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- 6176
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- are mostly thrown upon your own resources to while away the time. Whole
days frequently pass without your being individually called upon to
lift a finger; for though, in the merchant-service, they make a point
of keeping the men always busy about something or other, yet, to employ
five hundred sailors when there is nothing definite to be done wholly
surpasses the ingenuity of any First Lieutenant in the Navy.
As mention has just been made of the numerous boats employed in
harbour, something more may as well be put down concerning them. Our
frigate carried a very large boat—as big as a small sloop—called a
_launch_, which was generally used for getting off wood, water, and
other bulky articles. Besides this, she carried four boats of an
arithmetical progression in point of size—the largest being known as
the first cutter, the next largest the second cutter, then the third
and fourth cutters. She also carried a Commodore’s Barge, a Captain’s
Gig, and a “dingy,” a small yawl, with a crew of apprentice boys. All
these boats, except the “dingy,” had their regular crews, who were
subordinate to their cockswains—_petty officers_, receiving pay in
addition to their seaman’s wages.
The _launch_ was manned by the old Tritons of the forecastle, who were
no ways particular about their dress, while the other
boats—commissioned for genteeler duties—were rowed by young follows,
mostly, who had a dandy eye to their personal appearance. Above all,
the officers see to it that the Commodore’s Barge and the Captain’s Gig
are manned by gentlemanly youths, who may do credit to their country,
and form agreeable objects for the eyes of the Commodore or Captain to
repose upon as he tranquilly sits in the stern, when pulled ashore by
his barge-men or gig-men, as the case may be. Some sailors are very
fond of belonging to the boats, and deem it a great honour to be a
_Commodore’s barge-man_; but others, perceiving no particular
distinction in that office, do not court it so much.
On the second day after arriving at Rio, one of the gig-men fell sick,
and, to my no small concern, I found myself temporarily appointed to
his place.
“Come, White-Jacket, rig yourself in white—that’s the gig’s uniform
to-day; you are a gig-man, my boy—give ye joy!” This was the first
announcement of the fact that I heard; but soon after it was officially
ratified.
I was about to seek the First Lieutenant, and plead the scantiness of
my wardrobe, which wholly disqualified me to fill so distinguished a
station, when I heard the bugler call away the “gig;” and, without more
ado, I slipped into a clean frock, which a messmate doffed for my
benefit, and soon after found myself pulling off his High Mightiness,
the Captain, to an English seventy-four.
As we were bounding along, the cockswain suddenly cried “Oars!” At the
word every oar was suspended in the air, while our Commodore’s barge
floated by, bearing that dignitary himself. At the sight, Captain
Claret removed his chapeau, and saluted profoundly, our boat lying
motionless on the water. But the barge never stopped; and the Commodore
made but a slight return to the obsequious salute he had received.
We then resumed rowing, and presently I heard “Oars!” again; but from
another boat, the second cutter, which turned out to be carrying a
Lieutenant ashore. If was now Captain Claret’s turn to be honoured. The
cutter lay still, and the Lieutenant off hat; while the Captain only
nodded, and we kept on our way.
This naval etiquette is very much like the etiquette at the Grand Porte
of Constantinople, where, after washing the Sublime Sultan’s feet, the
Grand Vizier avenges himself on an Emir, who does the same office for
him.
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