The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-22
Going to Sea and What #
 Means to Sail Before the Mast

result that there are very few mer- chant ships flying the American flag. The greater portion of even our own merchandise is carried in foreign bot- toms.
 Over one-half of both the freight and passenger ships of the world fly the English flag. And over one-half of the English merchant ships are what is known as tramp" ships, that Is vessels of no regular line but which make trips from port to port wherever they can find cargoes.
 Life aboard an English tramp ship is none too pleasant in many ways. But the principal fault to be found iR with the fare. Salt meat and ships | biscuit are the principal articles Of diet for the soamen. Salt meat is on the hill of fare every day and fresh meat once a week. Bread made with yeast Is never even thought of. The ship bread, or biscuits, have to be soaked in the black coffee before they can be eaten. Canned fruit or vegetables are only occasionally put on the table. There is very rarely dessert of any kind. About the only real good item on the list is the mixture that is styled marmalade. It may be only sec- ond cousin by marriage to the origin al marmalade, but at any rate 1t has a pleasant taste. A large dish of it. ! mixed with common, ordinary house. flies, always stands in the middle of the table The cover Is always off, and any one may help himself. So much for fare aboard an English tramp ship. The pay Is likewise poor, first class seamen only receiving four pounds. or about $20, monthly.
 Omcers Fare Better The officers of these ships of course faro much better. The table set for them is equal to that of a good hotel But even their pay Is much less than might be expected. Captains average from s100 to $150 per month. Second- ary officers are paid very we'll if they receive over $50, which is not much better than the pay of common sea man on an American ship.
 l The Norwegians are nation of saii- | ors, and thus, as is to be expected. there are many ships which fly the flag of | that nation. Theso ships have the rep- | utation of being pleasant to work upon, l but, being manned almost entirely by crews of their own nationality, they are found rather disagreeable locations | by seamen of other nations.
 It is the custom to serve one bottle of wine every day to each member of the crew of a French. Spanish, or 1tal- ian ship. In the Italian merchant ma rine this is compulsory by government ruling.
 The kind of ships that have the worst name of any among ssataring men. are the Nova Scotia schooners. Few seamen will ship aboard one of | these of their own free will The off, cers of these ships sometimes find 1t so hard to secure crews that they have to resort to "shanghai-ing" or kid mapping. Some of these ships never find 1t necessary to pay off crews be- cause all the men have deserted before their time was up to escape the brutal treatment.
 In the course of a few years spent at sea, men of every race and nation are met with. Many ships flying the flags of modern nations have Chinese
 As I have said, being a sailor Is no idle task. The following is fair ex- ample of day aboard ship.
 Things are usually astir by 4:30 or 5 o'clock in the morning. A lunch of bread and coffee Is served, after which the mates or boatswaln put the men to work. Breakfast is served about 8 a. m.. half an hour being allowed. Din- ner is served at noon. The men have the remainder of the hour to them selves until 1 o'clock, and then must continue work until supper time. which is 5:30. After this meal which is the most elaborate of the day, their time is >their own. They are usually ready to retire very soon. Twelve or. thirteen hours hard work. painting, scraping. scrubbing or fixing the rigging is enough to tire the strongest man.
 Going to sea Is a rough and coarse form of life and no one Is to be advised to take 1t up for an occupation. But, if one is willing to stand kicks and blows. and to take insults without re- sentiment. or showing any desire to re- turn the same, and are likewise certain that they have the strength of char acter to resist the temptations into which it IS the sailors lot to fall, a year or two of the life will do them no harm.a However anyone who desires to go 'to sea should think a long time before he starts.