- description
- # Israel on the British Revenue Cutter
## Overview
This section, titled "Israel on the British Revenue Cutter," is a segment of text extracted from the file `israel_potter.txt`. It is part of Chapter XIV of a larger work, which details Israel's experiences at sea. The section spans lines 3786 to 3829 of the source document.
## Context
This text is contained within [Chapter XIV. In Which Israel Is Sailor Under Two Flags, and in Three Ships, and All in One Night.](arke:01KG8AJJ2DZZK95NXNEVKJHN3D) of the work `israel_potter.txt`, which is part of the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection. It follows the section titled "[Israel on the British Man-of-War ('Seventy-Four')](arke:01KG8AK6WAJTCF6PJ4PZTAZZA7)" and precedes "[Israel on the British Revenue Cutter](arke:01KG8AK6WF0BH8CHYVVBPVRKDM)".
## Contents
The narrative describes a tense encounter aboard a British revenue vessel. Israel, working as a foremast hand with only three other men (the captain and two officers), is subjected to harsh treatment. The small crew struggles to manage the vessel, and the captain and officers are described as ill-tempered, physically abusing Israel. Driven to desperation, Israel fights back, assaulting the captain and an officer. The situation escalates when an unidentified warship fires upon their vessel, demanding they heave to. The captain of the revenue cutter, recognizing the stranger is not a countryman and fearing piracy, contemplates outrunning the unknown ship.
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- 2026-01-30T20:48:46.698Z
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- description_title
- Israel on the British Revenue Cutter
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- 3829
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- 2026-01-30T20:47:55.385Z
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- 3786
- text
- The revenue vessel resumed her course towards the nighest port, worked
by but four men: the captain, Israel, and two officers. The cabin-boy
was kept at the helm. As the only foremast man, Israel was put to it
pretty hard. Where there is but one man to three masters, woe betide
that lonely slave. Besides, it was of itself severe work enough to
manage the vessel thus short of hands. But to make matters still worse,
the captain and his officers were ugly-tempered fellows. The one
kicked, and the others cuffed Israel. Whereupon, not sugared with his
recent experiences, and maddened by his present hap, Israel seeing
himself alone at sea, with only three men, instead of a thousand, to
contend against, plucked up a heart, knocked the captain into the lee
scuppers, and in his fury was about tumbling the first-officer, a small
wash of a fellow, plump overboard, when the captain, jumping to his
feet, seized him by his long yellow hair, vowing he would slaughter
him. Meanwhile the cutter flew foaming through the channel, as if in
demoniac glee at this uproar on her imperilled deck. While the
consternation was at its height, a dark body suddenly loomed at a
moderate distance into view, shooting right athwart the stern of the
cutter. The next moment a shot struck the water within a boat’s length.
“Heave to, and send a boat on board!” roared a voice almost as loud as
the cannon.
“That’s a war-ship,” cried the captain of the revenue vessel, in alarm;
“but she ain’t a countryman.”
Meantime the officers and Israel stopped the cutter’s way.
“Send a boat on board, or I’ll sink you,” again came roaring from the
stranger, followed by another shot, striking the water still nearer the
cutter.
“For God’s sake, don’t cannonade us. I haven’t got the crew to man a
boat,” replied the captain of the cutter. “Who are you?”
“Wait till I send a boat to you for that,” replied the stranger.
“She’s an enemy of some sort, that’s plain,” said the Englishman now to
his officers; “we ain’t at open war with France; she’s some
bloodthirsty pirate or other. What d’ye say, men?” turning to his
officers; “let’s outsail her, or be shot to chips. We can beat her at
sailing, I know.”
With that, nothing doubting that his counsel would be heartily
- title
- Israel on the British revenue cutter