* * * * * *

These men belonged to an old-fashioned race, sailed in old-fashioned
ships, at a time when the old-fashioned winters, as they are sometimes
called, were a terror to underwriters, owners and seamen alike; for the
easterly gales always left in their wake along the whole seaboard
relics of devastation. Wrecks used to be strewn all over the coast, and
sombre tokens of bereavement were everywhere visible. When the White
Sea, Baltic and St Lawrence were closed to navigation, the class of
vessels that were employed in these trades were either sent to the Bay
of Biscay or the coast of Portugal with coal in order that they might
bring from that country to this cork or salt, or both; and from the
French ports in the Bay of Biscay cargoes of sugar were frequently
obtained as return cargo; but the coal freights were generally so good
at that time that vessels could be brought back in ballast and _then_
leave a big profit.

Owners, however, always aimed at getting employment over the winter
months in the coasting trade to France or London, and when freights
were depressed beyond paying point they did not hesitate to lay them up
until the White Sea and Baltic season came round again. It frequently
happened that this course had to be adopted, and the ports all along
the coast became blocked with idle tonnage, and the little towns
overcrowded with seamen, who, as a rule, stuck to their ships and did
odd jobs, without pay, until the time came for them to be again engaged
in active service. It was customary for the captain and mate to
specially look after the vessels when laid up so that no harm came to
them, and they were expected to do so without remuneration. The honour
and pride in those earlier days of having command or being mate of even
a leaky old craft was very pronounced. Each brig, brigantine, or
schooner, carried three or four apprentices. These lads were allowed
10s. per week, which was called board money. The owners, it may be
presumed, found it cheaper to make this arrangement rather than have
cooking aboard while the vessel was laid up; but though an allowance
was made for food, it was a standing instruction that at least two out
of the four boys should sleep aboard the ship, and as soon as she was
put into commission none but the oldest apprentice could have the
privilege of sleeping ashore. This personage, by the way, was looked up
to as a kind of Mogul even by his commander