CHAPTER XXI.
ONE REASON WHY MEN-OF-WAR'S MEN ARE, GENERALLY, SHORT-LIVED.
I cannot quit this matter of the hammocks without making mention of agrievance among the sailors that ought to be redressed.
In a man-of-war at sea, the sailors have _watch and watch;_ that is,through every twenty-four hours, they are on and off duty every fourhours. Now, the hammocks are piped down from the nettings (the openspace for stowing them, running round the top of the bulwarks) a littleafter sunset, and piped up again when the forenoon watch is called, ateight o'clock in the morning; so that during the daytime they areinaccessible as pallets. This would be all well enough, did the sailorshave a complete night's rest; but every other night at sea, one watchhave only four hours in their hammocks. Indeed, deducting the timeallowed for the other watch to turn out; for yourself to arrange yourhammock, get into it, and fairly get asleep; it maybe said that, everyother night, you have but three hours' sleep in your hammock. Havingthen been on deck for twice four hours, at eight o'clock in the morningyour _watch-below_ comes round, and you are not liable to duty untilnoon. Under like circumstances, a merchant seaman goes to his _bunk_,and has the benefit of a good long sleep. But in a man-of-war you cando no such thing; your hammock is very neatly stowed in the nettings,and there it must remain till nightfall.
But perhaps there is a corner for you somewhere along the batteries onthe gun-deck, where you may enjoy a snug nap. But as no one is allowedto recline on the larboard side of the gun-deck (which is reserved as acorridor for the officers when they go forward to their smoking-room atthe _bridle-port_), the starboard side only is left to the seaman. Butmost of this side, also, is occupied by the carpenters, sail-makers,barbers, and coopers. In short, so few are the corners where you cansnatch a nap during daytime in a frigate, that not one in ten of thewatch, who have been on deck eight hours, can get a wink of sleep tillthe following night. Repeatedly, after by good fortune securing acorner, I have been roused from it by some functionary commissioned tokeep it clear.
Off Cape Horn, what before had been very uncomfortable became a serioushardship. Drenched through and through by the spray of the sea atnight. I have sometimes slept standing on the spar-deck--and shudderedas I slept--for the want of sufficient sleep in my hammock.
During three days of the stormiest weather, we were given the privilegeof the _berth-deck_ (at other times strictly interdicted), where wewere permitted to spread our jackets, and take a nap in the morningafter the eight hours' night exposure. But this privilege was but abeggarly one, indeed. Not to speak of our jackets--used forblankets--being soaking wet, the spray, coming down the hatchways, keptthe planks of the berth-deck itself constantly wet; whereas, had webeen permitted our hammocks, we might have swung dry over all thisdeluge. But we endeavoured to make ourselves as warm and comfortable aspossible, chiefly by close stowing, so as to generate a little steam,in the absence of any fire-side warmth. You have seen, perhaps, the wayin which they box up subjects intended to illustrate the winterlectures of a professor of surgery. Just so we laid; heel and point,face to back, dove-tailed into each other at every ham and knee. Thewet of our jackets, thus densely packed, would soon begin to distill.But it was like pouring hot water on you to keep you from freezing. Itwas like being "packed" between the soaked sheets in a Water-cureEstablishment.
Such a posture could not be preserved for any considerable periodwithout shifting side for side. Three or four times during the fourhours I would be startled from a wet doze by the hoarse cry of a fellowwho did the duty of a corporal at the after-end of my file. "_Sleepersahoy! stand by to slew round!_" and, with a double shuffle, we allrolled in concert, and found ourselves facing the taffrail instead ofthe bowsprit. But, however you turned, your nose was sure to stick toone or other of the steaming backs on your two flanks. There was somelittle relief in the change of odour consequent upon this.
But what is the reason that, after battling out eight stormy hours ondeck at, night, men-of-war's-men are not allowed the poor boon of a dryfour hours' nap during the day following? What is the reason? TheCommodore, Captain, and first Lieutenant, Chaplain, Purser, and scoresof others, have _all night in_, just as if they were staying at a hotelon shore. And the junior Lieutenants not only have their cots to go toat any time: but as only one of them is required to head the watch, andthere are so many of them among whom to divide that duty, they are onlyon deck four hours to twelve hours below. In some eases the proportionis still greater. Whereas, with _the people_ it is four hours in andfour hours off continually.
What is the reason, then, that the common seamen should fare so hard inthis matter? It would seem but a simple thing to let them get downtheir hammocks during the day for a nap. But no; such a proceedingwould mar the uniformity of daily events in a man-of-war. It seemsindispensable to the picturesque effect of the spar-deck, that thehammocks should invariably remain stowed in the nettings betweensunrise and sundown. But the chief reason is this--a reason which hassanctioned many an abuse in this world--_precedents are against it;_such a thing as sailors sleeping in their hammocks in the daytime,after being eight hours exposed to a night-storm, was hardly ever heardof in the navy. Though, to the immortal honour of some captains be itsaid, the fact is upon navy record, that off Cape Horn, they _have_vouchsafed the morning hammocks to their crew. Heaven bless suchtender-hearted officers; and may they and their descendants--ashore orafloat--have sweet and pleasant slumbers while they live, and anundreaming siesta when they die.
It is concerning such things as the subject of this chapter thatspecial enactments of Congress are demanded. Health and comfort--so faras duly attainable under the circumstances--should be legallyguaranteed to the man-of-war's-men; and not left to the discretion orcaprice of their commanders.
White Jacket; Or, The World on a Man-of-War Page 22
