Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-02-15
ONE DAY ON A WARSHIP.
Report by a Runaway OF Routine
on the Bascobel.

lhc ShIhl plpS vi lhS oodlSNulh = hihU'
aroused the sleeping youngsters to the
duties of the day. The first duty was
to get our hammocks FLASHED up"
which meant reducing the bedding
into the similitude of "a German saul
sage on mammoth scale. While the
Flashing up" process was going on the
boatswain's mate and the ships cor
porals (ship's police) were busily howl
ing out such stirring adjurations as
Lash and carry Hurry up, thereH'
eli dye hear the news!' up you
go" and so on through long vocabu-
larry of interjectional remarks, some OF
which were Ineligible and some
otherwise TO the novice. When the
hammOcks had attained the proper
shape by dint of tying them up accord
ing TO admiralty pattern, they were
hurriedly taken on deck and slowed in
the proper receptacle--a channel in
the bulwarks specially provided for
the purpose. When the last laggard
reached the deck with his hammock
and his pace accelerated by a corporal's
cane applied al Hbttum or according TO
opportunity-the marine bugler, who
was superior sort of youth, with u
chronic apoplectic complexion, sounded
Cooks to the galleyr' The boys upon
whom devolved the duties of cooks for
the day hurried of with their tin ket-
ties TO the galley" that delectable
abode of the doctor" as the ships
cook was commonly called. Breakfast
consisted of cocoa and biscuit. The
BISCUIT was not more than ordinarily
unbreakable, but the cocoa was the
most fraudulent beverage ever baled
ont in bucketsfull for the stomachic
benefit of hungry boy. That cocoa
entered into the composition OF the
oleaginous fluid served out TO us on
board the Boscobcl cannot be reason
ably doubted. | have myself seen the
ships cook plunge a couple of cakes of
the material into heaven knows how
many gallons OF water, and leave the
cakes to boil for the period set forth in
admiralty regulations for the instruc-
ton of cooks. The result of these
combined operations was fluid on the
surface of which there foated few
forlorn globules OF grease. Beneath
the greasy vail the fluid was uncom-
monty watery and probably had as
much effect in strengthening the mus
cles of the boys as would have resulted
from a prolonged gaze at u Belfast
ham.
Half an hour was allowed for
breakfast, but that period also includ-
ed the time to be devoted TO the morn
ing additions. The aforesaid additions
were, therefore. OF a somewhat per-
functory character, none the less per-
functory because OF the circumstance
that the bath room was small, the
boys numerous and the quantity Of
cocoa strictly limited. So that very
small boy who was unable TO shoulder
his way TO IA wash basin ran consider
able risk of reaching his mess table on
the lower deck just time enough to be
too late for his breakfast The bigger
boys made no scruple Of appropriating
q double allowance Of the greasy fluid
in the absence of any of our mcssmates.
Some heroic STRIPPING might complain
TO the master at arms. who is chief of
police abroad man OF war, but even
when the master at arms made inquiry
into the matter. il was generally ascer-
tanned that nobody knew ANYTHING
about the matter, and, beside, there
was no method known to discipline
WHEREBY the cocoa might be recovered.
After breakfast one-half OF the boys
were sent on the upper and main decks
to scrub these parts OF the ship, while
the other half-"the watch below"
scrubbed the lower deck, mess Ia
bles, etc, and polished the tin mess
utensils 10 a degree OF brilliancy which
was likely TO satisfy the eXacting re-
quirements laid down by the first lieu
tenant. When the decks had been
duly scrubbed and ''swabbed' dry, "all
hands" dressed in the uniform pre-
scribed for the day, and thereafter the
bugle sounded % quarters" At this
command we betook ourselves TO the
upper deck and, ranged along the four
divisions, we awaited inspection by the
officer detailed for that duty. This in
spection was a very solemn function
indeed. The inspecting officer, accom-
panied ships corporal. note book in
hand, slowly passed up one rank and
down the other, while each urchin
stood statuesque, cap in hand.
The insecting officer of my division
was Mr.. John banks, who thought that
the proper way in which a recruit
should be taught obedience to regula-
tions and respect for his superiors was
TO find fault with the youth whenever
and wherever possible. Accordingly,
but very few days elapsed before John
banks discovered me. On the first oc-
casion Of my falling under the displeas-
ure OF that officer had taken exceed
ing great pains with my personal APP
pearance, for the reason that in the
afternoon /. together with about two
hundred OF my young shipmates, had
duly warned TO prepare for taking a
walk on shore during the course Of the
afternoon. My shoes were lustrous,
my neither garments were neatly brush
ed and my face, as ] learned by con.
templating my reflected visage in a
highly polished tin dish-was as radi-
ant rs soap and course towel could
make IL. Mr. John banks. however,
fingered long in front OF me during the
progress OF his morning inspection.
| Slowly he surveyed me from shoe e
collar, and still more slowly from collar
TO shoe; then suddenly making dart al
my throat, he dragged TO light a corner
! OF my neckerchief, the hem OF which