as a man's body, but not tapering to the ends.

In ships where much pains is taken to have the hammocks stowed
properly, they are lashed up, so as to preserve the same width all
along, and with neither more nor fewer than seven turns with a
well-blacked small lashing, carefully passed round at equal intervals.
When the hammocks are prepared in this way, and all made of the same
size, (which condition may be secured by putting them through a ring
of given dimensions,) they are laid in symmetrical order all round the
ship, above the bulwark, on the quarter-deck and forecastle, and in
the waist nettings along the gangways. Each hammock, it may be
mentioned, has a separate number painted neatly upon it on a small,
white, oval patch, near one of the corners; so that, when they are all
stowed in the nettings, a uniform line of numbers extends round the
ship, and the hammock of any man who may be taken ill can be found by
his messmates in a moment. The bags, in like manner, of which each
person has two, are numbered separately. In rainy weather the hammocks
are securely covered by painted cloths.

As a seaman's kit generally forms his whole property, it ought to be
carefully preserved, and every possible facility given that the
service will allow of for his keeping it in good order. A captain of
any consideration will naturally bear in mind, that, as the comfort
and health of the men under his command depend most materially upon
the manner in which they are clad, and especially upon the damp or dry
state of their dress, it becomes an important branch of his duty to
see that their things are taken care of with as much exactness as the
spare sails, cordage, or provisions. It much too frequently happens,
however, that the unfortunate sailors' clothes are more torment to
them than advantage, and they may think themselves lucky if they can
catch hold of a jacket or trousers to shift withal, so eternally are
they interfered with by some inconsiderate officers. "Pipe the bags
up!" "Pipe the bags down!" "Stow the bags afresh!" "Pipe to scrub the
bags!" and twenty such orders are given in a day in some ships, to the
endless misery of the people. It is, no doubt, necessary that the bags
should be scrubbed and stowed properly, and be piped up and down at
the proper times and seasons. But there are two ways of doing these
things: one, which gives the men no more trouble than is absolutely
unavoidable; the other, which harasses and justl