第5章 PREPARING FOR ACTION(1)

The hideous noise always considered necessary in those ships when calling the watch, roused me effectively at midnight, "eight bells." I hurried on deck, fully aware that no leisurely ten minutes would be allowed here."Lay aft the watch," saluted me as I emerged into the keen strong air, quickening my pace according to where the mate stood waiting to muster his men.As soon as he saw me, he said, "Can you steer?" in a mocking tone;but when I quietly answered, "Yes, sir," his look of astonishment was delightful to see.He choked it down, however, and merely telling me to take the wheel, turned forrard roaring frantically for his watch.I had no time to chuckle over what Iknew was in store for him, getting those poor greenies collected from their several holes and corners, for on taking the wheel Ifound a machine under my hands such as I never even heard of before.

The wheel was fixed upon the tiller in such a manner that the whole concern travelled backwards and forwards across the deck in the maddest kind of way.For the first quarter of an hour, in spite of the September chill, the sweat poured off me in streams.And the course--well, if was not steering, it was sculling; the old bumboat was wobbling all around like a drunken tailor with two left legs.I fairly shook with apprehension lest the mate should come and look in the compass.I had been accustomed to hard words if I did not steer within half a point each way; but here was a "gadget" that worked me to death, the result being a wake like a letter S.Gradually I got the hang of the thing, becoming easier in my mind on my own account.

Even that was not an unmixed blessing, for I had now some leisure to listen to the goings-on around the deck.

Such brutality I never witnessed before.On board of English ships (except men-of-war) there is practically no discipline, which is bad, but this sort of thing was maddening.I knew how desperately ill all those poor wretches were, how helpless and awkward they would be if quite hale and hearty; but there was absolutely no pity for them, the officers seemed to be incapable of any feelings of compassion whatever.My heart sank within me as I thought of what lay before me, although I did not fear that their treatment would also be mine, since I was at least able to do my duty, and willing to work hard to keep out of trouble.

Then I began to wonder what sort of voyage I was in for, how long it would last, and what my earnings were likely to be, none of which things I had the faintest idea of.

Fortunately, I was alone in the world.No one, as far as Iknew, cared a straw what became of me; so that I was spared any worry on that head.And I had also a very definite and well-established trust in God, which I can now look back and see was as fully justified as I then believed it to be.So, as I could not shut my ears to the cruelties being carried on, nor banish thought by hard work, I looked up to the stately stars, thinking of things not to be talked about without being suspected of cant.So swiftly passed the time that when four bells struck:

(two o'clock)I could hardly believe my ears.

I was relieved by one of the Portuguese, and went forward to witness a curious scene.Seven stalwart men were being compelled to march up and down on that tumbling deck, men who had never before trodden anything less solid than the earth.

The third mate, a waspish, spiteful little Yankee with a face like an angry cat, strolled about among them, a strand of rope-yarns in his hand, which he wielded constantly, regardless where he struck a man.They fell about, sometimes four or five at once, and his blows flew thick and fast, yet he never seemed to weary of his ill-doing.It made me quite sick, and I longed to be aft at the wheel again.Catching sight of me standing irresolute as to what I had better do, he ordered me on the "look-out," a tiny platform between the "knight heads," just where the bowsprit joins the ship.Gladly I obeyed him, and perched up there looking over the wide sea, the time passed quickly away until eight bells (four o'clock) terminated my watch.I must pass rapidly over the condition of things in the fo'lk'sle, where all the greenies that were allowed below, were groaning in misery from the stifling atmosphere which made their sickness so much worse, while even that dreadful place was preferable to what awaited them on deck.There was a rainbow-coloured halo round the flame of the lamp, showing how very bad the air was; but in spite of that I turned in and slept soundly till seven bells (7.20 a.m.) roused us to breakfast.

American ships generally have an excellent name for the way they feed their crews, but the whalers are a notable exception to that good rule.The food was really worse than that on board any English ship I have ever sailed in, so scanty also in quantity that it kept all the foremast hands at starvation point.But grumbling was dangerous, so I gulped down the dirty mixture mis-named coffee, ate a few fragments of biscuit, and filled up (?) with a smoke, as many better men are doing this morning.As the bell struck I hurried on deck--not one moment too soon--for as I stepped out of the scuttle I saw the third mate coming forward with a glitter in his eye that boded no good to laggards.

Before going any farther I must apologize for using so many capital I's, but up till the present I had been the only available white member of the crew forrard.