The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-12-28

lone curing and
general "pick up" voyage along the
Lower Californian coast. My acceptance
as cook was based on the production Of an
Irish stew which l cooked for the cap
tain and mate while the Henry was
"hove down" on the beach at North point,
and undergoing the process Of cleaning
her bottom of barnacles. / can't recol-
lect at this lapse of time where | learned
to cook an Irish stew. / will add that it
was all / could cook-positively all-and
with this astounding capital Of cuiinAr
ignorance | ventured down upon the
great deep to do the maritime house
work Tor twenty great men.
When we were fairly afloat and the
Farallones were out Of sight, my fearful
incapacity for the duties of the position
became apparent. Besides, I was dread
fully seasick, and so remained for two
weeks. Yet cooked. 1t was purgatory,
not only for myself, but all hands.
There was general howl of execration
forward and aft at my bread, my lob
scouse, my tea, my coffee, my beef, my
beans, my cake, my pies. Why the cap
tain continued me in the position, why
they didn't throw me overheard, why |
was not beaten to jelly for my contin-
ned culinary failures, is for me to this
day one of the great mysteries of my ex-
istence. We were away nearly ten
months. was three months learning
my trade. The sufferings of the crew
during those three months were fearful.
They had to eat my failures or starve.
Several times it was intimated to me by
the under officers that l had better re-
sign and go "for'a ard as one of the crew.
| would not. l persevered at the ex-
pense Of many pound Of good flour.
conquered and returned second class
sea cook.
The Henry was a small vessel-the
deck was a clutter of whaling gear.
Where my galley or sea kitchen should
have been stood the try works for boil
ing blubber. They showed me around
anywhere. Sometimes was moved to
the starboard side, sometimes to the lar
board, sometimes when cutting in a
whale way astern. / expected eventu-
ally to be hoisted into one of the tops and
cook aloft. Any well regulated galley is
placed amidships, where there Is the
least motion. This is an important con-
sideration for o sea cook. At best he is
often obliged to make his soup like an
acrobat, half on his head and half on his
heels, and with the roof Of his unsteady
kitchen trying to become the floor. My
stove was not marine stove. 1t had no
rail around the edges to guard the pots
and kettles from falling off during extra
lurches.
The Henry was most uneasy craft,
and always getting up extra lurches or
else irving to stand on her head or stern.
Therefore, as she flew up high astern
when was located in that quarter, she
has in more than one instance flung me
bodily, in an unguarded moment, out of
that galley door and over that quarter
deck, while a host of kettles, covers and
other culinary utensils rushed with claug
and clatter out after me and with me as
their commander at their head. We all
eventually terminated in the scuppers.
will not, as usual, say "lee scuppers.
Any scupper was lee scupper on that
Internal vessel. l endeavored to remedy
the lack of a rail about this stove by a
system of wires attaching both pots and
lids to the galley ceiling l 'guyed''
my chief culinary utensils. Still during
furious oscillations Of the boat the pots
would roll off their holes, and, though
| pnll If q
suspended by these wires would swing
like so many pendulums, around and to
and fro over the area of that stove.
That was the busiest year Of my life.
| was the first one up in the morning,
and the last, save the watch, to turn in
at night. In this dry goods box of a
kitchen l had daily to prepare break
fast for seven men in the cabin, and
another for eleven in the forecastle; a
dinner for the cabin and another for the
forecastle; likewise supper for the same.
1t was my business to set the aristocratic
cabin table, clear it off and wash the
dishes three times daily. | had to serve
out the tea and coffee to the eleven men
forward. The cabin expected hot bis
cult for breakfast, and frequently pie
and pudding for dinner. Above all men
must the sea cook not only have a place
} for everything and everything in its
place, but he must have everything
,hoked and wedged in its place. You
must wash up your tea things, some
times holding on to the deck with you
toes, and the washtub with one hand
, and wedging each plate, SO soon a
wiped. into a corner, SO that it slid
! not away and smash. And ever
then the entire dish washing APP
paratus, yourself included, slide
|, gently across the deck to leeward. 70,
can't leave fork, or a stove cover or Ii,
litter living about indiiferentlv but wha
l it slides and sneaks away with the roll o
, the vessel to some secret crevice, and
. long lost. When your best dinner
cooked in rough weather, it is time O
trial. terror and tr til.tion to bestow
safely on the cab-h table. You mus
I harbor your kindling and matches as sa
credly as the ancients kept their house
| hold gods, for il not, on stormy morn