Chapter XI
O'Brien takes me under his protection--The ship's company are paid, soare the bumboat-women, the Jews, and the emancipationist after afashion--We go to sea--_Doctor_ O'Brien's cure for sea-sickness--Onepill of the doctor's more than a dose.
When we arrived, I reported myself to the first lieutenant, and told himthe whole story of the manner in which I had been treated, showing himthe poker, which I brought on board with me. He heard me very patiently,and then said, "Well, Mr Simple, you may be the greatest fool of yourfamily for all I know to the contrary, but never pretend to be a foolwith me. That poker proves the contrary: and if your wit can serve youupon your own emergency, I expect that it will be employed for thebenefit of the service." He then sent for O'Brien, and gave him alecture for allowing me to go with the pressgang, pointing out, what wasvery true, that I could have been of no service, and might have met witha serious accident. I went down on the main deck, and O'Brien came tome. "Peter," said he, "I have been jawed for letting you go, so it isbut fair that you should be thrashed for having asked me." I wished toargue the point, but he cut all argument short, by kicking me down thehatchway; and thus ended my zealous attempt to procure seamen for hismajesty's service.
At last the frigate was full manned; and, as we had received drafts ofmen from other ships, we were ordered to be paid previously to our goingto sea. The people on shore always find out when a ship is to be paid,and very early in the morning we were surrounded with wherries, ladenwith Jews and other people, some requesting admittance to sell theirgoods, others to get paid for what they had allowed the sailors to takeup upon credit. But the first lieutenant would not allow any of them tocome on board until after the ship was paid; although they were sourgent that he was forced to place sentries in the chains with coldshot, to stave the boats if they came alongside. I was standing at thegangway, looking at the crowd of boats, when a black-looking fellow inone of the wherries said to me, "I say, sir, let me slip in at the port,and I have a very nice present to make you;" and he displayed a goldseal, which he held up to me. I immediately ordered the sentry to keephim further off, for I was very much affronted at his supposing mecapable of being bribed to disobey my orders. About eleven o'clock thedockyard boat, with all the pay-clerks, and the cashier, with his chestof money, came on board, and was shown into the fore-cabin, where thecaptain attended the pay-table. The men were called in, one by one, and,as the amount of the wages due had been previously calculated, they werepaid; very fast. The money was always received in their hats, after ithad been counted out in the presence of the officers and captain.Outside the cabin door there stood a tall man in black, with hairstraight combed, who had obtained an order from the Port Admiral to bepermitted to come on board. He attacked every sailor as he came out;with his money in his hat, for a subscription to emancipate the slavesin the West Indies; but the sailors would not give him anything,swearing that the niggers were better off than they were; for they didnot work harder by day, and had no watch and watch to keep during thenight. "Sarvitude is sarvitude all over the world, my old psalmsinger,"replied one. "They sarve their masters, as in duty bound; we sarve theking, 'cause he can't do without us--and he never axes our leave, buthelps himself."
"Yes," replied the straight-haired gentleman; "but slavery is a verydifferent thing."
"Can't say that I see any difference; do you, Bill?"
"Not I: and I suppose as if they didn't like it they'd run away."
"Run away! poor creatures," said the black gentleman. "Why, if they did,they would be flogged."
"Flogged--heh; well, and if we run away we are to be hanged. Thenigger's better off nor we: ar'n't he, Tom?" Then the purser's stewardcame out: he was what they call a bit of a lawyer,--that is, hadreceived more education than the seamen in general.
"I trust, sir," said the man in black, "that you will contributesomething."
"Not I, my hearty: I owe every farthing of my money, and more too, I'mafraid."
"Still, sir, a small trifle."
"Why, what an infernal rascal you must be, to ask a man to give awaywhat is not his own property! Did I not tell you that I owed it all?There's an old proverb--be just before you're generous. Now, it's myopinion that, you are a methodistical, good-for-nothing blackguard; andif any one is such a fool as to give you money, you will keep it foryourself."
When the man found that he could obtain nothing at the door, he wentdown on the lower deck, in which he did not act very wisely; for nowthat the men were paid, the boats were permitted to come alongside, andso much spirits were smuggled in, that most of the seamen were more orless intoxicated. As soon as he went below, he commenced distributingprints of a black man kneeling in chains, and saying, "Am not I yourbrother?" Some of the men laughed, and swore that they would paste theirbrother up in the mess, to say prayers for the ship's company; butothers were very angry, and abused him. At last, one man, who was tipsy,came up to him. "Do you pretend for to insinivate that this crying blackthief is my brother?"
"To be sure I do," replied the methodist.
"Then take that for your infernal lie," said the sailor, hitting him inthe face right and left, and knocking the man down into the cable tier,from whence he climbed up, and made his escape out of the frigate assoon as he was able.
The ship was now in a state of confusion and uproar; there were Jewstrying to sell clothes, or to obtain money for clothes which they hadsold; bumboat-men and bumboat-women showing their long bills, anddemanding or coaxing for payment; other people from the shore, withhundreds of small debts; and the sailors' wives, sticking close to them,and disputing every bill presented, as an extortion or a robbery. Therewas such bawling and threatening, laughing and crying--for the womenwere all to quit the ship before sunset--at one moment a Jew was upset,and all his hamper of clothes tossed into the hold; at another, a sailorwas seen hunting everywhere for a Jew who had cheated him,--allsquabbling or skylarking, and many of them very drunk. It appeared to methat the sailors had rather a difficult point to settle. They had threeclaimants upon them, the Jew for clothes, the bumboat-men for their messin harbour, and their wives for their support during their absence; andthe money which they received was, generally speaking, not more thansufficient to meet one of the demands. As it may be supposed, the womenhad the best of it; the others were paid a trifle, and promised theremainder when they came back from their cruise; and although, as thecase stood then, it might appear that two of the parties were ill-used,yet in the long run they were more than indemnified, for their chargeswere so extravagant, that if one-third of their bills were paid, therewould still remain a profit. About five o'clock the orders were givenfor the ship to be cleared. All disputed points were settled by thesergeant of marines with a party, who divided their antagonists from theJews; and every description of persons not belonging to the ship,whether male or female, was dismissed over the side. The hammocks werepiped down, those who were intoxicated were put to bed, and the ship wasonce more quiet. Nobody was punished for having been tipsy, as pay-dayis considered, on board a man-of-war, as the winding-up of all incorrectbehaviour, and from that day the sailors turn over a new leaf; for,although some latitude is permitted, and the seamen are seldom floggedin harbour, yet the moment that the anchor is at the bows, strictdiscipline is exacted, and intoxication must no longer hope to beforgiven.
The next day everything was prepared for sea, and no leave was permittedto the officers. Stock of every kind was brought on board, and the largeboats hoisted and secured. On the morning after, at daylight, a signalfrom the flag-ship in harbour was made for us to unmoor; our orders hadcome down to cruise in the Bay of Biscay. The captain came on board, theanchor weighed, and we ran through the Needles with a fine N.E. breeze.I admired the scenery of the Isle of Wight, looked with admiration atAlum Bay, was astonished at the Needle rocks, and then felt so very illthat I went down below. What occurred for the next six days I cannottell. I thought that I should die every moment, and lay in my hammock oron the chests for the whole of
that time, incapable of eating, drinking,or walking about. O'Brien came to me on the seventh morning, and said,that if I did not exert myself I never should get well; that he was veryfond of me and had taken me under his protection, and, to prove hisregard, he would do for me what he would not take the trouble to do forany other youngster in the ship, which was, to give me a good basting,which was a sovereign remedy for sea-sickness. He suited the action tothe word, and drubbed me on the ribs without mercy, until I thought thebreath was out of my body, and then he took out a rope's end andthrashed me until I obeyed his orders to go on deck immediately. Beforehe came to me, I could never have believed it possible that I could haveobeyed him; but somehow or other I did contrive to crawl up the ladderto the main-deck, where I sat down on the shot-racks and cried bitterly.What would I have given to have been at home again! It was not my faultthat I was the greatest fool in the family, yet how was I punished forit! If this was kindness from O'Brien, what had I to expect from thosewho were not partial to me? But, by degrees, I recovered myself, andcertainly felt a great deal better, and that night I slept very soundly.The next morning O'Brien came to me again. "It's a nasty slow fever,that sea-sickness, my Peter, and we must drive it out of you;" and thenhe commenced a repetition of yesterday's remedy until I was almost ajelly. Whether the fear of being thrashed drove away my sea-sickness, orwhatever might be the real cause of it, I do not know, but this iscertain, that I felt no more of it after the second beating, and thenext morning when I awoke I was very hungry. I hastened to dress myselfbefore O'Brien came to me, and did not see him until we met atbreakfast.
"Pater," said he, "let me feel your pulse."
"Oh no!" replied I, "indeed I'm quite well."
"Quite well! Can you eat biscuit and salt butter?"
"Yes, I can."
"And a piece of fat pork?"
"Yes, that I can."
"It's thanks to me then, Pater," replied he; "so you'll have no more ofmy medicine until you fall sick again."
"I hope not," replied I, "for it was not very pleasant."
"Pleasant! you simple Simple, when did you ever hear of physic beingpleasant, unless a man prescribe for himself? I suppose you'd be afterlollipops for the yellow fever. Live and larn, boy, and thank Heaventhat you've found somebody who loves you well enough to baste you whenit's good for your health."
I replied, "that I certainly hoped that much as I felt obliged to him, Ishould not require any more proofs of his regard."
"Any more such _striking_ proofs, you mean, Pater; but let me tell youthat they were sincere proofs, for since you've been ill I've beeneating your pork and drinking your grog, which latter can't be tooplentiful in the Bay of Biscay. And now that I've cured you, you'll betucking all that into your own little breadbasket, so that I'm nogainer, and I think that you may be convinced that you never had or willhave two more disinterested thumpings in all your born days. However,you're very welcome, so say no more about it."
I held my tongue and ate a very hearty breakfast. From that day Ireturned to my duty, and was put into the same watch with O'Brien, whospoke to the first lieutenant, and told him that he had taken me underhis charge.