The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25

Of course, there was no turkey; but th
previous day the cook had killed pig,
and such an event on board ship is of as
much Importance as the laying of the
foundation-stone of new city hall or
ferry building. The crews share would
have caused tie mouth of an Eskimo to
water. 1t was all fat.
The steward had put the legs in pickle
for the benefit of the ca bin table; he had
boiled the head anG potted it for the same
purpose; he had cut off large portions of
each side to make into haIf-cured bacon,
also for the cabin table. He laid claim to
the liver AMI kidneys TO make haggis for
The captains fe The balance OF the
pig consisted of large layers of fat attached
to the skin, whica when roasted was
served to the crew and the apprentices,
and TO the latter as a special favor was
added the trotters and tail. Then came
the duff. Sailors call it railroad duff, be.
cause they say that the distance from one
plum 10 another bears a strong resem-
bance to that between railroad stations on
the plains. After being placed on the
forehatch it was carefully cut into as
many pieces as there were men in the
watch and then one sailor would be told
to turn around and another man would
lift up the pudding, a piece a. time, and
ask who should have it.
The man with his back toward the duff
would call out some name till all had q
! pie ce. This may seem a childish way to
prevent discrimination over mouthfuI of
duff between grown men; but 1t is re-
| ligiously followed every time the occasion
arises to ''whack OUT the food. 1t in
sures every body getting an equal "whack."
This same rule applies to the apprentices.
In addition to these special fe atures there
was also some soup, which sailors call
''sky blue" presumably on account of its
ciearness and innocence from anything
that might obstruct a clear view of the
bottom of the mess kid. Coffee was also
served of tint black enough to suggest
that the cook had dropped in sea boot.
All these delicacies were placed care
fully on the floor. so they could not by
| any possibility fall. We gathered around
with our knives and forks and tin plates
as jolly as could. be under the circum-
stances, when We heard some one who
was walking along the weather side cry
out, There she comes." He referred to
big sea breaking over the weather bow.
She cameA The weather door of our
house came also, and after it large pro-
portion of that sea. Pig, duff, soup,
ater-beaker, molasses and coffee went
flying along the floor with the lurch to
leeward and the force of the water which
rushed into the house. A few minutes
later we had barricaded the broken door,
| pulled the plug out of the lee side OF the
house, allowed the water to ran out and
then make dive under the lee bunk to
recover our Christmas dinner. The pork
was uninjured; water could not penetrate
it. The duff, after cutting literally all
around it, was declared fit to eat, but the
soup and the molasses and the coffee
could not be found. They had gone out
! with the salt water.
We procured little more coffee, sat on
our chests, cursed our ill-luck, talked of
home, and mutually agreed that youth
who would leave comfortable home to
follow life on the bounding deep was
/ not philosopher