Home-sickness or sentimental sensations were soon made to
disappear by the busy life and rough, barbaric discipline
enforced. First-voyage impressions live long in the memory.
If they were not thrashed into permanent recollection, they
were bullied or tortured into it by revolting methods of
wrong which were recognised at that time in England to be
legal. To their shame be it said, but how often have I
heard men who had sprung from the masses and abject poverty,
and who had succeeded in getting into position (so far as
money would allow them to do so), deplore the introduction
of a larger educational system and the enactment of more
rigid laws to provide against a despotism that had become a
national disgrace! And it was not until a few demoniacs had
committed hideous murder, and were hung for it, that the
legislature took the trouble to inquire into what was going
on upon the high seas--nay, at times even before their very
eyes.
One duty of a young sailor is to tar down the fore and aft
stays. At any time and under any circumstances this was a
precarious undertaking, and yet these fine young athletes
would undertake it quite joyously, provided it was called
for in the ordinary course of their duty, and there was no
intimation or suspicion of it being intended as a "work-up"
job, as they called it.
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