Evening star., 1899-07-08
Punishments Melted Out to Sailors
in Years Gone By.
OFFICERS DID As THEY CHOSE
No Wonder There Were So Many
Cases of Mutiny Aboard.
HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
Yes, sir, of course L hated to do It: an
1t amt no very pleasin' job o. workin' a
lot of these here preserves as we call
them naval militia, into line; but the skip
per said to me: Smith. you'n take those
men in hand and that was all there was
about it. Yes, I've been on this jag for
about nine weeks, an I'd keep it up for the
rest of my three months if they wasn't so
plaguey red-tapy over my pay in the treas
ury. Sober up an get job ashore, sir?
Why couldn't hold it more'n a week fore
I'd get drunk and bounced. Board ship it's
different. I've just got to keep sober or the
heavy hand of discipine'll land on my neck.
That's what makes a man o. me in the
navy"
Thus spoke a petty officer that had fol-
lowed the fortunes of the little Gloucester
on that memorable Sd of July-followed it
in that spirit as he put it, "feelin' kind OF
set up like, sir, for that was war" Disci-
pine to him-shorn as it is of all barbar-
fties-meant simple obedience to the COM
mand of his officers, and especially those of
the captain he loved, and whom he de-
scribed: He amt very martial-lookin' TIL
ne strengthens up anu just looks kind O.
hard at you, an then You know that man
would just as soon take You TO hell-beg
pardon, sir-if his duty called, an lead you
Modern Discipline.
That is the kind of obedience and disci-
pline that prevails in our service today; !;
and nothing in all the good work done by
the navy in the past year has done more
toward opening the eyes of our foreign
critics. Jacky will get drunk-his open-
necked shirt makes his throat a long and
dry one-but he knows the consequences
han he
sallorman's cheerful, though grumbiing
philosophy He is comfortably housed and
led and clothed, and nothing impossible or
unreasonable is expected of him in return
Inc days OF his humiliation are passed and
he Is the healthy, vigoI ous-minded, product
OF manly encouragement. His forerunners
were of another stripe-not so much be-
cause of inherent badness as on account of
vicious treatment through long ages of pri-
vation and unrewarded hardships
Back in the sixteenth, seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries the sailorman was
forced into his calling either through stress
OF his own conditions-mostly due to too
much upple-or the press or "persua-
sion" of those human hounds that hunted
down good men Tor the kings ships-prom-
ising a bounty, if persuaded, and moth
ing but the FleSt treatment if merely
pressed
Wrefched Little Ships.
The ships were generally small and badly
sible only in fair wea her, when the matches
could be lifted clear, a hot brick or a cam
non ball was the only comfort after hours
in a chilling blast and that was not often
possible if the storms made fires in their
primitive stoves a source of danger to the
craft The decks, on which the men had
frequently to sleep, were cold and damp,
and they We're hudded together like so
many animals. In this tainted atmosphere
nf rtoS do
VaStatlng scourge of Scurvy. Provisions
due to connivance between victuallers and
pCrsers, were, as a rule, short in measure
and bad in part, and the beer through the
roguery of the brewers was often manu-
factured from broom instead of hops and
ashes instead of malt, and to make il more
hvely, picked with salt water, the result
after months time being nothing more
than ill-smelling slops. On the principle
that nothing will poison sailor" com
plants from the crew were considered as
lnsubordina ton. and the human brutes in
cHdrge OF them punished the fault-finders
with that peculiar atrocity common among
mariners not more than a century back
PhySlcalIy wrecked and weak the sailor
knew no moderation, of course, and open
hutlny was the consequence on a broad
Scale-how broad the annals of European
navies will amply testify when whole fleets
refused to do their duty, and even when
commanding officers, suffering the common
prlvations of the crew, openly deserted
their admirals in action.
With cruises lasting for long years amid
sIch narrowing circumstances-augm
IN the case of pressed merchantmen inst
as they sighted their native shores after
weary, wearying months of absence. il is
not h2rd to account for the rebellious pa-
ture OF the seaman, nor difficult to compre-
mend why brutal measures had to be re-
sorted to to keep him within bounds His
MANHOOD was not "a consideration; he was
human slave to a frequently inhuman
master.
Old-Time Punishmeuts
The system of naval punishment for
moderate ohenses rested in the discretion
of the captain, even as it does today, but
the usual modes of correcting a delinquent
at sea throughout the major part of the
seventeenth century were by the capstan.
the bilboes and ducking. The capstan-"A
capstan barr being thrust through the hole
of the Darrell (of the capstan) the Offend
er armes are extended to the full length
and soc made faste untoe the barr cross
wise, having sometymes a basket of bull
let's, or some other the like weighte
hanging abowte his necks, in which pos
ture he continues until he be made to con-
Jesse some plotte or cryme whereof he is
pregnantlie suspected. or that he have re-
ceived such condfgne sufferinge as he is
sentensed to undergoe by command of the
captaine." The punishment of the bill
boes is when a delinquent is putt in irons
or in a kinde of stocks used for that pur-
pose, the which are more or lesse heavy
and pinching, as the qualitie of the of
fense is proved against the delinquent"
The ducking att the mayne yarde arme
is, when malefactor by having a rope
fastened under his armes and abowte his
middle, and under his breatche is thus
hoysed upp to the end of the yarde; from
whence hee is againe vyolentle lett fall
intoe. the sea, sometymes twyse, some
tymes three several tymes one after an
other; and if the offense be verge fowle
he is also drawne under the verge keele
of the shippe. the which is termed keel
haling; and whilst hee is under water a
great gum is given fire rghte over his
head: the which is done as well toe as
tonishe him the more with the thunder
thereof, which much troubleth him. as toe
give warning untoe all others toe loQke
out, and toe beware by his harmes." The
executions and capital punishments in
Queene Elizabeth's TYNE aborde her owne
shippes: If anye one man killed another,
he was to be bownde to the dead mann
and soc thrown intoe the sea. If anye one
drew a weapon wherewith to styke his
captaine, he was to loose his righte hande.
If anye drew a weapon within borde In
anye waye of tumult or murder. he was
toe loose his righte hande If anye one
pilfered or stole awaye anye goods or
monies from anye of his fellowes. he was
to be thrised ducked att the boltsprite, and
then to be dragged at the bote stern, and
sett on shOare upon the next land with q