My condition, however, was greatly improved. I was allowed my full
share of the "lob-scouse," the "sea-pies," and "plum-duff," and was no
longer hunted out of the forecastle. I was even permitted to sleep on
the dry lid of a sailor's chest, and had an old blanket given me by one
of the men--who did it out of compliment not to myself but to Brace,
whose good opinion the man wanted to secure. Another made a present of
a knife, with a cord to hang it around my neck, and a tin platter was
given me by a third. Such are the advantages of having a powerful
patron. Many little "traps" were contributed by others of the crew, so
that I soon had a perfect "kit," and wanted nothing more.
Of course I felt grateful for all these odds and ends, though many of
them were received from men who had formerly given me both cuffs and
kicks. But I was never slow to forgive, and, friendless as I had been,
I easily forgave them. I wanted all these little matters very badly.
Boys who go to sea in the usual way go well provided with change of
clothes--often two or three--with plates, knives, fork, and spoon, in
short, a complete apparatus for eating.
In my hurry to get away from home I had not thought of bringing one
single article of such things; and, consequently, I had nothing--not
even a second shirt!
I should have been in a terrible fix, and was so, in truth, until the
day on which Ben Brace thrashed the French bully; but from that time
forward my condition was sensibly better. I felt grateful, therefore,
to my protector, but another incident occurred shortly after, that not
only increased my gratitude to the highest degree possible, but seemed
also to make the man's friendship for me still stronger than before.
The incident I am about to relate is one that has often occurred to
sailor boys before my time, and no doubt will occur again, until
governments make better laws for the regulation of the merchant service,
with a view to control and limit the far too absolute power that is now
entrusted to the commanders of merchant-ships. It is a positive and
astounding fact, that many of these men believe they may treat with
absolute cruelty any of the poor people who are under their command,
without the slightest danger of being punished for it! Indeed, their
ill-usage is only limited, by the length of time their unfortunate
victim will stand it without making resistance. Among sailors, those
who are known to be of an independent spirit and bold daring, are
usually permitted to enjoy their rights and privileges; but the weak and
unresisting have to suffer, when serving under mates and captains of
this brutal kind, and it is to be regretted that there are too many such
in the merchant navy of England.
The amount of suffering endured under such tyranny is almost incredible.
Many a poor sailor of timid habits, and many a youthful sailor boy, are
forced to lead lives that are almost unendurable--drudged nearly to
death, flogged at will, and, in short, treated as the slaves of a cruel
master.
The punishment inflicted--if it can be called punishment where no crime
has been committed--is often so severe as to endanger life--nay, more,
life is not unfrequently taken; and far oftener are sown the seeds of
disease and consequent death, which in time produce their fatal fruit.
Of course every one admits that the commander of a ship at sea should
possess some extraordinary powers over his men, beyond those which are
allowed to the master of a factory or the surveyor of a public work. It
is argued that without such, he could not answer for the safety of his
vessel. There should be one head and that should be absolute. This
argument is in part true. Every sensible man will admit that some
extraordinary powers should be granted to the captain of a ship, but the
mistake has hitherto lain, not so much in his possessing this absolute
power, as in the want of an adequate punishment for him whenever he
abuses it.
Hitherto the punishment has usually either failed altogether, or has
been so disproportioned to the crime, as to be of no service for example
to others. On the contrary, it has only encouraged them in their
absolute ideas, by proving almost their complete irresponsibility. The
captain, with his mates at his back, his money, and the habitual dread
which many of his crew feel for him, can usually "out-swear" the poor
victim of his brutality, and often the latter is deterred from seeking
redress by actual fear of still worse consequences in case he may be
defeated. Often too the wearied sufferer, on getting once more to
land--to his home, and among his friends--is so joyed at the termination
of his torments, that he loses all thoughts of justice or redress, and
leaves his tyrant to depart without punishment.
The history of emigration would furnish many a sad tale of petty tyranny
and spite, practised on the poor exile on the way to his wilderness
home. There are chapters that might be written of bullyism and
brutality--thousands of chapters--that would touch the chords of
sympathy to the very core of the heart. Many a poor child of
destitution--prostrated by the sickness of the sea--has submitted to the
direst tyranny and most fiendish abuse on the part of those who should
have cheered and protected him, and many a one has carried to his far
forest home a breast filled with resentment against the mariner of the
ocean. It is a matter of great regret, that the governments of
migrating nations will not act with more energy in this matter, and give
better protection to the exile, oft driven by misfortune in search of a
new home.
A pity it is that better laws are not made for the guidance and
restraint of merchant captains, who, taking them altogether, are
naturally as honest, and perhaps not less humane, than any other class
of men; but who thus entrusted with unbridled will and ill-defined
powers, but follow the common fashion of human nature, and become
tyrants of the very worst kind.
It is true that of late some salutary examples have been made, and one
who richly deserved it has suffered the extreme punishment of the law;
but it is to be feared that these good examples will not be followed up;
public feeling will subside into its old channel of indifference, and
the tyranny of the skipper-captain,--with that of his brutal coadjutor,
the mate,--will be allowed to flourish as of yore, to the torture of
many an unfortunate victim.
These remarks are hardly applicable to my own particular case, for the
fiends who tortured me would have done so all the same if the best laws
in the world had existed. They were beyond all laws, as I soon after
learnt,--all laws, human or divine--and of course felt neither
responsibility nor fear of punishment. They had no fear even to take my
life, as will be proved by the incidents I am about to relate.