An Hour Or Two, We Were Kept At This Work,
When The Head-Pump Was Manned, And All The Sand Washed Off The
Decks And Sides.
Then came swabs and squilgees; and after the
decks were dry, each one went to his particular morning job.
There were five boats belonging to the ship, - launch, pinnace,
jolly-boat, larboard quarter-boat, and gig, - each of which had a
coxswain, who had charge of it, and was answerable for the order
and cleanness of it. The rest of the cleaning was divided among
the crew; one having the brass and composition work about the capstan;
another the bell, which was of brass, and kept as bright as a
gilt button; a third, the harness-cask; another, the man-rope
stanchions; others, the steps of the forecastle and hatchways,
which were hauled up and holystoned. Each of these jobs must
be finished before breakfast; and, in the meantime, the rest
of the crew filled the scuttle-butt, and the cook scraped his
kids (wooden tubs out of which the sailors eat) and polished the
hoops, and placed them before the galley, to await inspection.
When the decks were dry, the lord paramount made his appearance
on the quarter-deck, and took a few turns, when eight bells
were struck, and all hands went to breakfast. Half an hour
was allowed for breakfast, when all hands were called again;
the kids, pots, bread-bags, etc., stowed away; and, this morning,
preparations were made for getting under weigh.
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