My uncle, who resided at Kingsand, had noticed our early arrival in the Sound. He had been requested by my mother to keep a sharp look-out for the 'Emerald.' She had given him money to purchase some food to bring afloat to me. He fulfilled his request with the greatest satisfaction, for an hour after we had anchored, he was on board, with a basket of provisions, enquiring for me. I gave him a hearty welcome, all the more so on account of the basket he bore, as I had foregone my biscuit and cocoa that morning and had had nothing to eat. I will just add that the contents of his basket were eagerly devoured by me and my mess-mates.
My father, so it afterward proved, had been on the Hoe every morning recently, to see if the 'Emerald' had arrived, but on account of the fog this morning he did not walk there, knowing that such a fog would hide the Sound from view, so he contented himself with making enquiries, and was told that no ship had come from sea. As the day wore on he chanced to be in a shop in Plymouth, when one of the stewards of the 'Emerald' entered it, to purchase. That was enough! He flew away, bringing with him a large box of the best provisions that money could buy—it had been packed a whole week in readiness for my home-coming, so as there should be no delay when the ship arrived. A waterman rowed him down the Sound. In my heart I knew there was some mistake, as otherwise my father would have been one of the first to board the ship.
However, about 3 p.m. someone called down the hatchway for me. Instantly I bounded away to the gangway, there to greet my father, who was now on board. We spent an hour together, and at 4 p.m. all visitors were 'piped' out of the ship. The coal was shipped—for we had been coaling all day.
The boats were hoisted, and the anchor weighed. Being a member of the drum and fife band on the 'Emerald,' whose work was to play marches while the capstan was being manned, I must say that our march on this occasion was out of place. A gallop would have been suitable. With four men on each capstan bar, it was nothing less than a maddening whirl, whilst the cry sounded—
"Heave ho! The last time my hearties."
We left Plymouth for Portsmouth to payoff. One of the Portsmouth outfitters had made it his business to come to Plymouth, and to take the return passage in our ship. Truly he was a highly favoured man. Nor was he idle, for he was measuring men for suits of clothes the most of the night. I suppose he did not mind such night-work. We sighted Portsmouth in the morning, and after doing the customary steam trials, proceeded up harbour. Here, as at Plymouth, there were all classes of business men waiting in boats to besiege the ship. Most of them met with disappointment, as only a few were allowed on board. This matter was the cause of complaint being made in an evening paper, which said: "No such restriction was ever manifested by any other ship coming home from a foreign station," and after dwelling on the treatment which had been shown to many who had come alongside the 'Emerald,' the paragraph concluded with words to this effect:—"That the 'Emerald's' commission had been far from being a happy one," words which contained a great deal of truth.
In the course of a few days we made fast alongside the jetty, and returned stores. This taking a month, then came paying-off day. This day is generally associated with the idea of a nice sum of money, but it was far from being so in my case as you shall see. My father had asked me at Plymouth if I should have sufficient money to pay my railway fare from Portsmouth to Devonport. Anticipating I should receive enough for this purpose ort paying-off day, I replied in the affirmative. But during the month at Portsmouth it gradually dawned upon me that my money due would amount to but a very little. Accordingly, I wrote home, informing my parents of the same, requesting them to send me three pounds.
Having no curios with me save a folding looking-glass which I bought at Cape Breton Island, and a figured handkerchief from the Jamaica exhibition, I went ashore one evening at Portsmouth and bought a few little presents to carry home to my relatives in order that they should possess something to regard as a token of the 'Emerald's' home-coming. I did not inform them they were bought at Portsmouth, and for a time they were prized as presents brought home from foreign parts. I gave my father a walking-stick, but I rather think that he from the first knew it was a native of England. Anyhow, the joke has been discovered since, and has caused much laughter from time to time in the home circle.
Three days before the dispersion the chaplain sent for me. On going aft to his cabin, he said, "Cowling, you may have the harmonium." I thanked him heartily for this present. Not desiring to take it home with me, I sold it to a local musician for seventeen shillings, with which I bought a reefer jacket to wear home. At last the happy day came. The captain, with his officers grouped on the quarterdeck, and the paymaster with his staff, began the work of payment. On the seaman's name being called, he stepped toward the pay-table and gave his number on the ship's book; then receiving the money due to him walked out of the gangway. It was now my turn, and although some of the men received from sixty to eighty, and one a hundred pounds, mine was the modest sum of three shillings and sixpence, despite the fact that I had been receiving eightpence a day in addition to most of them—five pence as the organist, and threepence for being a flute-player.
How do I account for the contrast? In this way. Some men did the washing of others, charging threepence per piece, and a shilling for scrubbing a hammock, and others owned a sewing-machine with which in spare time they made uniform suits. Washing and sewing men were bent upon having a good pay-day. These two classes of men would seldom buy any article from the canteen. I should not say they were niggardly or selfish—their course probably was governed by self-denial, or it may be that their future marriage day was the solution of their conduct. As for myself, I never could eat with relish any service food, consequently most of my wages was spent in canteen food, and the remainder on shore. Therefore on paying-off day I received my few shillings as contentedly as those did who were the recipients of many pounds, for I had utilised my money in one way, and they were about to do so in another. That is all.