jlb nearly slowed, and are about ready to
90 in, when messmate alongside of us
cries out: Look out for the sea Hold
FAST for your life ~ Almost involuntarily
we throw ourselves forward, and hold on
to the gaskets for dear lite, and not a mo-
ment too soon. for the next instant a mon
strous wave rolls full fatbom over our
heads, and we emerge. gasping. and chok-
ing like halt-drowned rats. Our job fin,
ished. we hurry in, being so fortunate as
to escape another sea- We are hardly on
deck when we hear 4 bells strike. 1t is
O'Clock, and time to relieve the man at
the wheel. and we 60 aft, wet aud shiver-
ing though we are, and stand one trick
Steering is abont as arduous a task as the
sailor has to do in bad weather The
vessel is apt to steer wildly, and rolling
and pitching about she has to be met with
the wheel to ease her off. If the mate is
anything of grumbler. you are always
sure to get some share of complimentary
language. and you will come to the con.
clusion before your trick is up that you
don't know any more about steering than
his grandmother. By that time our arms
are feeling as stiff as the wheel-spokes we
are graspng. and glad enough are we
when bells are struck, the captain
watch relieves us, and we are told to O,
below.
A ships torecastle, at best. is a dreary
sort of place, and not at all calculated
for comfort 1t is entered by sliding
door, travelling upon stout combing to
prevent the water from washing in wher
the decks are -atloat: the only light i:
from smoky tin lamp, hanging suspended
| from one OF the great, blackeued beam:
that grace our apartment. This is oul
home. As we become accustomed to the
darkness. we observe on either side of Il:
| ,V-o ,,oxrs pf hunks within vrh;oh ,,No,