The Bedding From The Berths Was Then Spread On
Deck, And Dried, And Aired; The Deck-Tub Filled With Water;
And a
grand washing begun of all the clothes which were brought up.
Shirts, frocks, drawers, trowsers, jackets, stockings, of
Every
shape and color, wet and dirty - many of them mouldy from having
been lying a long time wet in a foul corner - these were all washed
and scrubbed out, and finally towed overboard for half an hour;
and then made fast in the rigging to dry. Wet boots and shoes
were spread out to dry in sunny places on deck; and the whole
ship looked like a back yard on a washing day. After we had
done with our clothes, we began upon our own persons. A little
fresh water, which we had saved from our allowance, was put in
buckets, and with soap and towels, we had what sailors call
a fresh-water wash. The same bucket, to be sure, had to go
through several hands, and was spoken for by one after another,
but as we rinsed off in salt water, pure from the ocean, and the
fresh was used only to start the accumulated grime and blackness
of five weeks, it was held of little consequence.
We soaped down and scrubbed one another with towels and pieces
of canvas, stripping to it; and then, getting into the head,
threw buckets of water upon each other. After this, came shaving,
and combing, and brushing; and when, having spent the first part of
the day in this way, we sat down on the forecastle, in the afternoon,
with clean duck trowsers, and shirts on, washed, shaved, and combed,
and looking a dozen shades lighter for it, reading, sewing, and
talking at our ease, with a clear sky and warm sun over our heads,
a steady breeze over the larboard quarter, studding-sails out alow
and aloft, and all the flying kites aboard; - we felt that we had
got back into the pleasantest part of a sailor's life.
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