Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-28
SEA COOKS OF OLDEN TIMES.
Some of the Perquisites and Honors
 That They Claimed.

Some of the Perqulsltes ana Honors That They Claimed.
 Sea cooks were, and are, very ne- cessary persons in the internal econ omy of the ship of war, but there were rogues among them as among all classes of men. There were sea cooks who rose by the aid of influence and knavery to very lucrative posi- tions. Lord Nottingham, when lord high admiral. gave patent to his own cook to appoint all the cooks in the navy.
 Stewards, purveyors, cooks and bakers are classed together by one writer as the chief beneficiaries un- der the system of peculation and per quisites 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 impunity, says the Lon don Globe, and one sea cook got sev- en years hard labor from Sir John Fielding for a 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 hospi- tai gates.
 Pea soup was generally the best ration the men had and was certain ly the most liked. Potatoes were al- ways served in the skins, sometimes two to each man, and good natured cook was frequently prevailed upon to cook cakes and duffs that the men had made for 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 increased his pay of 35 shillings a month, in addition to which he was nearly always 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 be longed to the ship for greasing the bottom and running tackle.
 The ships cook was, moreover, honored with a guard of two ma rines, who stood sentry over the door of the galley during the preparation of meals to prevent unwarranted raids upon the provisions by ships thieves; he did not wear a 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 of until the pennant was struck by the cook. This opera tion he was expected to perform as the last officer of the ship, and until he had done it no officer could con- slider himself discharged or at liberty to leave the port. This rule held good though every seaman had left the ship, and sometimes the cook himself, in fit of absent-mindedness, 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 to-day who have heard the phrase: Every man to his station, and the cook to the fore sheet" and the landsman who has read Marryat will always connect the man of the galley with the fa- nous phrase. "Son of a 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 presi- dents 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 duties were arduous and his critics severe.
 If he spoiled the duff he was tried by a jury of the mess. and this jury was gathered by hoisting a mess swab or beating a tin dish between decks forward. He was condemned to most painful punishments if found guilty. He was also the carver for the mess. and in order to prevent ia voritism a blindfolded member of the mess was required to call out the name of the person who was to re- ceive the portion as it was placed on the plate. Small or large. that DOT tion was given to the man named. and probably no more satisfactory method of dealing with the question ra,.fd have hnnu fnuud