Having Light Winds And
Calms, We Were Three Days On The Passage, And Each Watch Below,
During The Daytime, I Spent In The Same Manner, Until I Had
Finished My Book.
I shall never forget the enjoyment I derived
from it.
To come across anything with the slightest claims to
literary merit, was so unusual, that this was a perfect feast to
me. The brilliancy of the book, the succession of capital hits,
lively and characteristic sketches, kept me in a constant state of
pleasing sensations. It was far too good for a sailor. I could
not expect such fine times to last long.
While on deck, the regular work of the ship went on. The sailmaker
and carpenter worked between decks, and the crew had their work to do
upon the rigging, drawing yarns, making spun-yarn, etc., as usual in
merchantmen. The night watches were much more pleasant than on board
the Pilgrim. There, there were so few in a watch, that, one being at
the wheel, and another on the look-out, there was no one left to talk
with; but here, we had seven in a watch, so that we had long yarns,
in abundance. After two or three night watches, I became quite well
acquainted with all the larboard watch. The sailmaker was the head
man of the watch, and was generally considered the most experienced
seaman on board. He was a thoroughbred old man-of-war's-man, had
been to sea twenty-two years, in all kinds of vessels - men-of-war,
privateers, slavers, and merchantmen; - everything except whalers,
which a thorough sailor despises, and will always steer clear of,
if he can.
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