of a cyclone with a terrific turmoil.
Underneath this work of art was the name of the person to whom the
chest belonged, painted in block shaded letters, and the fate of many a
crew has been traced by the washing ashore of a relic of this sort. All
this was done by the sailor himself, and during the process of
elaboration many a castle was built in the air and many a vow made that
his conduct for evermore should be regulated by a strict adherence to
righteous principles. There was great competition in this as in other
things. The forecastle sides and the deck were whitewashed with lime,
and the floor in fine weather, at sea as well as in port, was kept
clean. The apprentices were made to take week and week about in
scrubbing the floor every morning, and sweeping it after every meal. In
well regulated vessels that sailed on long voyages, as soon as they got
into the N.E. trade winds the crew settled down to a daily routine
during the first hour or two of their watch below in the daytime, of
making, mending and washing their clothes. Some never got beyond this,
or making mats, but there were men who varied their pastime by carving
models of vessels, making wood sails or rigging, and fitting them out
in every detail. This work was done with great skill and neatness.
Those that could read and were fond of it gave a share of their time to
that. There were others who worked hard at learning navigation, their
chest lids serving as a desk. It occasionally happened that some of the
forecastle hands could neither read nor write, but if they were willing
to learn there was always someone ready to teach them, who in the
process of teaching learnt much that was useful to himself. A few
months ago there died an old man whom I taught to read and write when
he must have been over forty years of age. He was one of many skilled
seamen of that day who were much sought after to command collier brigs
during the winter months, notwithstanding they could not read, or write
their own names even. This man never failed to make the quickest
passages and voyages on record, and in the summer, without presuming on
having been master, he would ship on a deep sea vessel as able seaman
or cook. It was in the latter capacity that I first met him when I was
an apprentice of fourteen. I was seated reading Sir Walter Scott's "Old
Mortality," and laughing as heartily as a boy will at some of the
sayings and doings of the Covenanters, when he asked what amused