The Banner-Democrat., 1901-12-14
THE SHIPS APPRENTICE.


The young son of one of my English
friends is apprentice boy on large
merchant vessel, and the other day when
it was in Our harbor | went to visit it.
Bobbie was very glad to see me and tell
me all about his life aboard ship. He
had as companions four other appren-
tice boys, who shared a comfortable cab
in together.
When | first came upon them two OF
them, in their bare feet, were "tidying
up the decks" as they said, and the
others were in the cabin dressing to go
| on shore for an hour or two. They had
not set foot on land for several months,
for the vessel had just arrived from
Calcutta, and the boy whom | knew the
best was delighted at the prospect of
visiting great city.
While we were on shipboard l asked
him few questions about his life as an
apprentice.
"Of course I'll be delighted to tell
you," he said "You see, our time is
divided into two watches when we are
at sea. From 8 to II p. m. is port
watch, from II to starboard watch.
| Then from noon to 4 p. m. port watch,
| from to p. m. dog watch or star
board and from to p. m. dog watch
for port"
How can you remember it all?" l
asked.
'Oh, it's easy enough" he answered
with smile.
II suppose you have some special
duty for each watch?"
'Yes. We begin at in the morning,
and after dressing, wash the decks and
get ready for work. From to o.I5 we
have breakfast, and then we have some
kind of manual work, painting or mend
ing parts of the wood work. Dinner is
from I to 2, and after dinner we take the
wheel or hold the yards round or square
| them up or brace them IN. Each of us
does something of this kind, and at $50
we have chance to tidy up, and at
we have tea
"Do you get rather tired?"
Sometimes. You see, we are on deck
part of the night, just like the sailors.
| We have four hours above and then six
hours below. During the dog watches
we usually sing, and this changes the
watches about
| From what Bobbie told me | could
see that the ships apprentices learn not
only the little things that make the
practical work about a vessel, but they
have some time each day for study.
| 'Oh, one of the superior officers
teaches US the theory of navigation he
answered, when asked him what they
| studied.
1--WE have to make pretty good use OF
our time" he added, "for we can't get
to the second mates without passing an
examination, and before every promo
tion we've got to be examined"
Some boys are apprenticed at fourteen,
but the average age is a little older.
The term ends only when the appren-
| tice n twenty-one In all his years of
apprenticeship a boy has no chance to
visit his home and family, unless the
ship happens to enter a port near his
home. When in port he is closely
watched. 1t is very seldom that his IA
ther can secure his release before his
term of apprentice has expired.
Most boys, however, are apprentices
because they really love the sea, and
they are willing to take the rough with
the smooth. Their position on the yes
sci is above that of cabin boy and below
that of officer. The aim of the appren-
tice is to become an officer in the
merchant. marine of England. He re-
ceives no wages during his term, and
his father pays for his clothes l agreed
with Bobbie that only boy who was
very fond of the sea could enjoy the
life of an apprentioe-Chieago Record
Herald.