One of the disagreeables which a boy-sailor encounters on first going to
sea is the being compelled to mount up "aloft." If the master of the
vessel be a man of considerate feelings, he will allow the apprentice a
little time to get over the dread of climbing, by sending him only into
the lower rigging, or no higher than the main or foretop. He will
practise him a good deal upon the "shrouds," so as to accustom his feet
and fingers to the "ratlines" and other ropes, and will even permit him
to pass a number of times through the "lubber's hole," instead of
forcing him to climb back downwards by the "futtock shrouds."
A few trials of this kind will take away the giddiness felt on first
mounting to a high elevation, and thus a boy may safely be denied the
use of the lubber's hole, and may be sent up the futtock shrouds, and
after that the topgallant shrouds, and so on to the royals,--if there be
any on the ship,--and by thus gradually inducting him into the art of
climbing, he will get over the difficulty without dread and without
peril--for both of these may be encountered in first climbing to the
upper rigging of a ship. It is usual then for masters, who are humane,
to permit boys to become somewhat accustomed to the handling of ropes
before sending them into the highest rigging.
But, alas! there are many who have not this consideration, and it is not
uncommon for a youth, fresh from home and school, to be ordered up to
the topgallant crosstrees, or even the royal-yard, at the very first go,
and of course his life is imperilled by the ascent. Not unfrequent have
been the instances in which the lives of boys have been sacrificed in
this very way.
Now it so happened that for two weeks after I had set foot upon board
the _Pandora_ I had never been ordered aloft. I had not even had
occasion to ascend the lower shrouds, though I had done so of my own
will, as I was desirous of learning to climb. In all my life I had
never been higher than the branches of an apple-tree; and since I had
now chosen the sea for my profession--though I sadly repented my
choice--I felt that the sooner I learnt to move about among the rigging
the better.
But, singular to say, for the first two weeks after embarking myself on
the _Pandora_ I found but little opportunity of practising. Once or
twice I had climbed up the ratlines, and crawled through the lubber's
hole to the maintop; and this I believed to be something of a feat, for
I felt giddy enough while accomplishing it. I would have extended my
enterprise by an attempt to ascend the topmast shrouds, but I was never
allowed time, as the voice of either captain or mate would reach me from
below, usually summoning me with an oath, and ordering me upon some
other business, such as to mop out the cabin, swab the quarter-deck,
black their boots, or perform some other menial act of service. In
fact, I had begun to perceive that the drunken old skipper had no
intention of teaching me anything of the seaman's craft, but had taken
me aboard as a sort of slave-of-all-work, to be kicked about by
everybody, but by himself in particular. That this was in reality his
design became every day more evident to me, and caused me disappointment
and chagrin. Not that I was any longer ambitious of being a sailor, and
could I have transported myself safely home again at that moment, it is
not likely I should ever afterwards have set foot upon a ratline. But I
knew that I was bent upon a long voyage,--how long or whither bound I
could not tell,--and even though I might be able to desert from the
_Pandora_ when she reached her port,--a purpose I secretly meditated,--
how should I act then? In a foreign land, without friends, without
money, without the knowledge of a trade, how was I to exist, even if I
could escape from the bondage of my apprenticeship? In all likelihood I
should starve. Without knowing aught of seamanship, I should have no
chance of getting a passage home again; whereas, if I had been allowed
to practise with the rest, I might soon have acquired sufficient
knowledge to enable me to "work my passage," as it is termed, to any
part of the world. This was just what I wanted, and it was on this
account I felt so much aggrieved at finding it was the very thing I was
not to be taught.
I had the hardihood on one occasion,--I know not what inspired me,--to
make a remonstrance about this to the captain. I made it in the most
delicate manner I could. My immediate answer was a knock-down, followed
by a series of kicks that mottled my body with blue spots, and the more
remote consequence of my "damned impudence," as the captain called it,
was worse treatment than ever.
I would soon have learnt to climb had I been left to myself, but I was
not allowed even to practise that. I was always called below by one or
the other of my tyrants, and with an oath, a cuff, or a kick, ordered
upon some piece of "dirty work."
Once, however, I was not ordered "alow," but "aloft;" once I was allowed
to have my fill of climbing.
Snatching an interval when I thought both mate and master were asleep, I
had gone up to the maintop.
Every one who has looked upon a full-rigged ship must have noticed some
distance up the main-mast a frame-wood or platform, like a little
scaffold. A similar construction may be observed on the fore and
mizen-mast, if the ship be a large one. This platform is called the
"top," and its principal object is to extend the ladder-like ropes,
called "shrouds," that reach from its outer edge to the head of the mast
next above, which latter is the topmast. It must here be observed that
the "masts" of a ship, as understood by landsmen, are each divided into
a number of pieces in the reckoning of a sailor. For instance, in a
ship or barque there are three which are called respectively the main,
fore, and mizen-masts--the main-mast being near the middle of the ship,
the fore-mast forward, towards the bows, and the mizen-mast "aft," near
the stern or poop. But each one of these is divided into several
pieces, which pieces have distinct names in the sailor's vocabulary.
Thus, the "main-mast," to a sailor, is not the whole of that long
straight stick which rises up out of the middle of a ship's deck, and
points like a spire to the sky. On the contrary, the main-mast
terminates a little above the platform just mentioned, and which, from
that circumstance, is designed the "maintop." Another mast, quite
distinct from this, and made out of a separate piece of timber there
begins, and runs up for nearly an equal length, but of course more
slender than the main-mast itself, which latter supports it. This
second is called the "main-topmast." Above that a third is elevated,
supported upon the topmast head by cheeks, trestles, and crosstrees.
This is shorter and more slender than the main-topmast, and is named the
"main-topgallant-mast," and above this again, the "main-royal-mast" is
similarly raised--though it is only in the largest and best rigged
vessels that a "royal-mast" is used. The "main-royal-mast" terminates
the structure, and its top, or head, is usually crowned with a flat
circular piece of wood, called the "main-truck," which is the most
elevated point in the ship. The fore and mizen-masts are similarly
divided, though the latter is much shorter than either of the others and
rarely has topgallant-sails, and still more rarely "royals."
I have given this explanation in order that you may understand that the
maintop to which I say I climbed was not the most elevated point of the
mast, but simply the platform near the head of the main-mast, as
understood by sailors.
This platform is, in the common parlance of the crew, frequently
designated the "cradle," and it merits the appellation, for in a vessel
at sea and under a breeze it is generally "rocked" about, either in long
sweeps from side to side, or backward and forward from stem to stern,
according to the ship's motion. It is the pleasantest part of the ship
for one who is inclined to solitude, for once upon it, you cannot see
aught of what is going on below, unless you look over the edge or down
through the lubber's hole already mentioned. You may hear the voices of
the crew, but not distinctly, as the surge of the sea itself, and the
wind drumming upon the sails and whistling through the shrouds, usually
drowns most other sounds. To me it was the greatest luxury to spend a
few minutes in this retired spot. Sick of the association into which I
had so heedlessly thrown myself--disgusted with the constant blasphemy
ever in my ears, and above all, longing for repose, I would have given
anything to have been permitted to spend my leisure hours in this aerial
cradle, but I found no leisure hours nor moments for such indulgence,
for my unfeeling tyrants gave me neither rest nor repose. The mate, in
particular, seemed to take pleasure in rendering my existence as
miserable as he could, and, discovering that I had a predilection for
the "top," seemed determined that of all other places I should not go
there to rest myself.
One day, however, believing that he and the captain had both gone to
sleep,--as they sometimes did in fine weather--I took the opportunity of
ascending to my favourite perch; and, stretching my wearied limbs along
the hard planks, I lay listening to the sad sighing of the winds and the
waters. A sweet breeze fanned my brow, and, notwithstanding the danger
which there was in falling asleep there--for there was no "top armour"
or netting upon the _Pandora_--I was soon in the land of dreams.