Why dont you save a drop of rum, Tom, in the pump?
How can I? he says, when it all runs out.
Charley says something to him, though, and very next day, while the purser was looking on, Tom pumps out the regular quantity into the grog tub, and then forgets to push the handle of the pump down, but pulls it out of the tub, and runs down below with it, and when he pushed the handle down again, out came about a pint of strong rum.
That was one way; but another dodge was this. The grog used to be mixed in a tub, and then there was the serving out, when nearly always thered be a lot left, perhaps a gallon, or a gallon and a half, after the ships company had been all served. Now, I dont know why this wasnt saved; but after every man had had his tot under the officers eye, this plush, as we used to call it, was poured down one of the scuppers, the officer always seeing it done.
Thats thundering wasteful, mate, says Charley; and I nodded and wished my mouth was under the scupper; for a little extra grog to a sailors a great treat, specially as he cant do like another man ashore go and buy a drop whenever he likes. So, half an hour after, we were down along with the armourer, and what with a bit of nous, a couple of tin-canisters, and a lanyard, we soon had a long tin affair that we could let down the scupper, where we tied it with the lanyard and left it.
Now, perhaps, every one dont know that what we call the scupper is a sort of sink, or gulley-hole, by the ships side, to let off the water when the decks are washed, or a wave comes aboard; and though it may sound queer to catch rum and water that is sent down a sink-hole, you must understand that well out at sea the deck of a man-of-war is as clean and white as washing and scrubbing can make it a drop of salt water being the foulest thing that passes down a scupper.
Well, our machine answered first-rate, and though it didnt catch only half of the stuff thrown down, yet we often got a quart of good grog, and had a pleasant half-hour down the main-deck drinking
it.
But things soon turned unpleasant; we had a fresh captain, whom Ill call Captain Strangeways, and very soon the cat began to be at work. Times were, of course, that men would buy each others grog, and have a little more than they should, and then, instead of a mild punishment, and a trial at reforming such men, it was flogging; and instead of this doing any good, it made the men worse, and drunkenness more frequent, till the floggings used to be constant, and instead of our ship being about the smartest afloat, I believe she grew to be one of the most slovenly, and the men took a delight in annoying the captain and officers.
In the very low latitudes, where the heat is sometimes terribly hard to bear, it is the custom to have what we call a windsail, that is a regular great canvas pipe, hung so that one end goes down the hatchways, while the other is tied up to the rigging; and of a hot night the cool current that came down would be delightful. But down on the main-deck, with perhaps four hundred men sleeping, even this would not be enough, and we used to sleep with the ports open. But this displeased the captain; for in other latitudes the custom was to shut the ports down at eight oclock at night, and he, accordingly, gave orders that this should be kept up; so at eight oclock one night, watch was set, and all the ports were closed.
Phew! I can almost feel it now. Why, it was stifling. We could hardly breathe; and first one and then another jumped out of his hammock, and opened a port, and then we had no end of palavering, for the men were regularly unanimous over it, that we could not bear the heat; and the consequence was, that we made our arrangements for a bit of a breeze next night.
Eight oclock came, and we were lying at anchor off Callao. Gun-fire and then at the order down went the ports, and then all was darkness; but at the next moment, there was the chirping of the whistles of the boatswains mates; and so well had the men worked together, and made their plans, that up flew all the ports again directly.
Then the row began; the officers got alongside the captain, the marines were called aft, and then lanterns ranged along the quarter deck, and the men summoned and ranged across in a gang several deep. The captain raged and stormed. Hed flog every man on board, and
Crash! There was a lantern down; some one out of the tops had thrown a big ball of spunyarn of the size of a Dutch cheese, and knocked the light over.
Hed have the man in irons that threw that ball.
Crash crash crash! there came a regular volley, and every lantern was knocked off and rolled about the deck.
Marines! up the rigging, there, into the mizen and main tops! shouted the captain, and bring those men down. When up went the Johnnies, of course, very slowly, for they couldnt climb a bit, while the men were down the sheets in an instant, and behind the others on deck.
Then the captain had a few words with the first lieutenant, and the men were piped down; and the ports not being touched, all seemed to be pretty quiet, when the officers collected together in the gun-room, and began talking the matter over some at chess, and some at their grog; but the game was not quite over, for the men were just ripe for a bit of mischief, and fast working themselves up into that state when mutinies take place. All at once, when everything seemed at its quietest, there was a shrill chirrup; and then a number of the biggest shot were set rolling out of their racks right along the deck, as it sloped down towards the gun-room door.