Once in the open air, after our long sojourn below, it was as if we had suddenly emerged upon a scene of warfare.
The ship was under easy canvas, and needed but little conning. Both watches were on deck, and the third officer, Mr. Tibbetts, was instructing the crew in the use of small arms, Captain Ropes and the remainder of his officers acting as spectators, but taking a hand, now and then, in the lessons.
I may as well say here that, from this time forth, whenever the weather permitted, and there were no important tasks to be performed, the men spent their time working the great guns, or drilling with small arms, and such practice never came to an end throughout the cruise, however expert we grew to be.
No one gave any heed to Simon and me, until Master Josh chanced to espy us, and then, although we were feeling far from well, it became necessary for us to join in the drill.
We left port at noon on Monday, and had not attempted to get out of our hammocks until Wednesday was well-nigh spent.
By the time supper was served, however, we were quite ready for the food, thanks to the labour performed, although it was dished up in anything rather than a palatable fashion, as compared with what we had been accustomed to in our homes.
I was not a weak-stomached lad; but sitting around a mess-kid, filled with greasy-looking stuff, which was given the name of hash, and taking my share with half a dozen tarry-handed sailors, who were neither careful of their person nor their language, drinking, if one drank at all, the odd-looking stuff which was called tea, would have destroyed the appetite that had come upon me, save for the fact that I had fasted so long.
Before a week passed, however, Simon and I were equal to the emergency, and in good condition to get our full share of whatsoever was served, save when it came to the allotment of rum, of which each man had half a pint poured into his pannikin, twice a day, and at this our stomachs rebelled. We never could bring ourselves to drink it, but traded the stuff for whatsoever our messmates chose to offer in exchange.
Until Thursday night we had such weather as would delight fresh-water sailors, with, perhaps, a trifle overmuch wind, in the opinion of landsmen, and then came our first experience of a storm at sea, when the ship rose and fell, seeming now to throw herself against the great walls of water, or again rolling until it was as if she lay completely on her beam ends.