Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-11-27
BOYS LIFE At SEA.
PRENTICE aulFoRo TELLS A BIT
OF YOUTHFUL EXPERIENCE

First A-ssons Taught oB ship BoArd-sAA-
orr Bill Of F2rs-Le2rning Good Man
ners-A Bully tn Authority-Ap Ord
nary SEAMAN"
There were on board six 'boysr besides
myself and all from the same village as
our captain That was the principal rea-
son for shipping on his vessel IL was
not = good thing TO do, as We soon found
out. To be known or board as friend
or protege Of the captain l. 10 draw al
once prejudice unfavorahle TO you from
crew and officers They think you are
irving 70 creep in at the cabin WINDOWS
The motto on shipboard Is that true
sailor must come in through the ha"se
holes That may or may not hold true,
according to the kind OF boy or material
that comes in either way. If a man has
got the sailor in him it viii come out
anywhere
was in the second mates watch. lie
was a born brute. But he swore half OF
my sickness out of me, and the fresh alr
and enforced exercise of pounding the
rust from the chain cable before It was
slowed away did the rest.
Our experience was rough But II was
useful. We learned in short time many
things our parents had neglected TO teach
us, such as the art Of mendlng and wash
ing our own clothes. Up 10 that tune
had no idea of the eternal necessity OF
repairs on clothing. Ny first efforts
with the needle. one sunny morning as
sat on desk, called forth abusive express
SONS regarding my lack of skill from
the third mate lie condescended TO
teach me. Our earlier efforts al wash
ing called forth COntemptuous eNpletlves
from the old sailors. who said that such
badly washed clothes hung III the rigging
were a disgrace to the 1hlp. We resorted
at times to sea wash, which consists IN
tying flannel shirt to line, tlinSing it
overheard and letting it tow after the
ship. Sometimes we hauled in our lines
less the shirt from badly tied knots, and
sometimes, when the ship was surrglng
along at the rate Of ten knots an hour,
We hauled in a shirt less a good deal OF
the warp. for a bit of cloth won't last
long when treated in this manner
SAILORS BILL OF FARE.
Our sea fare was ''ipbscouse and
fluid called coffee for brea-iilst' s'llt
horse" and hard tack for dinner on Mon
day. pork and beans on Tuesday, salt
beef aeain on Wednesday salt fish ON
Friday, and beef again on Saturdays and
Suudavs; fluid called tea, sweetened IN
bulk with inOlasses for supper, and on
duff days" (rhursday and Sunday
limp OF plain boiled -four, without
plurns or other fruit to give it the true
iuwardness of pudding. This taught
us how we had been humored and pam
pered at home. For the first time in our
lives we really appreciated the value Of
our home breakfasts, with milk in our
coffee, buc.wheat cakes. and q score Of
other things. which we thought came as
easily as dew from the clouds and must
be everywhere. Some of us had be-
longed to the Dainty and-diilicult-to-suit-
cub order Of boys-grumbled at the
coffee for breakfast, turned up our noses
at this or that dish, and made mother
hustle to get us something tit to eat.
Three weeks at sea cured us Of that.
Even the smell of real coffee as it was
carried by the black steward from the
galley to the cabin table. was Il treat,
and an occasional cold breakfast roll or
a discarded bit of any cabin dish that
found It's way to us was luxury not TO
be described in words. These were
"bcnavlins." That is the sea phrase for
the crumbs that fall to the boys from the
captains table. "Lobscouse' is made Of
hard bread, boiled short time with
shredded salt beef 1t is a relishablc dish
anywhere. a midnight luxury for sea
lunch is a biscuit. an onion and slice Of
raw pork. 1t sounds rough to the lands
mans car, but | have seen sailors, after
being a month ashore, longing eagerly
for this combination"
LEARNING COOP MANNERS
| am almost ashamed to say that it
was necessary for Us BOYS to go to sea in
order to learn Some necessary manners
For instance, when spoken to hy an OIL
Ger or ordered by linn individually to 10
an duty it was required Of us to say
Ave, aye. sir, in order TO show that we
had heard what he had said and not 20
off without saying word, as we had
often done in somewhat similar Circum-
stances with our parents, leaving them in
doubt whether we had heard them or
not. Then we were required to show
certain difference, even to the older
sailors. but We had not been in tho habit
of doing to many of the grown up men
of our village. If n boy on shipboard
was too fresh, as the modern saving goes,
with the old salts of the forecastle and
too much inclined to move his tongue
glihly when in their company. either
with them or his own mates, he was verv
quickly reminded that his chaT and
verbal horse play must lie reserved for
his own special company and for time
and place.
Our ship was furnished with bully
second mate. He was knocking some
bod down much of the time This was
during the flush of the era of fast Cali
fornia clippers, high sailors wages and
fast passages to San Francisco. Men
shipped, claiming to be able seamcn,
who had not mastered their trade. Be
cause an al lc scaman's vocation is a
trade as mo- as Is that Of a shoemaker
He should know all about knotting and
splicing and he equal to any repairs or
work required aloft. An ordinary sea
man" is expected to hand reef and
steer which, in substance, means he
should know the ropes" be able to
make himself useful on yard in reeiing
and not hang on a useless encumbrance
"a did. lie should know also how to
steer q ship properly, which, In the case
Of a great square rigger, possibly having
all studding sails set, is a very different
and more difficult affair than the steer
ing of fore and aft vessel. A boy"
in maritime parlance, is not expected to
know anything, and ereenhorn will be
rated as hoy, though he is 30 years
nld.-Fren.ica milford in New York
Star.
An Examination on Matrimony.