- description
- # The First or Senior Lieutenant
## Overview
This section, titled "The First or Senior Lieutenant," describes the role and character of the first lieutenant on a man-of-war. It details the responsibilities and social standing of this officer, who serves as the chief executive officer of the ship. The text is extracted from the file [white_jacket.txt](arke:01KG89J19NC56FFGBCM2SWEZZY) between lines 983 and 999.
## Context
This section is part of [CHAPTER VI. THE QUARTER-DECK OFFICERS, WARRANT OFFICERS, AND BERTH-DECK UNDERLINGS OF A MAN-OF-WAR; WHERE THEY LIVE IN THE SHIP; HOW THEY LIVE; THEIR SOCIAL STANDING ON SHIP-BOARD; AND WHAT SORT OF GENTLEMEN THEY ARE.](arke:01KG8AJPBQJ0Q2SB2WPXFS2KHD). It follows the section [The Captain](arke:01KG8AKTHC8FS4A2E7ZRD6YACY) and precedes [The Ward-room Officers](arke:01KG8AKTGA4VX7AG8CWDZ2DDZN). The content is part of the larger [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection.
## Contents
The section provides a personal, yet objective, account of the First or Senior Lieutenant. The narrator expresses a personal grievance against a particular gentleman who held this post, attributing his "soakings and drenchings" and subsequent rheumatism to the lieutenant's refusal to provide black paint for his white jacket. Despite this, the narrator acknowledges the lieutenant's professional competence, describing him as an "excellent seaman; prompt, loud, and to the point" and a good disciplinarian. The text emphasizes the demanding nature of the role, noting that the captain holds the First Lieutenant responsible for everything and expects him to be "omnipresent" throughout the ship.
- description_generated_at
- 2026-01-30T20:49:48.932Z
- description_model
- gemini-2.5-flash-lite
- description_title
- The First or Senior Lieutenant
- end_line
- 999
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:16.646Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 983
- text
- Next in rank comes the First or Senior Lieutenant, the chief executive
officer. I have no reason to love the particular gentleman who filled
that post aboard our frigate, for it was he who refused my petition for
as much black paint as would render water-proof that white-jacket of
mine. All my soakings and drenchings lie at his state-room door. I
hardly think I shall ever forgive him; every twinge of the rheumatism,
which I still occasionally feel, is directly referable to him. The
Immortals have a reputation for clemency; and _they_ may pardon him;
but he must not dun me to be merciful. But my personal feelings toward
the man shall not prevent me from here doing him justice. In most
things he was an excellent seaman; prompt, loud, and to the point; and
as such was well fitted for his station. The First Lieutenancy of a
frigate demands a good disciplinarian, and, every way, an energetic
man. By the captain he is held responsible for everything; by that
magnate, indeed, he is supposed to be omnipresent; down in the hold,
and up aloft, at one and the same time.
- title
- The First or Senior Lieutenant