s; and it is no wonder they viewed them as their
inferiors, as they really were. Even the officers were, generally
speaking, much inferior to those who closed the war. The American
sailor appears to be a careless, unthinking, swearing fellow; but he
is generally much better than he appears. He is generally marked with
honor, generosity, and honesty. A ship's crew soon assimilates, and
they are all brother tars, embarked together in the same bottom, and
in the same pursuit of interest, curiosity or fame; while the rigid
discipline of an army does not admit of this association and
assimilation. A sailor, therefore, greets a sailor, as his brother;
but has not yet learned to greet a soldier as his brother; nor has the
American soldier ever felt the fraternal attachment to the sailor. It
should be the policy of our rulers, and military commanders, to
assimilate the American soldier and sailor; and there is little doubt
but that they will amalgamate in time. In France, the soldier looks
down upon the sailor; in England, and in America, the sailor looks
down on the soldier. We must learn them to march arm in arm.

Confinement, dirtiness, and deprivations, have an evil operation on
the mind. I have observed some who had a little refinement of manners,
at the commencement of their captivity, and regarded the situation and
feelings of others near them, with complacency, but have lost it all,
and sunk into a state of misanthropy. We, Americans, exercise too
little ceremony at best, but some of our prisoners lost all deference
and respect for their countrymen, and became mere hogs, the stronger
pushing the weaker aside, to get the most swill.

"Jove fix'd it certain, that the very day
Made man a slave, took half his worth away."----_Homer._

All our industrious men were well behaved; and all our idle men were
hoggish. Some of our countrymen worked very neatly in bone, out of
which material they built ships,[M] and carved images, and snuff
boxes, and tobacco boxes, and watch cases. Some covered boxes, in a
very neat manner, with straw. The men thus employed, formed a strong
contrast to those who did nothing; or who followed up gambling. Our
ship afforded striking instances of the pernicious effects of
idleness; and of the beneficial effects of industry. We, on board the
Crown Prince, instructed the boys; but in this ship, there has been no
attention paid to them; and they are, upon the whole, as vicious in
their conduct,