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- 8746
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- 2026-01-30T03:55:03.883Z
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- 8691
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- partiality to him either, who still insist that the ’Gee never gets his
due.
His docile services being thus cheaply to be had, some captains will go
the length of maintaining that ’Gee sailors are preferable, indeed every
way, physically and intellectually, superior to American sailors--such
captains complaining, and justly, that American sailors, if not decently
treated, are apt to give serious trouble.
But even by their most ardent admirers it is not deemed prudent to sail
a ship with none but ’Gees, at least, if they chance to be all green
hands, a green ’Gee being of all green things the greenest. Besides,
owing to the clumsiness of their feet ere improved by practice in the
rigging, green ’Gees are wont, in no inconsiderable numbers, to fall
overboard the first dark, squally night; insomuch that when unreasonable
owners insist with a captain against his will upon a green ’Gee crew
fore and aft, he will ship twice as many ’Gees as he would have shipped
of Americans, so as to provide for all contingencies.
The ’Gees are always ready to be shipped. Any day one may go to their
isle, and on the showing of a coin of biscuit over the rail, may load
down to the water’s edge with them.
But though any number of ’Gees are ever ready to be shipped, still it is
by no means well to take them as they come. There is a choice even in
’Gees.
Of course the ’Gee has his private nature as well as his public coat. To
know ’Gees--to be a sound judge of ’Gees--one must study them, just as
to know and be a judge of horses one must study horses. Simple as for
the most part are both horse and ’Gee, in neither case can knowledge of
the creature come by intuition. How unwise, then, in those ignorant
young captains who, on their first voyage, will go and ship their ’Gees
at Fogo without any preparatory information, or even so much as taking
convenient advice from a ’Gee jockey. By a ’Gee jockey is meant a man
well versed in ’Gees. Many a young captain has been thrown and badly
hurt by a ’Gee of his own choosing. For notwithstanding the general
docility of the ’Gee when green, it may be otherwise with him when ripe.
Discreet captains won’t have such a ’Gee. ‘Away with that ripe ’Gee!’
they cry; ‘that smart ’Gee; that knowing ’Gee! Green ’Gees for me!’
For the benefit of inexperienced captains about to visit Fogo, the
following may be given as the best way to test a ’Gee: Get square before
him, at say three paces, so that the eye, like a shot, may rake the ’Gee
fore and aft, at one glance taking in his whole make and build--how he
looks about the head, whether he carry it well; his ears, are they
over-lengthy? How fares it in the withers? His legs, does the ’Gee stand
strongly on them? His knees, any Belshazzar symptoms there? How stands
it in the region of the brisket? etc. etc.
Thus far for bone and bottom. For the rest, draw close to, and put the
centre of the pupil of your eye--put it, as it were, right into the
’Gee’s eye; even as an eye-stone, gently, but firmly slip it in there,
and then note what speck or beam of viciousness, if any, will be floated
out.
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