White Jacket; Or, The World on a Man-of-War
Page 24
CHAPTER XXIII.
THEATRICALS IN A MAN-OF-WAR.
The Neversink had summered out her last Christmas on the Equator; shewas now destined to winter out the Fourth of July not very far from thefrigid latitudes of Cape Horn.
It is sometimes the custom in the American Navy to celebrate thisnational holiday by doubling the allowance of spirits to the men; thatis, if the ship happen to be lying in harbour. The effects of thispatriotic plan may be easily imagined: the whole ship is converted intoa dram-shop; and the intoxicated sailors reel about, on all threedecks, singing, howling, and fighting. This is the time that, owing tothe relaxed discipline of the ship, old and almost forgotten quarrelsare revived, under the stimulus of drink; and, fencing themselves upbetween the guns--so as to be sure of a clear space with at least threewalls--the combatants, two and two, fight out their hate, cribbed andcabined like soldiers duelling in a sentry-box. In a word, scenes ensuewhich would not for a single instant be tolerated by the officers uponany other occasion. This is the time that the most venerable ofquarter-gunners and quarter-masters, together with the smallestapprentice boys, and men never known to have been previouslyintoxicated during the cruise--this is the time that they all rolltogether in the same muddy trough of drunkenness.
In emulation of the potentates of the Middle Ages, some Captainsaugment the din by authorising a grand jail-delivery of all theprisoners who, on that auspicious Fourth of the month, may happen to beconfined in the ship's prison--"_the brig_."
But from scenes like these the Neversink was happily delivered. Besidesthat she was now approaching a most perilous part of the ocean--whichwould have made it madness to intoxicate the sailors--her completedestitution of _grog_, even for ordinary consumption, was an obstaclealtogether insuperable, even had the Captain felt disposed to indulgehis man-of-war's-men by the most copious libations.
For several days previous to the advent of the holiday, frequentconferences were held on the gun-deck touching the melancholy prospectsbefore the ship.
"Too bad--too bad!" cried a top-man, "Think of it, shipmates--a Fourthof July without grog!"
"I'll hoist the Commodore's pennant at half-mast that day," sighed thesignal-quarter-master.
"And I'll turn my best uniform jacket wrong side out, to keep companywith the pennant, old Ensign," sympathetically responded anafter-guard's-man.
"Ay, do!" cried a forecastle-man. "I could almost pipe my eye to thinkon't."
"No grog on de day dat tried men's souls!" blubbered Sunshine, thegalley-cook.
"Who would be a _Jankee_ now?" roared a Hollander of the fore-top, moreDutch than sour-crout.
"Is this the _riglar_ fruits of liberty?" touchingly inquired an Irishwaister of an old Spanish sheet-anchor-man.
You will generally observe that, of all Americans, your foreign-borncitizens are the most patriotic--especially toward the Fourth of July.
But how could Captain Claret, the father of his crew, behold the griefof his ocean children with indifference? He could not. Three daysbefore the anniversary--it still continuing very pleasant weather forthese latitudes--it was publicly announced that free permission wasgiven to the sailors to get up any sort of theatricals they desired,wherewith to honour the Fourth.
Now, some weeks prior to the Neversink's sailing from home--nearlythree years before the time here spoken of--some of the seamen hadclubbed together, and made up a considerable purse, for the purpose ofpurchasing a theatrical outfit having in view to diversify the monotonyof lying in foreign harbours for weeks together, by an occasionaldisplay on the boards--though if ever there w-as a continual theatre inthe world, playing by night and by day, and without intervals betweenthe acts, a man-of-war is that theatre, and her planks are the _boards_indeed.
The sailors who originated this scheme had served in other Americanfrigates, where the privilege of having theatricals was allowed to thecrew. What was their chagrin, then, when, upon making an application tothe Captain, in a Peruvian harbour, for permission to present themuch-admired drama of "_The Ruffian Boy_," under the Captain's personalpatronage, that dignitary assured them that there were already enough_ruffian boys_ on board, without conjuring up any more from thegreen-room.
The theatrical outfit, therefore, was stowed down in the bottom of thesailors' bags, who little anticipated _then_ that it would ever bedragged out while Captain Claret had the sway.
But immediately upon the announcement that the embargo was removed,vigorous preparations were at once commenced to celebrate the Fourthwith unwonted spirit. The half-deck was set apart for the theatre, andthe signal-quarter-master was commanded to loan his flags to decorateit in the most patriotic style.
As the stage-struck portion of the crew had frequently during thecruise rehearsed portions of various plays, to while away the tedium ofthe night-watches, they needed no long time now to perfect themselvesin their parts.
Accordingly, on the very next morning after the indulgence had beengranted by the Captain, the following written placard, presenting abroadside of staring capitals, was found tacked against the main-maston the gun-deck. It was as if a Drury-Lane bill had been posted uponthe London Monument.