“What is the dinner forrard to-day?”
“Hash, sir.”
“Now look here, you just go along to the galley and ask cook for a good basinful and bring it here to me.”
I did as I was told and brought it to him, and, to my surprise, he made me eat it. I had no sooner got it down than I had to rush to the ship’s side.
“Go and get another basinful,” he commanded, “and eat every bit, or I’ll give you your first taste of a rope’s end, now go.”
I went, and never shall I forget the feeling of loathing with which I ate that food. I started again for the ship’s side, when he caught hold of me. “No you don’t,” he said, “sit there and keep it down, and you’ll never be seasick again; if you don’t you’ll have to eat another lot.”
Manfully I tried to keep it down and succeeded, but for a few days I felt squeamish, then it passed off, and I soon felt myself again.
CHAPTER II
The Making of a Sailor
Before we had been out at sea a fortnight I was able to climb up the lower rigging, and had learned several things about the ship. I was very happy, I was never tired, and was only too ready to work off my superabundant vitality. I also learned how to wash clothes. My first attempt was a failure, a heavy shower of rain was falling, and one of the sailors coming along the deck with an armful of dirty clothes, called out to me: “Now then, Tommy, now’s the time to wash clothes,” and following his example, I brought my dirty gear on to the deck in the drenching rain, and soaping them well, tried to dolly the dirt out of them by stamping and jumping on them with my feet as they lay near the scuppers. Hanson roared with laughter at my efforts, and then came along and gave me a lesson. I lost count of the days, they passed so quickly, and were so full of interest. Every day I loved the sea more and more, each day showed me some new beauty in it, and on fine days, to see the sun rise and set on the water was a marvellous picture to me, of which I never tired.