On Board the "Rocket"

by Robert C. Adams

"I expect it is hard for the captains to make up their minds to pay it," said the mate of the "Tempest." "But sailors don't often run away from a good ship, when they have much money due them, except when they want to go to the gold mines, or some such thing. I've seen as much of this driving men out of ships as most men a-going, and done a good deal of it myself too, but I must say I think it's a shame, and the sailors need some protection such as this law means to give, and I'm not sure but this will come as near to doing it as anything can, except abolishing the three months' pay law, which is the greatest cause of sailors being driven ashore."

Another evening three or four mates came visiting, and the burden of our conversation was lady passengers.

"It is always bad luck," said one, "to have either a woman or a minister aboard. I never knew it to fail yet. It is either a long passage, or getting dismasted, or short of provisions, or there's a terrible row in the camp. It's bad enough to carry one woman, as the 'Eagle' is going to do, but when it comes to taking four or five of them and two missionaries beside, as the 'Tempest' does it's the very mischief. I don't believe she'll ever reach port."

"You're an old owl," said the mate of the "Tempest." "There's no better luck that can happen to a ship than to have a lady on board, mind I say a lady. As to missionaries, I've nothing to say, for I never sailed with any yet, but I stand up for the women. I'd be willing to go for five dollars a month less wages for the sake of being in a ship that carried them."

"Tell us your reasons," said Mr. Howard, "before you expect us to believe you. What good is there in having a woman on board? I don't believe there's any bad luck in it, nor do I see why you should be quite so enthusiastic about it."

"I'll tell you my reasons. I've a great opinion of woman's influence in keeping the edge on men's good manners and principles. A crowd of men shut up together on a long voyage are continually degenerating into barbarism. They need some restraint on their selfishness, and a curb to their brutal natures. A woman's presence in some measure supplies this. The captain feels bound to respect her, if there's anything of the man about him, and he's careful how he swears or uses bad language. The officers take their cue from the old man, and they're not as rough with the crew, and the sailors in their turn feel the influence and keep on their good behavior when they're around aft; it puts Jack in good humor to see calico fluttering, and ribbons flying in the breeze, for I believe every true sailor is at heart a ladies' man, though he may not have much grace in displaying it. The man at the wheel keeps his weather-eye lifting when she comes on deck to take an airing, and has both his ears unbuttoned to catch any of her words, and when he gets into the forecastle he says: 'Boys, what do you think the old woman said this morning,' and then there's a long argument about it all dinner time, whereas if they didn't have that to talk about, they'd be growling about the ship, the work and their grub. The good influence has begun already in our ship just from knowing ladies are coming."

"How's that," said the mate of the "Example."

"Why, my second mate is a great eye-servant. He's as mild as a kitten when the old man's out of the ship, and doesn't care whether school keeps or not; but just as soon as the cap'n gets hold of the man-ropes to come up the side, he begins cursing and heaving belaying pins. The old man steps over the rail and says to the captain that has come on board with him, as they go into the cabin: 'That's the boy to take care of 'em. He makes 'em toe the mark.' Last evening the cap'n came aboard after knock-off time, when the men were at supper, but the 'shocking dickey' wanted to shew off, so he went to the starboard forecastle door, and began raving at somebody about leaving a marline-spike at the main fife-rail. The cap'n heard him as he came over the gangway and sung out: 'There, that'll do Mr. Brown; we've got to knock off all such talk as that—we're going to have lady passengers.' I've sailed with the old man three years, and that's the first time ever I heard him find fault with bad language. So I think I've proved my case, haven't I?"