ittle abaft the
main-mast. The prisoner sat upon the deck under a sentry, and his legs
and hands were shackled to the bars with irons of a weight proportioned
to the crime. It was a rule that none should speak to a man in the
bilboes. For blasphemy and swearing there was "an excellent good
way"[28] of forcing the sinner to hold a marline-spike in his mouth,
until his tongue was bloody (_Teonge_). Dirty speech was punished in a
similar way, and sometimes the offending tongue was scrubbed with sand
and canvas. We read of two sailors who stole a piece of beef aboard
H.M.S. _Assistance_ in the year 1676.[29] Their hands were tied behind
them, and the beef was hung about their necks, "and the rest of the
seamen cam one by one, and rubd them over the mouth with the raw beife;
and in this posture they stood two howers." Other punishments were
"shooting to death," and hanging at the yardarm. "And the Knaveries of
the Ship-boys are payd by the Boat-Swain with the Rod; and commonly this
execution is done upon the Munday Mornings; and is so frequently in use,
that some meer Seamen believe in earnest, that they shall not have a
fair Wind, unless the poor Boys be duely brought to the Chest, that is,
whipped, every Munday Morning" (_Boteler_).

[Footnote 28: _Circa_ 1670.]

[Footnote 29: The punishment would have been no less severe a century
earlier.]

Some of these punishments may appear unduly harsh; but on the whole they
were no more cruel than the punishments usually inflicted ashore.
Indeed, if anything they were rather more merciful.

CHAPTER XX

IN ACTION

In engaging an enemy's ship at sea the custom was to display the colours
from the poop, and to hang streamers or pennons from the yardarms.[30]
The spritsail would then be furled, and the spritsail-yard brought
alongship. The lower yards were slung with chain, and the important
ropes, sheets and braces,[31] etc., were doubled. The bulkheads and
wooden cabin walls were knocked away, or fortified with hammocks or
bedding, to minimise the risk of splinters. The guns were cast loose and
loaded. The powder or cartridge was brought up in "budge barrels,"
covered with leather, from the magazine, and stowed well away from the
guns, either in amidships, or on that side of the ship not directly
engaged. Tubs of water were placed between the guns with blankets
soaking in them for the smothering of any fire that might be caused.
Other tubs were filled with "vinegar wate