The suburban citizen., 1902-01-18
A SHIPS APPRENTICE.

The young son of one Of my Eng
lish friends is apprentice boy on large
merchant vessel and the other day
when it was in the harbor | went TO
visit it. Bobbie was very glad to see
me and tell me about his life aboard
ship. He had as companions four
other apprentice boys, who shared
comfortable cabin together. When
| first came upon them two Of them,
in their bare feet, were "tidying up
the decks" as they said, and the oth-
ers 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 ar
rived from Calcutta, and the boy
whom I knew the best was delighted
at the prospect of visiting a great city,
While we were on shipboard l asked
him a few questions about his life as
an apprentice. "Of course I'll be de-
lighted to tell you," he said. You
see, our time is divided into two
watches when we are at sea. From
to 12 p. M, is port watch, from IL
to starboard watch, from a to a.
m. port watch again, and from 8 a. m.
to noon starboard watch, Then from
noon to p. m. port watch, from a
to 6 D. m. dog watch or starboard'
and from to p. m, dog watch for.
port"
"How can you remember it all?" /
asked.
"oh, it's easy enough" he answered
with a smile.
"I suppose you have some special
duty for each watch?"
"Yes. we begin at in the morning.
and after washing, wash the decS'
and get ready for work. From 8 70
9:15 we have breakfast, and then we
have some kind OF manual work, paint
ing or mending parts Of the wood
work. Dinner is from to q and after
dinner we take the wheel or hold the
Yards round or square them up or
brace them in. Each OF us does some-
thing of this kind. and at $3.50 we
have a chance to tidy up, and at Q
we have tea"
DO you get rather IlTeu8
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 1 could
see that the ships apprentices learn
not only tie 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 be second mates without pass
ing an examine ton, and before every
promotion we've got to be examined"
Some boys are appreBeiced at IA,
but the average age is little older.
The term ends only when the APP
prentice is 21. In all his years of ap-
prenticeship a boy has no chance to
visit his home and family, unless the
ship happens to enter port near his
home. When in port he is closely
watched. 1t is very seldom that his
father can secure his release before
his term of apprenticeship has ex-
pired. Most boys, however, are ap-
prentices because they really love the
sea, and they are willing to take the
rough with the smooth. Their posi-
tion OH the vessel is above that OF
cabin boy and below that Of officer
The aim of the apprentice Is to
become an officer in the merchant ma
rine of England. He receives no
wages during his term, and his father
pays for his clothes. | agreed with
Bobbie that only boy who was very
fond of the sea could enjoy the lifo of
an apprentice Helen Leech Reed, In
Montreal Herald.