Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

which gave a certain cynical animation to his manner, altogether overwhelming and unpleasing. While Edward was coolly revolving in his mind the apparent accuracy of the reported character of his commander, to the living figure before him, the clerk of the cheque came on board, and the boatswain immediately piped All hands to muster, hoy!

No sooner was the clerk gone, than the Captain, ordering all hands aft the mainmast, took his station at the capstan, and began the following speech: "It has pleased the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, my lads, to bestow the command of this hooker on me; and as we are to be together in future, I hope we shall agree well, and be good friends. I must, however, say, that I am determined to have nothing from you but strict, steady, good discipline. I hold in my hands the Articles of War, which are to be, in future, the rules of every man's conduct; and it shall be my fault if they are not strictly enforced; but as most of you already know them, I shall refrain from reading them at this time, certain as I am, that those among you who have never heard them, will, very likely, think they hear them soon enough. Two things, however, I must mention; for, by the sacred Power that made me, I am determined to enforce them with the utmost strictness, and to punish all aggressors without mercy. The first of these things is, I never will forgive a thief; and the second, I never will forgive a drunkard. Now, pay attention, my lads; I say I never will forgive e'er a one of you who turns out to be either a thief or a drunkard. No-so help me God, I will punish a thief in the severest manner wherever I catch him; ay, though I should leave my cott, and burn an inch of candle at it. Regarding drunkenness, my lads, I will take another way. You all know it to be a low, lub berly, beastly crime, to which, God knows, we are all liable enough at times; I mean, therefore, to make this one exception to its universal punishment. If it is committed by any one of you, while we are in harbour, I pledge you my honour, I will be at some pains in considering the offender's general character; and, as he performs his duty at sea, so shall he have every reasonable allowance given him.

But always bear in mind, my lads, that this great indulgence I will only allow to good steady men in harbour; for no person whatever shall escape the most rigorous punishment I can think of at sea.

"Now, my lads, although I know that it is not common for officers like me, commanding his Majesty's vessels of war, to condescend to explain to their crew their motives for either this or that punishment, I will yet be so honest with you as to tell you, that I have very weighty reasons for punishing both these crimes severely. We sail to-morrow, please God, for the North Sea station; and when you know that it is one which requires the utmost steadiness, good conduct, and sobriety, both from the variableness of the climate, and the intricacy of its occasional navigation, I am certain you cannot fail of perceiving my reasons for the punishment of drunkenness ; since it principally proceeds on a determination I have long ago formed, that every man, while God grants him health, shall always keep himself in a state fit for duty, and not trundle his labour on the shoulders of some other poor fellow, who has no manner of business with it; while he, forsooth, is either pigging it below, under his mess-table, or else scampering the decks like a fool and a madman, creating confusion, disorder, and mutiny wherever he comes. Again, when you recollect how very short most of you are in the necessary rigging for a North Sea winter, you certainly can neither think me harsh nor cruel, in severely punishing the scoundrel who would deprive e'er a one of you of the most trifling article of wearing apparel. I would ill perform my own duty were I to do otherwise; and it's a long look forward before pay-day appears.

"You now know my mind, my lads, on the two principal points I ever mean to quarrel with you on. I am going on shore to take leave of my friends; and as some of your old messmates may wish to see you before we go, I mean you all to be as merry as myself; and I shall accordingly leave orders for you to receive a double allowance of grog to-day, with which you may drink his Majesty's health, and a good cruize to us-if you have any left after that is done, you may add my health, and the rest of your

officers. Good bye t'ye be merry, but be wise. Boatswain's mate, pipe down."

The whistles were instantly blown, and the ship's company dispersed in high spirits.

"Side, boys," bawled the quartermaster" attend the side." The Captain, after some further private conversation with his first Lieutenant, at last made his farewell salute to all his officers; and again did the boatswain's pipe sound its long lengthened note as his gig shoved off.

All was now impatience for the commencement of the revels, and every minute was fifty ere the dinner was piped. At length came the happy hour; and at eating and drinking, with no duty to trouble him, who is so happy as Jack, either ashore or on board? It is no easy matter, indeed to convey to our readers even the smallest idea of a man-of-war's 'tween-deck, with all hands at dinner; for the long loud jolly laugh, the merry catch and cheering chorus-the shrill lively whistle, the ill-humoured boisterous squabble, and the growling deep-toned imprecation-all strike the astonished ear at the same moment with such a stunning noise, that one would think,

"Hell was broke loose, And all the devils were there." As, however, the subject is not unapt to a season of jollity and merriment like the present, and as we find it altogether impossible to identify either the speakers or choristers, where all are speaking and singing at once, we have only humbly to propose that any of our readers, whether lady or gentleman, whose curiosity may be so far excited, are exceedingly welcome to take hold of our arm while we slowly take a walk round the crowded deck, and note down the living conversation as it strikes the ear.

"I say, Jack, what d'ye think of the skipper's speech? How d'ye relish yon whimsy whamsy of his 'bout drunk at sea, and drunk in harbour, eh?

"Think! d-n me if I know what to think on't. Mayhap, taking a small drop of grog, when one can touch it, may be both lubberly and lousy.

[ocr errors]

Lousy! why, Jack, he did'nt say lousy, man-he said beastly."

Ay, that he did, Jack,-for Nat and I were close under his lee."

"Well, well, maties, and what the

devil else could he mean, I should like
for to know, by beastly but lousy?
Oho! my smart fellows, don't you be
after picking me up before I fall; nor
don't you go for to think that I've for-
got what my old messmate, honest
Dan Colfin of the Majestic, used to
say.-Ay, he was the lad for my mo-
ney, either fore or aft, thof he was a
Scotchman!-and I'm sure he was a
great scholard, for I've heard all our
officers say as much. Well, says Dan,
-Barnes, says he, whenever a fellow
calls you beast, or beastie-I think
'twas some such rigmarole phrase he
used,-you may depend on't he means
that you are lousy, says he ;-so up
fist directly, says he, and knock the
lubber down."

"Vy, I doesn't know but what you may be right, Barnes, a'ter all; that there Scotch differing so much from our good English, you knows.-But I say, maties, what if our old Gibby there should get himself malty of an a'ternoon, as usual, when we're at sea?-My eye! what a cod's squint he'd turn up when the skipper would say to him, You are a low, lubberly, lousy swab, Gibby! Serjeant of marines, put that drunken beast in irons! (Imitates.) Saul! ye may do sae, your honour; but de'il a bone o' me's fu'.Silence, you old sinner! you are continually drunk, Gibby!-Boatswain'smate, give him a d-d good starting! You are worse than a pig, Gibby!give the scoundrel five dozen at least! I wouldn't give five skips of a louse for all you ever do, Gibby! d-n him, send him through the fleet!" Here the humble disciple of Matthews could no longer hold out against the resistless vigour of his own wit, but readily joined his messmates, who were convulsed with laughter.

"I'se tell ye fat it is, Maister Lillyeuk, or fat e'er's your name, if thou disna clap a stopper on that vile potata-trap of yours, d-n me but I'se gie ye a clank ower the canopy sall mak your day-lights sparkle again, and syne we'll see how you'll like that, my lad. Fa the deyvel d'ye think's gaun to stand your jaw, ye snuffle o' a creature? Confound ye! ye're just a very good sample o' a' the rest o' ye're d-d Cockney dirt-aye yattering and yelping whan ye're eating, or whan ye've your nose close to the bread-bag!-But bide ye a bit, my man-we're gaun to a place where I'll maybe live

T

to see a hantle o' that cleck o' yours ta'en out o' ye."

"By my soul, you are right, Gibby, and Hollyoak's wrong. I believe we shall see your calf country, my old boy, very soon.-I say, Mack, what d'ye think's the largest tree in Gibby's country ?"

"O, how should I know. But what country d'ye call Gibby's?"

"Why, Shetland, to be sure."

"O! Shetland, is it—there I have you, matey, for many's the good glass of grog I've had in Shetland. The biggest tree that I know that grows in Shetland is, let me see, a large, tall, bushy, full-grown-cabbage! almost as high, by the hokey! as our grogkid there, ha, ha, ha!"

"Avast, avast there, Mack;-Pshaw! you should'nt be so d-d witty on Gibby's country, my lad, seeing you don't know how much you may be beholden to it yet before you hop the twig. For my part, I'll only say that the man that speaks glummishly of Gibby's country knows very little of the North Sea-I'm certain they don't -eh, Gibby? But never mind, my old soul; we'll very likely soon be in at Bressay won't we, Gibby? And then who knows but you'll tell little Ailsey to bring us plenty of murphies, and eggs, and soft tack-Won't you, my pretty Gib? won't you, my heart of oak?"

"Come, come, d-n your squeezing, Jack; my banes are a' sair already with your nonsense, I declare."

Here the whistle blew, and Grog, ahoy! was bellowed down the hatchway. The sound was heard with a shout of joy; and away scampered the cooks of the various messes with their vessels to the grog-tub.

The mirth grew now both boisterous and tumultuary; the very sight of the grog seemed to have the effect of raising the animal spirits to a higher key; and so very zealously was the carousal commenced, every one in the joy of his heart talking louder than his neighbour, while ever and anon the rude and boisterous chorus struck the ear, that one would have thought that young and old, in defiance of every caution their captain had given them, were in full march to a state of the most complete inebriety.

"Scaldings, matey; scaldings! Hollo, you fellow! keep that filthy louse-preserver of yours out of my

VOL. XI.

way. Blast your day-lights, you lubber! if you make me spill this here grog, but I'll dance your rascally ribs into powder."

"Hollo! you sodger, mind your well blacked pins, my boy, and don't capsize the good stuff.

"Number five!-Number five!call number five below there!-Here, my old mate, lay hold of the grogkid; the hatchway's so completely choak-a-block with lobster-backs and barber's clerks, there's no getting down but by the cable.

"Come, come, heave a-head, old skulk-me-ever, and let me pass; our mess is on fire, and here is the water."

"Weel, sirs, and fat d'ye think o' your fine Cockney now ;-ha, ha, ha! if I can keep frae laughing at it. D-n me, if the poor singit mumping cat hasna lost his call; and now ye'll hae obliged to wait till a' the sodgers are saired before ye. Saul! the brat was for starting me, sending me through the fleet, and fiend kens a' fat; but, in guid faith, if ye're a' o' my mind, the devil a spoonfae o' grog should wet his wuzen.'

"For shame, Gibby, to propose such a thing! I'll be d-d if you'd speak that way did you not expect to get a few of these same spoonfulls, as you call 'em, whistled into your own muzzle. All the mess knows that it's not a trifle you'll stick at when a glass of grog's in the wind-and how do you know but Davis may like the stuff as well as yourself?"

"O, blast him! give the fellow his grog; I wants none on't, for my part. Rather cob him, I say; for he had plenty of time, and knew well enough we had the first call."

"Avast, avast there, maties, here he comes. Come, Davis, hand round, my buck, for we're all in a state of mutiny here:-and I say, old Catherine Street, tip Gibby a choaker at once, for he's swearing he'll grog you." (Chorus.)

Nor never will I married be Until the day I die; For the stormy winds and the raging sea Parted my love and me."

'Well, well, maties, no more of that.-Come, Gibby, let's hear you give us a slice of your old pell the Bounty, that good old Spitzberger. I don't see why we should'nt be as merry as e'er a mess in the hooker on such a day as this."

C

"O, Greenland is a cold countrie,

And seldom is seen the sun;
The keen frost and snow continually blow,
And the day-light never is done,
Brave boys,

And the day-light never is done.
But ne'er a bone of me can sing now-
a-days. It's far ower high for my
auld pipe, although, nae doubt,we've
seen the day. But, whisht!-ay, that's
something like the thing.-(Chorus.)

Farewell, and adieu to your grand Spanish ladies,

Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain, For we've received orders to sail for Old England,

But we hope in short time for to see you again.

Tut's! here's to the Tottumfog, and a' that's in her. May she soon nail a prize or twa, and then scud to Shetland as she were driving to the wuddie; for, losh, maties, I'm gaun daft

to see our Ailie."

"Huzza! well behaved, old Gibby -ha, ha, ha!"

"I tells thee, Tummas, thee hast goutten three tots already; how many wouldst thee ha' now?"

"What argufies that, my lad, when they wa'nt half full. Come, come, bouse me up another, matey-there's a good fellow-and I'll touch you up a flashy stave :-( Chorus.)

O, the rose it is red and the violet is blue,
And my heart, love, beats steady and con-

stant to you;

Then let it be early, late, or soon,
I will enjoy my rose in June."

Dang it, Tummas! that's always thy way; but I won't be sung out of my grog by ere a one. I tells thee once more, that I'se only the plush, and that I be's entitled to, an't I now? But, come, come, matey, thee needn't be angry either-there's another for thee.'

Lord Nelson on the poop did stand,
With his spy-glass all in his hand;
And all he said, as we push'd for the land,
Was, Steady, and Cheer up, ho!"

"Boatswain's mate! Boatswain's
mate! Below, there! You marine, d'ye
hear, fellow?"
"Sir."

"Call the boatswain's mate forward there, directly."

"Ay, ay, sir. Boatswain's mate! Forward there; pass the word for the boatswain's mate."

"Hollo !"

"You're wanted on deck."
(Chorus)

I wish your face I had never seen,
"The de'il pu' your twa black een,
You're but a proud and a saucy quean,
And I winna be your dearie, Ó."

"Up there, sweepers, and clear away the deck! D'ye hear there, you Murphy, Davis, and the whole boiling of you! Come, come, no grumbling; it's of no use. Shoulder your brooms, and come over the deck as smartly's you like. Come, scud! D'ye hear there; fly, and be d-d to you!"

"Well, my lads, as I were saying, we had her by this time just two points abaft the beam-"

"You tie an earing, you swab! I would not allow you to stand at my lee-wheel.

"D-n me, if I don't think, some how or other, that our skipper will turn out a tartar, good weight, after all. He's got a smacking sharp cut the wind of his own, and I don't like his top-lights at all at all."

"Avast there, my hearty; after me, if you please. I say, maties, here's bad luck to Bet of the jetty, and to all the rascally smouches and humbugs of Sheerness.”—(Chorus.) "Then we'll drink and be jolly, and drown melancholy,

Our spirits to cherish, our hopes, and our lives,

And we'll pay all our debts with a flying foretop-sail,

And so bid adieu to our sweethearts and

wives."

"Angry!-no, no, I'm not angry, my old ship. Here's smacking luck to you, my dear boy, and a fistful of doubloons before you are many years older. Angry, in faith!-it's a very different story then, my hero !—If "Pshaw! d-n the song !-hear ever you see Tom Sykes angry-that's me out, maties. Well, as I were sayreal savage, I mean-I'd advise you ing, by this time we were all doubleas a friend to stand clear, matey-shotted, and were just going to give don't you go for to think that he's her another physicker-' been at Copenhagen and Trafalgar for nothing.-(Chorus.)

On the glorious the second of April, all
at the doom of day,
We unreef'd all our topsails, and then

we bore away;

"Ha, ha, ha! My eyes! twig canny Shields Neddy!-malty, by the Nor' lights!"

"You lie, you land-crab!-I'll walk on a seam with e'er a man of your mess." 66 By the powers, you may say it,

my boy!-for it's just the place for a fellow to laugh and grow fat in. I've seen a good deal now of the world, both east and west, and every point of the compass, my boy; and the devil fetch me, were it in my power, but I'd pitch my tent in snug little Ireland before e'er a corner in it at all at all-ay, faith, and so would I now."

The bell now struck six, when the pipe of All hands to dance, ahoy! hurried all the young men on deck in excellent trim for frolic and fun of any description, leaving all the more grave and aged below, happy in each other's conversation. Parties were speedily formed, and Hunt the slipper, and several other games of a similar nature, were immediately commenced. Other parties amused themselves with dancing on the forecastle, to the beat of the drum and the sound of the fife; and the grotesque manners of the huge hulks of fellows who personated the fair sex made every side ache with laughter. The scene was new to our hero, who enjoyed it very highly; although he could hardly avoid remarking, that all the sports and dances were of the rudest description, and were more like the prefatory lessons for initiating men into the mystery of bearing hard blows and heavy falls with good humour, than the pastimes of reasonable and rational beings: for as all the frolics, of whatever nature they were, commonly ended in a mock squabble, where the whole party engaged mutually gave one another a hearty drubbing with their knotted kerchiefs, taken from their necks for that purpose, in one or two instances it actually occurred, that where the parties thought themselves rather severely handled, it verged pretty nearly to a serious conclusion, and several heavy blows were interchanged with every apparent good will. This, however, was seemingly against all rule; for, wherever it was like to happen, the others, by dint of ridicule and laughter, soon put their anger to flight, and speedily restored good hu

mour.

Although the subject may appear somewhat trivial, yet will we venture a description of two of these sports, which we believe not to belong to the class more generally known, and both of which, we can assure our readers, please a vast deal better in the performance than they can ever be expected to do from a brief description.

The first is termed building a cutter, and is merely a dramatic squib, concluded in the usual way at the expence of some simple good-natured landsman, ignorant of the sport.— "Come, shipmates," cries a known hand, "let's have a game at building the cutter;" when, as soon as a party is formed, the three principal characters, of the Gentleman, the Carpenter, and his man Jack, are generally contrived to be thrown into the hands of three of the stoutest and most active seamen engaged. The game now commences with a conversation between the Gentleman and the Carpenter; and as a good deal of humour, as well as of satire, is often thrown into it, it is sometimes carried on for a considerable time with both wit and spirit. This, however, we do not pretend to aim at; merely wishing to sketch out a bare outline, by way of giving our readers an idea of the game.

Enter a Gentleman and Carpenter.

Gent. Good-morrow, Master Chips. I wants to purchase a neat, airy, smartsailing cutter, finely painted, and handsomely rigged;-in the newest fashion, of course, you know.

Carp. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to serve your honour. I have several cutters on hand at present, but not one, I believe, of your description. However, you know, we can build you one in a very short time, and probably that will do, sir?

Gent. Well enough, Master Chips, provided you begin it directly.

Carp. You may depend upon me, sir. It will be sent home to you the moment it is finished.

Gent. Very well, Master Chips; I shall expect it. (Exit. Carp. I say, John;-d'ye hear there, Jack? Where the devil's that foreman of mine? You, Jack, hilloah!

Jack. Here I come, your honour.

Carp. Come this way, you swab ; d-n me if ever you're to be found when you are most wanted. We must set about building a trim spanking cutter for Mr Broombottom directly. Come, bring me my tools, and go you and seek out a proper piece of stuff for a good keel to her. I don't care whether it belongs to England, Ireland, or Scotland, so that it's good. Come, look sharp and thief-like, you scoundrel.

(Here John, after a seeming examination, singles out the selected individual from among the byestanders, and brings him forward, saying:)

« ForrigeFortsæt »