The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-07-16
OLD TIME SEA COOKS
THEIR DUTIES AND PERouISITEs IN
THE BRITISH. NAVY.

Many Sources of Revenue For the
Bosses of the GaIIeys-There Were
Other Things TsAey Had to Do Be-
sides Preparing the Meals.
Sea cooks were and are very neces
sary persons in the internal economy of
the ship of war, but there We're rogues
among them as among all classes of
men. says the London Globe. There
were sea cooks who rose by the aid
of influence and knavery to very lucra-
tive positions. Lord Nottingham, when
lord high admiral, gave patent to his
own cook to appoint all the cooks in
the navy.
Stewards, puryeyors, cooks and bak-
ers are classed together by one writer
as the chief beneficiaries under the sys-
tenn of peculation and perquisites
which at one time made the navy so
happy hunting ground for the rascals
of the country. But they were not all
permitted to ply their trade with i'm
punity, and one sea cook got seven
years hard labor from Sir John Field
ing for long series of frauds. And in
sentencing the man the judge expressed
his regret that he could not order him
to be hanged at the hospital gates.
Pea soup was generally the best ra-
ton the men had and was certainly
the most liked Potatoes were always
served in the skins, sometimes two to
each man, and a good natured cook
was frequently prevailed upon to cook
cakes and duffs that the men had made
themselves, demanding for his services
either a pot Of grog or portion of the
dish he cooked.
Sometimes, however, he could only be
bribed by money, and in that way in
creased his pay of 35 shillings a month,
in addition to which he was nearly al
ways in receipt of pension of lis. Sd.
per month. Besides these sources of
revenue he also made a good deal Of
money from the sale of 'slush," the
fat scraped from the ships coppers
after each meal had been served, and
half of which was his perquisite. The
other half belonged to the ship for
greasing the bottom and running tackle.
The ships cook was, moreover, hon.
OACd Will SuolO VI lnO w AO
stood sentry over the door of the gal
ley during the preparation Of meals to
prevent unwarranted raids upon the
provisions by ships thieves; he did not
wear q uniform nor was he expected
to keep watch, being allowed to sleep
in comfort and comparative privacy
throughout the night on the lower gun
deck But, on the other hand, he had
some duties not connected with food,
among them the preparation when the
ship was in port of hot poker for
| firing saluteS.
And it was an established custom of
| the navy that the ship was not properly
paid off until the pennant was struck
| by the cook This operation he was ex-
pected to perform as the last officer of
| the ship, and until he had done it no
officer could consider himself discharg
| ed or at liberty to leave the port. This
rule held good though every seaman
had left the ship, and sometimes the
cook himself, in a fit of absentminded
ness, went off without carrying out the
| task, and had to be routed out again
| before the incensed officers could leave
| for their homes There will be seamen
alive today who have heard the phrase.
"Every man to his station, and the
cook to the foresheet," and the lands
man who has read Marryat will al
ways connect the man of the galley
with the famous phrase, "Son of sea
cook"
In addition to the ships cook, of
course, there were, as now, the mess
cooks, men who were appointed by the
seamen themselves to be presidents of
the messes for the week, and who had
to receive the provisions for the mess
from the purser at the daily issuing Of
| victuals and who had to hand these on
to the ships cook in good time. As
compensation for his trouble the mess
| cook drew a cooks, or double, portion
| of grog, and he deserved it, for his du-
| ties were arduous and his critics Sc
| we're.
If he spoiled the duff he was tried by
jury Of the mess, and this jury was
| gathered by hosting a mess swab or
| beating q tin dish between decks for
| ward He was condemned to most
| painful punishments if found guilty.
| He was also the carver Tor the mess,
| and in order to prevent favoritism a
| blindfolded member Of the mess was
| required to call out the name Of the
| person who was to receive the portion
as it was placed on the plate. Small or
large, that portion was given to the
man named, and probably no more sat
isfactory method of dealing with the
| question could have been found.