The captain must be the judge when it is necessary to keep his
crew from their sleep; and sometimes
A retrenching, not of the
necessaries, but of some of the little niceties of their meals,
as, for instance, duff on Sunday, may be a mode of punishment,
though I think generally an injudicious one.
I could not do justice to this subject without noticing one part
of the discipline of a ship, which has been very much discussed
of late, and has brought out strong expressions of indignation from
many, - I mean the infliction of corporal punishment. Those who have
followed me in my narrative will remember that I was witness to an
act of great cruelty inflicted upon my own shipmates; and indeed
I can sincerely say that the simple mention of the word flogging,
brings up in me feelings which I can hardly control. Yet, when the
proposition is made to abolish it entirely and at once; to prohibit
the captain from ever, under any circumstances, inflicting corporal
punishment; I am obliged to pause, and, I must say, to doubt
exceedingly the expediency of making any positive enactment which
shall have that effect. If the design of those who are writing
on this subject is merely to draw public attention to it, and to
discourage the practice of flogging, and bring it into disrepute,
it is well; and, indeed, whatever may be the end they have in view,
the mere agitation of the question will have that effect, and,
so far, must do good.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 555 of 618
Words from 152311 to 152576
of 170236
