A CABIN-BOY'S START AT SEA
During recent years I have had the opportunity of listening
to many speeches on nautical subjects. Some of them have not
only been instructive but interesting, inasmuch as they have
often enabled me to get a glimpse into the layman's manner
of thinking on these questions. It invariably happens,
however, that gentlemen, in their zeal to display maritime
knowledge, commit the error of dealing with a phase of it
that carries them into deep water; their vocabulary becomes
exhausted, and they speedily breathe their last in the
oft-repeated tale that the "old-fashioned sailor is an
extinct creature," and, judging from the earnest vehemence
that is thrown into it, they convey the impression that
their dictum is to be understood as emphatically original.
Well, I will let that go, and will merely observe how
distressingly superficial the knowledge is as to the
rearing, training, and treatment which enabled those
veterans to become envied heroes to us of the present day.
Much entered into their lives that might be usefully
emulated by the seamen of our own time. Their unquestionable
skill and hardihood were acquired by a system of training
that would have out-matched the severity of the Spartan, and
they endured it with Spartan equanimity. A spasmodic growl
was the only symptom of a rebellious spirit. The maritime
historian who undertakes to write accurately the history of
this strange society of men will find it a strain on the
imagination to do them all the justice they deserve. Their
lives were illuminated with all that is manly and heroic and
skilful. They had no thought of cruelty, and yet they were
very cruel--that is, if they are to be judged by the
standard of the present age; but in this let us pass
sentence on them with moderation, and even with indulgence.
The magnitude of the deeds they were accustomed to perform
can never be fully estimated now, and these should excuse to
some extent many of their clumsy and misguided modes of
operation. It must not be supposed that all these men were
afflicted by a demoniac spirit. It was their training that
blanketed the sympathetic side of them, until they
unconsciously acquired all the peremptory disposition of
Oriental tyrants. But the stories I am about to relate of
childlife aboard ship will show how difficult it is entirely
to pardon or excuse them. The blood runs chilly at the
thought of it, and you feel your mind becoming impregnated
with the spirit of murder.
No personage ever attracted so much attention and sympathy
outside the precincts of his contracted though varied sphere
of labour as the cabin-boy who served aboard the old sailing
brigs, schooners, and barques, and I must plead guilty to
having a sentimental regret that the romance was destroyed
through this attractive personality being superseded by
another, with the somewhat unattractive title of "cook and
steward." The story of how poor boys of the beginning and
middle of the century and right up to the latter part of the
'sixties started sea-life is always romantic, often
sensational, and ever pathetic. They were usually the sons
of poor parents living for the most part in obscure villages
or small towns bordering on the sea, which sea blazed into
their minds aspirations to get aboard some one of the
numerous vessels that passed their homes one way or the
other all day long. The notion of becoming anything but
sailors never entered their heads, and the parents were
usually proud of this ambition, and quite ready to allow
their offspring to launch out into the world while they were
yet little more than children. It very frequently happened,
however, that boys left their homes unknown to their
families, and tramped to the nearest seaport with the object
of engaging themselves aboard ship, and they nearly always
found some skipper or owner to take them. Swarms of Scotch
and Norfolk boys were attracted to the Northumberland ports
by the higher rate of wages. Many of them had to tramp it
all the long way from home, and quite a large number of them
became important factors in the shipping trade of the
district. It was a frequent occurrence to see a poor
child-boy passing through the village where I was brought
up, on his way from Scotland to Blyth, or the Tyne, his feet
covered with sores, and carrying a small bundle containing a
shirt, a pair of stockings, and flannel pants. This was his
entire outfit. My mother never knowingly allowed any of
these poor little wanderers to pass without bringing them to
our home. They were promptly supplied with bread and milk
while the big tub was got ready so that they might be
bathed. They were then provided with night clothing and put
to bed while she had their own clothes washed, and mended if
need be (they always required washing); they were then sent
on their journey with many petitions to God for their safety
and welfare. Some of the villagers were curious to know why
this gratuitous hospitality was given to unknown passers-by,
and my mother satisfied their curiosity by pointing to her
own children, and remarking, "Don't we live within the sound
of the sea? and I wish to do by these poor children that
which I should like some one to do by mine if it ever should
come to pass that they need it." Little did she suspect
when these words were uttered that one of her own sons was
so soon to be travelling in an opposite direction in quest
of a cabin-boy's berth.
One of the most touching memories of sweetness comes to me
now. It was a chill winter afternoon; a little boy stood out
on the common fronting our house; the customary bundle was
under his arm, and he was singing in a sweet treble these
words, with a strong Scotch accent:--
"A beggar man came over the lea
Wi' many a story to tell unto me.
'I'm asking for some charitie,
Can ye lodge a beggar man?'"
The charm of his silken, childish voice quickly attracted
attention. He was put through the usual catechism by my
parents, and this being satisfactory, he fell into my
mother's hands to undergo the customary feeding and bathing
operations. One of the questions my father put to him was
why he sang "The beggar man." He said they told him at home
that he could sing well, and as he had learnt this song he
thought it might serve the purpose of bringing him succour,
as he was very tired and very hungry. He was the son of a
peasant farmer on the outskirts of Kirkaldy in the Firth of
Forth, and had walked the whole distance, his object being
to apprentice himself to some shipowner. This he succeeded
in doing; and many years after, when he had worked his way
into a position, he made himself known to me by recalling
the occasion when he sang his way into our home.
By the seaside on the coast of Northumberland, there stands
one of the prettiest little villages in all England. Tacked
on to the north and south end of it there are two stretches
of sand unequalled in their clear glossy beauty. It was from
this spot that a boy of twelve summers, smitten with a craze
for the sea, secretly left his home one December morning at
three o'clock with the object of becoming a sailor. He made
his way to the beach, walked to a seaport, and after much
persuasive eloquence in which he recklessly pledged himself
to impossible undertakings, the negotiations were ratified
by his being told by a burly skipper of the old school that
though he was very small, yet seeing he exhibited such
eagerness for the fray, he would look over that, to which
the seaman in embryo promptly replied, "But, sir, I will
grow bigger." And the weather-beaten old mariner responded,
"I hope you will; but mind, you'll have to work."
The poor child, fearful lest any hitch should come in the
way, assured him that he could work very hard, and that he
could run up aloft, as he had tried it aboard a schooner
which came once a year to his home with coals for the
squire. He was anxious that his accomplishments should be
tested without delay. His future commander interjected that
he would sign his indentures the following week, which was
done, after communication with the boy's family; and he
proceeded aboard with his kit made up of the following
articles. I give this, as it may be useful to parents who
have boys going to sea:--
1 Box.
1 Go-ashore suit.
2 Suits of working clothes.
1 Suit of oilskins.
1 Pair of sea-boots.
1 Pair of shoes.
3 Changes of flannels.
6 Pairs of stockings.
2 Mufflers.
4 Towels.
3 Coloured flannel shirts.
1 Bar of soap.
6 Collars, 2 neckties.
2 Pillow-slips.
1 Bed and full set of bedding.
2 Caps.
1 Canvas bag.
1 Ditty bag well stored with needles, thread,
buttons, thimble, worsted to darn stockings, and
cloth to patch worn or torn clothes.
This outfit is quite ample, and is more than double what
some poor boys had to start life with; indeed, scores of
them had to depend on what their first quarter's wages would
provide for them. In many country homes boys were taught,
as this boy was, sewing, darning, and even washing. The
knowledge of it cannot eat anything, and it is immensely
useful to have it. This might be commended to present-day
parents in town and country who have lads to send out into
the world. There is no loss of dignity in being able to do
something for yourself in the event of being too poor to pay
for having it done for you. A more exhilarating sight could
not be witnessed than that of sailors and sailor boys
sitting sewing their clothes or doing their week's washing.
I have said the initial training and experiences of a
cabin-boy were not only harsh but oft-times brutal. No
allowance was made for his tender years. The gospel of pity
did not enter into the lives of either the captains,
officers, or men. He was expected to learn without being
taught, and if he did not come up to their standard of
intelligence, his poor little body was made to suffer for
it. This happened more or less to every boy, and our new
recruit was not made an exception. He was given to
understand that certain duties devolved upon him. The
language perplexed his little brain. He had heard nothing
like it before, but he determined to avail himself of every
opportunity of learning. His inquisitiveness was a trouble
to the men; they rebuked him for bothering them; but by
steady plodding he began to learn the names of the
multiplicity of ropes, and the different things he would
have to do when the vessel put to sea. He was ordered to
have the side lights trimmed ready for lighting, the day
before sailing (a very wise precaution which should always
be adhered to). This was done, and although the wee laddie
had only been four days amidst a whirl of things that were
strange to him, he seemed to think that he had acquired
sufficient knowledge to justify him in believing that he had
mastered the situation. He wrote home a detailed account of
his doings, and complicated matters by using phrases that
were not commonly heard or understood in quiet villages far
away from the hum of seaports. The family were sent into
consternation by the description of his climbing
experiences, and an extra petition for his safe-keeping was
offered up when the time for family devotions came. No more
was heard of him for many months. His experiences had become
more real and fuller ere the next letter came. On the fifth
day after he had embarked the tug came alongside, the
tow-rope was handed aboard, and the vessel towed out of dock
to sea. Night was coming on, and the boy was ordered to
light the side lamps; he was in the act of doing this when
the pitching of the vessel afflicted him with strange
sensations, and in spite of a strong resistance he suddenly
parted with his last meal into the lamps. The misfortune
gave the captain more concern than the cabin-boy, who was in
the condition that makes one feel that all earthly joys
have passed away from you for evermore, and drowning would
be a happy relief from the agony of it. Needless to say, he
was soundly trounced for the misadventure; handy odds and
ends were thrown at him; he was reminded of his daring
promises on the eve of engagement, and an impassioned
oration was delivered on the curse of engaging "useless
rubbish who could not guide their stomachs when they got to
sea." His troubles had begun. The flow of curses, which he
now heard for the first time in his life, cut deeply into
his little soul, and made him long to be landed, so that he
might even wash doorsteps for a living rather than be
subjected to such coarse abuse. Ah, but there was worse to
come. This was merely a rude awakening. Could he have seen
into the series of hardships and cruelties that lay in front
of him, he might have deemed it better to close his
desolating troubles by allowing the waves which swept over
the vessel (as she was scudded along by the screaming wind)
to bear him overboard into the dark.
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. The main and mizen stays stretched
from mast to mast; the fore stays were more perpendicular,
as they stretched from the masts to the jib-boom and
bowsprit. It was usual to have a boatswain's chair to sit
and be lowered down in while tarring these stays. Some mates
disdained pampering youths with a luxury of this kind, so
disallowed it, and caused them to sit in a bowlin' bight
instead. But the most villainous thing of all was when a boy
for a mere technical offence, perhaps, indeed, no offence
at all, would be ordered to ride a stay down without either
chair or bowlin'. The tar-pot was held in one hand, the
tarring was done with the other, and the holding on was
managed by a process of clinging with the legs and body as
they slid along in a marvellously skilful way; and woe to
the unhappy culprit who allowed any drops of tar to fall on
the decks or paint-work! Sometimes these lads lost their
balance and fell with their bodies under the stay, and
failed to right themselves; in that case they had to slide
down to where the stay was set up, get on top of it again,
and climb up to where they had left off tarring. They were
not allowed, even if they could have done so, to ride over
the painted portion by sliding over it. Occasionally there
occurred fatal falls, but this was a rare thing. I remember
losing my balance while riding down a main top-gallant stay.
The tar-pot fell to the deck, and I very nearly accompanied
it. There was much commotion caused by this mishap, as part
of the contents of the bucket had splashed on the covering
board and white-painted bulwarks. The exhibition of grief
was far-reaching. The captain and his devoted officers made
a great noise at me; they asked with passionate emotion why
I didn't let my body fall instead--"there would have been
less mischief done," said they! Of course they did not mean
that exactly, though to the uninitiated it would have seemed
uncommonly like it. The indications of combined grief and
fearful swearing might have meant anything of a violent
nature. I could not be disrated, as I was only a cabin-boy,
but a substitutionary penalty was invoked against me. The
chief officer, who had a voice and an eye that indicated
whiskey, was a real artist in profane language. He vowed
that as sure as "Hell was in Moses" I would never become
worthy the name of a British sailor. This outburst of
alcoholic eloquence touched me keenly, and ever since that
time I have wondered wherein this original gentleman saw
connection between the great Hebrew law-giver and the nether
regions.
The cabin-boy's duties were not only numerous, but arduous.
Under serious physical penalties he had to keep the cabin,
its lamps and brass-work clean, and wash the towels and
table-cloths. (The latter were usually made of canvas.) The
skipper's and mate's beds had to be made, and washing done
for them; small stores such as coffee, tea, sugar, biscuits,
&c., were under the combined care of him and the commander.
In addition to this, he had to keep all the deck brass-work
shining; keep his watch and look-out; and, when he had
learned how to steer, take his trick at the helm. If any of
the small sails, such as royals, top-gallant sails, main
top-gallant stay-sail, or flying jib had to be taken in, he
was expected to be the first to spring into the rigging or
along the jib-boom to do it, provided it was his watch on
deck. It was really a sensational sight to witness these
mannikins spinning up aloft and handling the flapping sail.
I wonder now that more of them did not come to grief because
of the stupid aversion many of the skippers had to allowing
them to pass through what is known as the lubber hole--that
is, a hole in the main-and fore-tops leading to the top-mast
rigging. Occasionally both men and boys would lose their
hold and fall on the rail, and be smashed to pieces.
Sometimes they struck the rail, were killed outright, and
then fell into the sea. And this is not to be wondered at
when it is considered that their bodies were at right angles
to the mast while passing over the round top from the main
to the top-mast rigging. The mortality from this cause was,
however, very small; such accidents generally occurred on
cold, icy days or nights, when the hands had become
benumbed. Yet it was amazing how these mere children managed
to hold on at any time. But that is not all. If the vessel
had to be tacked, it was the cabin-boy's duty to let go the
square mainsail sheet when "tacks and sheets" was called;
and when the order was given to "mainsail haul," that is,
swing the main yard round, he had to haul in the opposite
main sheet; and if he did not get it in so that the foot of
the mainsail came tight up against the foremain shroud
before the sail filled, he got into grievous trouble. If the
vessel was at anchor in a roadstead, he had to keep his
two-hour anchor watch the same as the rest of the crew. In
beating up narrow channels such as the Swin, he was put in
the main-chains to heave the lead and sing the soundings,
and the sweet child-voiced refrain mingled with the icy
gusts, which oft-times roared through the rigging whilst the
cold spray smote and froze on him. Never a kind word of
encouragement was allowed to cheer the brave little fellow,
and his days and nights were passed in isolation until he
was old enough and courageous enough to assert himself. The
only peace that ever solaced him was when his watch below
came, and he laid his poor weary head and body in the
hammock. If the vessel was in port, and the shore easy of
access, it was he who had to scull the captain ashore, and
wait for him in the cold, still, small hours in the morning,
until the pleasures of grog and the relating of personal
experiences had been exhausted. If the boy were asleep when
the skipper came down, he got a knock on the head, and was
entertained to a selection of oaths which poured forth until
he got alongside the vessel. He was then told with strong
manifestations of dignity to pass the painter aft; this
done, he was rope-ended for having slept.
If the vessel were anchored in a roadstead, and the captain
had to be rowed ashore, he had to be one of the crew of
four, he pulling the bow oar, and, as soon as the rest
landed, he was left in charge of the boat. The sequel to an
incident of this kind is one of the most gruesome in the
annals of maritime life. The captain of a vessel, anchored
in Elsinore Roads, was rowed into the harbour. The crew of
the boat were told that he would require them at 10.30 that
night. The cabin-boy was left in charge, and the two A.B.'s
and the oldest apprentice proceeded to a grog-shop, where
they became more or less intoxicated. The captain had
ordered a keg of gin to the boat, and at midnight he ordered
the men to go off to the vessel with it, and come for him in
the morning. They did not wish to go, as there was a strong
south wind and current in the sound, but the captain
insisted, and they went, with the result that the boat was
picked up the following day covered with ice, and four dead
bodies were the ghastly occupants of it.
Well nigh two years had passed away since our young friend
planted his feet for the first time aboard ship. He had
sailed far and learned much. The treatment he had been
accustomed to made strong impressions on him; and he
determined to emancipate himself from such tyranny the first
opportunity he had; so that, when his vessel glided into a
lovely landlocked harbour on the north-west coast of Ireland
one bleak winter morning, his plan of escape having been
secretly formed and kept, he determined to put it into force
as soon as it was discreet to do so.
All hands having been paid off, excepting the mate and
three apprentices, the task of cooking fell upon the
cabin-boy. He always had to do this when in a home port;
that was another of his many functions, and not the least of
them, which caused him very frequently to come to grief,
though this young man had been impressed with the importance
of learning to cook, amongst other things, long before he
left home, so that, as a rule, he got along fairly well
whenever it became his duty to work up a plain meal, which
usually consisted of soup and doboys, that is, small
dumplings boiled in the soup with the beef. A double-decker
sea-pie was not only a favourite mess, but was considered
even a luxury at that time, and most sailor-boys could cook
it. It was made in a large pan or in the galley coppers, and
consisted of the following ingredients: A layer of potatoes,
small pieces of beef and onions well seasoned with pepper
and salt, and covered over with water; then a deck of paste
with a hole in the middle to allow the water to have free
access, then more potatoes, beef, onions, and kidney, and
then the final deck of paste, and a suitable amount of water
were added. It was quite a common thing whilst these
exploits of cookery were going on, for the skinflint skipper
to stand over the boy, and if he detected him taking too
thick a skin from the potato, he was lucky if he got off
with a severe reprimand. It was usually an open-handed blow,
intended sternly to enforce economy. Well, the vessel had
been in port four days, and many acquaintances had been made
by the cabin-boy, who had given his confidences to a select
few. He was invited to go to a wake one night by the son of
a gentleman who kept a shoe shop. This was an uproarious
evening, from which he gathered new experiences. As he was
ashore at liberty he deemed it prudent to be punctual in
going on board. On getting on deck the master, who was
standing on the poop, called him to him, and desired to know
where he had been, and why he was ashore so late. He replied
that he was not late, but aboard at the time his liberty had
expired, and that he had been at a wake. The poor man nearly
expired on the spot! He gasped in a screeching sort of tone,
"A wake? You damned young hemp! And your father a
Protestant! I'll learn you to go to a wake! I'll teach you
to disgrace your family and myself! No more shore for you,
sir!"
And for the purpose of emphasising his displeasure the
inevitable rope's-end was freely used, to the accompaniment
of language that did not bear the impress of a saintly
condition of mind, though he obviously derived comfort from
the thought that he was upholding the dignity and traditions
of the true Protestant faith. As soon as his conscience was
appeased, he asked the Almighty's forgiveness for having
used profane language, and ordered the boy to go to bed! He
went to bed, but not to sleep; the result of his musings on
these everlasting bullyings and thrashings was that at two
o'clock in the morning he had packed all his bits of
belongings into a bag, and woke an apprentice with whom he
was on very cordial terms, to say goodbye before embarking
on a new and unknown career. He had resolved to run away and
conceal himself until the vessel had sailed, and then ship
aboard an American barque which was in port. The other boy
pleaded for him not to risk it, but his mind was made up. He
would stand the insufferable tyranny no longer, and he went.
He had anticipated what was going to happen by previously
informing a well-to-do tradesman of his troubles and
intentions, and so excited the sympathy of his wife and
daughter as well as his own that they assured him of their
hospitality and aid in carrying out the scheme of desertion.
They admitted him into their home as soon as he presented
himself, and he was treated with true Hibernian hospitality.
The chief mate of the American barque was courting the
daughter, a handsome young woman, whom he ultimately
married. She was very solicitous in the poor lad's behalf,
and it was decided that he should have a berth on the mate's
ship, and in the presence of the youth she easily extracted
a pledge from her lover that he would have him kindly
treated. He felt in all probability the acme of joy in
serving this amiable female, but soon there came one of
those accidents that break the current of human affairs. The
boy thought he was safe after dark in paying a visit to the
vessel he had practically shipped to serve aboard of, and
took every precaution to avoid attracting attention. He had
nearly got alongside when a hand was laid on his shoulder,
and a kindly voice proclaimed him a prisoner. He was at
first startled, but soon recovered self-possession, and
seeing the gentleman was in plain clothes he demanded his
right to interfere.
"This is my right," said he, showing a piece of paper, "and
I may as well tell you that I am a detective, and have
shadowed the house you are living in for several days. You
must come with me. Your vessel is on the point of sailing,
and I have instructions to take you aboard."
The boy appealed to the officer not to take him, as he would
only run away at the first port again. The officer protested
that he must do his duty; but, as he desired to say goodbye
to the kind people who had given him shelter, he would
stretch his instructions by taking him to them. They were
deeply moved at the sight of the little culprit, and bade
him an affectionate adieu. He and his clothes were given up
to the irate captain, who received him with cold
acknowledgment, and he was soon sailing towards a port in
Scotland. After a quick run the vessel was docked and moored
ready to receive cargo. The captain had been sullenly
reticent on the passage. He spoke occasionally of base
ingratitude and the extinction of the race, and how the
object of his displeasure would be remembered when he got
him into deep water again, and that he would teach him a
salutary lesson for having broken his indentures and seeking
refuge under the roof of an Irish Jesuit! Apart from these
incoherent mutterings nothing of serious moment transpired.
By way of preliminary chastisement, the boy was ordered to
scrape the main-royal and top-gallant mast down during his
watch below in the daytime, and neither the masts, nor the
yards attached to them, received any real benefit by this
blockheaded notion of punishment. It is said, indeed, that
they suffered materially. The fact of deriving pleasure by
inflicting a cruel act on a mere child is hideous to think
of, but in those days these uncultured, half-savage
creatures were allowed all the powers of a monarch, and
disdained the commonest rights of humanity. The captain was
said to have expressed a sense of pride in what he termed
the smart capture of his erring apprentice, and some talk
was heard of the contemplated exploits of drilling after
sailing again. Poor man! He was never to have the
opportunity of gratifying an ignoble desire, for the night
after the vessel's arrival the youthful incorrigible
disembarked with a vow that he would never return to her
again; and he kept his word. Could those fields and lanes in
Scotland speak out the thoughts and the sufferings of the
days that were spent there, what an ineffable record of woe
they would lay bare!
Tramping by night, and concealed part of the way by day,
this child of respectable parents was driven by cruel wrong
to abandon himself to the privations of hunger, the rigour
of a biting climate, and to the chance of his strength
giving way before he had reached the destination that was to
open out newer and brighter opportunities to him. Four weeks
after deserting his vessel he landed at a large seaport on
the north-east coast of England, and then began a new era.
For many years he led a chequered and eventful life, which,
however, did not prevent him from rising quickly to the head
of his profession. Before he was twenty-two years of age he
was given the command of a handsome sailing vessel, and at
twenty-six he commanded a steamer. He had not seen his old
captain for many years, though he often desired to do so.
One day he came across him in London, and addressed him with
the same regard to quarter-deck etiquette as he was
accustomed to observe when a boy under his command. The old
man liked it, and he observed with a quiver in his speech,
"I am glad to notice that you have not forgotten what I took
so much pains to learn you." His pupil assured him that he
had not forgotten anything he had been taught, and
especially the duty he owed to his old commander. The
veteran was touched with the display of loyalty and the mark
of respect shown him. There seemed to be an accumulation of
recollections passing through his mind as he hesitatingly
said, "I used to knock you about a good deal, but it was all
for your good, and to teach you proper discipline." He was
assured that everything of an unpleasant character had been
shut out of the mind, so they parted with feelings of mutual
cordiality. Some years had elapsed, when the young commander
landed in a port in Denmark. A gentleman whom he knew told
him a sad story of an English captain who had just died in
the hospital under distressing circumstances. His illness
had been brought on by his own excesses, complications set
in, and after a few days' illness, he passed, through the
valley of the shadow of death into Eternity. His bodily
sufferings had been great, and his lonely desolation caused
him unspeakable anguish. Death relieved him of both, and he
was put to rest in a plain deal coffin. The vessels in port
hoisted their flags half-mast, and a few seamen followed his
remains to the tomb. The following day his old apprentice,
whom he had driven from his presence thirteen years before,
had two weeping willows planted at each end of the grave to
mark the spot where his erring master rests; and he has
visited it many times since.