Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-01-25

ard of the schoon-
er Henry, bound
from San Fran
cisco for whal-
ing. scaling, aba
lone curing and
general "pick up" voyage along the
Lower Californian coast. Ny acceptance
as cook was based on the production Of an
Irish stew which ! 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 mt this lapse OF time where learned
TO cook an Irish stew. will add that II
was all / could cook-positively all--and
with this astounding capital Of culinary
ignorance ventured down upon the
great deep TO do the maritime house
work for 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, 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
scorise, 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 a jelly for my contin-
ued 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 1t was intimated to me by
the under officers that had better re-
sign and go "for'ard" as one of the crew.
l would not persevered at the ex.
pense of many pound of good flour.
conquered and returned q second class
sea cook.
The Henry was o small vessel--the
deck was 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. l expected eventu.
ally to be hoisted into one of the tops and
cook aloft. Any well regulated galley is
placed amllships, where there is the
least motion. This is an important con.
sideration for 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 nc
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 OF
else trying 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 host of kettles, covers and
other culinary utensils rushed with clang
and clatter ont 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 a lee scupper on that
internal vessel. l endeavored to remedy
the lack of rail about this stove by q
system Of wires attaching both pots and
lids to the galley ceiling. "guyed"
my chief culinary utensils. Still during
furious oscillations of the boat the pots
would roll of their holes, and, though
prevented from falling, some of them as
suspended by these wires would swing
like 30 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 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
IL was my business to Set the aristocratio
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
iilu puuuliiS loT uliineT. ADONe al men
must the sea cook not only have place
for everything and everything in its
place, but he must have everything
choked and wedged in its place. You
must wash up your tea things, some
times holding on TO the deck with your
toes, and the washtub with one hand,
and wedging each plate, 80 soon as
wiped, into corner, so that it slide
not away and smash. And even
then the entire dish washing ap-
paratus, yourself included, slides
gently across the deck to leeward. You
can't leave a fork, or stove cover, or lid
litter lying about indifferently but what
it slides and sneaks away with the roll of
the vessel to some secret crevice, and is
long lost. When your best dinner is
cooked in rough weather, it is time of
trial, terror and tribulation TO bestow it
safely on the cabin table. You must
harbor your kindling and matches as sa.
credly as the ancients kept their house
hold gods, for ii not, on stormy morn
inSs, with the drift flying over the deck
and everything wet and clammy with
the water surcharged air of the sea, your
breakfast will be hours late through ina
bllity 10 kindle fire, wherea. the cook
catches II from that potentate of the sea,
the old man." and all the mates raisel