On Board the "Rocket"

by Robert C. Adams

"If that is being a smart officer I hardly think I shall become one," said I.

"I'll tell you what it is, you'll never make one unless you give up some of your conscientious scruples. I must say you do very well about your work, but you're too humane a man to go to sea, and if you want to get along in this profession you've got to leave your nice principles on shore. There's no religion off soundings. The captain of a ship has got to be a liar, a cheat, a swearer, a fighter and a tyrant; in fact, if you mean to be a good mate or a good captain you've got to be a rascal."

"If good principles are good for anything they are good for everything," I replied, "and if what you say is true, either this is a profession no one ought to follow or else religion is a sham and ought to be hove overboard entirely. A good God would never have imposed laws upon us which would interfere with our necessary occupations, and I don't believe he meant the Golden Rule to be confined to the shore."

"That all sounds very fine," said the captain, "and perhaps you'd better knock off going to sea and set up for a parson. But you mark my words, if you go to sea, you'll have to give up your principles sooner or later, and you may as well make up your mind to it now. I've seen a good many that started as fair as you've done, but it didn't last long. But here we've got proof right alongside of us. Just look at Mr. Howard's watch there. Every time he opens his mouth you see them piling along like greased lightning, and he gets half a dozen answers for every order. But your men don't answer you half the time, and they move slower than real estate in Chelsea.

"Now if you saw a man walking alongside of a high brick wall, and you politely asked him to step along a little faster, he'd stop and look at you; but if you told him the brick wall was tumbling down over his head you'd see how quick he'd make the dust fly. It's just so with a sailor, if you are civil to him he won't care a curse for you, but if you let him know there's something coming down on his head he'll move quick and respect you. A man didn't answer Mr. Jones once, and he just picked up the carpenter's caulking mallet and hit him over the head. He never had to speak twice to him after that."

Finding the captain had got back to his favorite Mr. Jones, I thought it was of no use to prolong the talk, and it being my watch below I went to my room. Sitting down upon my chest I thought of the contrast between the captain's instructions and the teachings of home, and wondered if I must abandon the latter. It was very evident that there was not the strict discipline in the mate's watch that there was in the second mate's, and the captain's comparisons galled me; but it seemed to me that the discipline in our watch was good enough; the men did their duty well and were respectful, except that they were not always particular about answering and sometimes walked along the deck to ordinary work, whereas the second mate's men always ran, knowing that a belaying pin or stick of fire-wood would be hurled after them if they didn't. I felt the captain was right in saying that such strict discipline could not be maintained, except by working on the fears of the men, but the question with me was whether it was necessary to be so strict. Our men in a squall, or gale of wind, would be just as smart as the second mate's. It was only in ordinary and comparatively unimportant work that they were at all behind-hand, and I made up my mind that a system which necessarily required inhumanity and a sacrifice of honorable principles must be wrong, and I would have as little to do with it as possible. Opening my chest I took out a bundle of letters and selected one from my father. It was an answer to one I had written from City Point, in which I spoke of the severe discipline which was maintained on board the "Dublin," and the course which was required of the officers, and asked for advice.

The reply was as follows: "I see that you are partaking of the responsibilities of life. I should wink at some things—not see them. I would not be what they call a 'martinet' in discipline, making much of little things, and enforcing little rules with an air of authority. But I would establish my character with the men for good nature, making them feel that in not obeying they offend against kindness. I do believe that the Gospel contains all the principles necessary to guide us in government, and that the ways in which God treats us may often safely be adopted. Men are very sensitive to kindness. If you have opportunity to show it without risking authority, it is well. I do not believe that it is necessary to speak always in a tone of stern authority. I would be very slow to strike if I were you. But remember that you are now one of the 'powers that be,' and they are 'ordained of God.' He will help you govern if you look to him, for government is a divine ordinance; and a third mate is as really government as Lords of Admiralty or Secretary of the Navy."

After reading this over again, I imagined how Capt. Streeter would sneer at the idea of influencing sailors by kindness, and could almost hear him saying, "The only thing that will influence a sailor is a belaying-pin. Be kind to them and they'll only laugh at you."

When twelve days out the welcome cry of "Land, ho!" was heard in the morning, and in the horizon, above a low, narrow bank of clouds, appeared the top of the mountain on Pico, one of the "Western Islands," or Azores, at least sixty miles distant. This mountain is over 7,500 feet high, and can be seen in a clear day one hundred miles at sea. In the afternoon we passed to the southward of, and near to, Fayal, then by Pico, catching a glimpse of St. George's Island in the distance between them. The rich verdure of these islands and their elevations—for Fayal has a mountain of three thousand feet—were pleasant changes from the blue and level waters; and all enjoyed that beautiful afternoon as we glided swiftly by these mid-ocean oases. Even the captain and second mate laid aside their accustomed scowl, and not an oath polluted the balmy atmosphere. St. Michael's was passed on the starboard hand in the evening, and the next day we came up with an English schooner bound from London to St. Michael's, but steering for Spain. Capt. Streeter told the skipper that he had sighted the island the evening before, and gave him his longitude. The schooner turned about and steered in the other direction.