If he took
a month's advance, he always considered that he had worked
that month for nothing: and, literally, he had done so, as
the money given to him in advance usually went towards
paying a debt or having a spree; so it was fitting,
considering these circumstances, that special recognition
should be made of the arrival of such a period. An
improvised horse was therefore constructed, and a block with
a rope rove through it was hooked on to the main yardarm.
The horse was bent on, and the ceremony commenced by leading
the rope to the winch or capstan, and the song entitled "The
Dead Horse" was sung with great gusto. The funeral
procession as a rule was spun out a long time, and when the
horse was allowed to arrive at the yard arm the rope was
slipped and he fell into the sea amid much hilarity! The
verse which announces his death was as follows:--
"They say my horse is dead and gone;--
And they say so, and they say so!
They say my horse is dead and gone;--
Oh, poor old man!"
The verse which extinguishes him by dropping him into the
sea goes like this:--
"Then drop him to the depths of the sea;--
And they say so, and they say so!
Then drop him to the depths of the sea;--
Oh, poor old man!"
This finished the important event of the voyage; then began
many pledges of thrift to be observed for evermore, which
were never kept longer than the arrival at the next port, or
at the longest until the arrival at a home port, when
restraint was loosened.
Pages:
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148