This Gradually Passes Away As The Light Grows
Brighter, And When The Sun Comes Up, The Ordinary Monotonous Sea
Day Begins.
From such reflections as these, I was aroused by the order from
the officer, "Forward there!
Rig the head-pump!" I found that no
time was allowed for day-dreaming, but that we must "turn-to" at the
first light. Having called up the "idlers," namely carpenter, cook,
steward, etc., and rigged the pump, we commenced washing down the decks.
This operation, which is performed every morning at sea, takes nearly
two hours; and I had hardly strength enough to get through it. After
we had finished, swabbed down, and coiled up the rigging, I sat down
on the spars, waiting for seven bells, which was the sign for breakfast.
The officer, seeing my lazy posture, ordered me to slush the main-mast,
from the royal-mast-head, down. The vessel was then rolling a little,
and I had taken no sustenance for three days, so that I felt tempted to
tell him that I had rather wait till after breakfast; but I knew that
I must "take the bull by the horns," and that if I showed any sign of
want of spirit or of backwardness, that I should be ruined at once.
So I took my bucket of grease and climbed up to the royal-mast-head.
Here the rocking of the vessel, which increases the higher you go
from the foot of the mast, which is the fulcrum of the lever, and the
smell of the grease, which offended my fastidious senses, upset my
stomach again, and I was not a little rejoiced when I got upon the
comparative terra firma of the deck. In a few minutes seven bells
were struck, the log hove, the watch called, and we went to breakfast.
Here I cannot but remember the advice of the cook, a simple-hearted
African. "Now," says he, "my lad, you are well cleaned out; you
haven't got a drop of your 'long-shore swash aboard of you. You
must begin on a new tack, - pitch all your sweetmeats overboard,
and turn-to upon good hearty salt beef and sea bread, and I'll
promise you, you'll have your ribs well sheathed, and be as hearty
as any of 'em, afore you are up to the Horn." This would be good
advice to give to passengers, when they speak of the little niceties
which they have laid in, in case of sea-sickness.
I cannot describe the change which half a pound of cold salt beef
and a biscuit or two produced in me. I was a new being. We had
a watch below until noon, so that I had some time to myself;
and getting a huge piece of strong, cold, salt beef from the cook,
I kept gnawing upon it until twelve o'clock. When we went on deck
I felt somewhat like a man, and could begin to learn my sea duty
with considerable spirit.
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