In the Neversink, as in other national ships, the business of _holy-stoning_ the decks was often prolonged, by way of punishment to the men, particularly of a raw, cold morning. This is one of the punishments which a lieutenant of the watch may easily inflict upon the crew, without infringing the statute which places the power of punishment solely in the hands of the Captain.
The abhorrence which men-of-war's-men have for this protracted _holy-stoning_ in cold, comfortless weather-with their bare feet exposed to the splashing inundations-is shown in a strange story, rife among them, curiously tinctured with their proverbial superstitions.
The First Lieutenant of an English sloop of war, a severe disciplinarian, was uncommonly particular concerning the whiteness of the quarter-deck. One bitter winter morning at sea, when the crew had washed that part of the vessel, as usual, and put away their holy-stones, this officer came on deck, and after inspecting it, ordered the _holy-stones_ and _prayer-books_ up again. Once more slipping off the shoes from their frosted feet, and rolling up their trowsers, the crew kneeled down to their task; and in that suppliant posture, silently invoked a curse upon their tyrant; praying, as he went below, that he might never more come out of the ward-room alive. The prayer seemed answered: for shortly after being visited with a paralytic stroke at his breakfast-table, the First Lieutenant next morning was carried out of the ward-room feet foremost, dead. As they dropped him over the side-so goes the story-the marine sentry at the gangway turned his back upon the corpse.
To the credit of the humane and sensible portion of the roll of American navy-captains, be it added, that _they_ are not so particular in keeping the decks spotless at all times, and in all weathers; nor do they torment the men with scraping bright-wood and polishing ring-bolts; but give all such gingerbread-work a hearty coat of black paint, which looks more warlike, is a better preservative, and exempts the sailors from a perpetual annoyance.
CHAPTER XXIII
THEATRICALS IN A MAN-OF-WAR
The Neversink had summered out her last Christmas on the Equator; she was now destined to winter out the Fourth of July not very far from the frigid latitudes of Cape Horn.
It is sometimes the custom in the American Navy to celebrate this national holiday by doubling the allowance of spirits to the men; that is, if the ship happen to be lying in harbour. The effects of this patriotic plan may be easily imagined: the whole ship is converted into a dram-shop; and the intoxicated sailors reel about, on all three decks, singing, howling, and fighting. This is the time that, owing to the relaxed discipline of the ship, old and almost forgotten quarrels are revived, under the stimulus of drink; and, fencing themselves up between the guns-so as to be sure of a clear space with at least three walls-the combatants, two and two, fight out their hate, cribbed and cabined like soldiers duelling in a sentry-box. In a word, scenes ensue which would not for a single instant be tolerated by the officers upon any other occasion. This is the time that the most venerable of quarter-gunners and quarter-masters, together with the, smallest apprentice boys, and men never known to have been previously intoxicated during the cruise-this is the time that they all roll together in the same muddy trough of drunkenness.
In emulation of the potentates of the Middle Ages, some Captains augment the din by authorising a grand jail-delivery of all the prisoners who, on that auspicious Fourth of the month, may happen to be confined in the ship's prison-"_the brig_."
But from scenes like these the Neversink was happily delivered. Besides that she was now approaching a most perilous part of the ocean-which would have made it madness to intoxicate the sailors-her complete destitution of _grog_, even for ordinary consumption, was an obstacle altogether insuperable, even had the Captain felt disposed to indulge his man-of-war's-men by the most copious libations.
For several days previous to the advent of the holiday, frequent conferences were held on the gun-deck touching the melancholy prospects before the ship.
"Too bad-too bad!" cried a top-man, "Think of it, shipmates-a Fourth of July without grog!"
"I'll hoist the Commodore's pennant at half-mast that day," sighed the signal-quarter-master.
"And I'll turn my best uniform jacket wrong side out, to keep company with the pennant, old Ensign," sympathetically responded an after-guard's-man.
"Ay, do!" cried a forecastle-man. "I could almost pipe my eye to think on't."
"No grog on de day dat tried men's souls!" blubbered Sunshine, the galley-cook.
"Who would be a _Jankee_ now?" roared a Hollander of the fore- top, more Dutch than sour-crout.
"Is this the _riglar_ fruits of liberty?" touchingly inquired an Irish waister of an old Spanish sheet-anchor-man.
You will generally observe that, of all Americans, your foreign- born citizens are the most patriotic-especially toward the Fourth of July.
But how could Captain Claret, the father of his crew, behold the grief of his ocean children with indifference? He could not. Three days before the anniversary-it still continuing very pleasant weather for these latitudes-it was publicly announced that free permission was given to the sailors to get up any sort of theatricals they desired, wherewith to honour the Fourth.
Now, some weeks prior to the Neversink's sailing from home- nearly three years before the time here spoken of-some of the seamen had clubbed together, and made up a considerable purse, for the purpose of purchasing a theatrical outfit having in view to diversify the monotony of lying in foreign harbours for weeks together, by an occasional display on the boards-though if ever there w-as a continual theatre in the world, playing by night and by day, and without intervals between the acts, a man-of-war is that theatre, and her planks are the _boards_ indeed.
The sailors who originated this scheme had served in other American frigates, where the privilege of having theatricals was allowed to the crew. What was their chagrin, then, when, upon making an application to the Captain, in a Peruvian harbour, for permission to present the much-admired drama of "_The Ruffian Boy_," under the Captain's personal patronage, that dignitary assured them that there were already enough _ruffian boys_ on board, without conjuring up any more from the green-room.
The theatrical outfit, therefore, was stowed down in the bottom of the sailors' bags, who little anticipated _then_ that it would ever be dragged out while Captain Claret had the sway.
But immediately upon the announcement that the embargo was removed, vigorous preparations were at once commenced to celebrate the Fourth with unwonted spirit. The half-deck was set apart for the theatre, and the signal-quarter-master was commanded to loan his flags to decorate it in the most patriotic style.
As the stage-struck portion of the crew had frequently during the cruise rehearsed portions of various plays, to while away the tedium of the night-watches, they needed no long time now to perfect themselves in their parts.
Accordingly, on the very next morning after the indulgence had been granted by the Captain, the following written placard, presenting a broadside of staring capitals, was found tacked against the main-mast on the gun-deck. It was as if a Drury-Lane bill had been posted upon the London Monument.
_Grand Celebration of the Fourth of July_.