“What is it coming to,” said he, “that a chief mate should be requested to take charge of a boat-load of fellows who wouldn’t be fit to live in our country?  The boatswain is the proper man to do this kind of work, and if you cannot trust him to select the lousie rascals, then go yourself!”

These harsh words affected the captain so much that he became inarticulate with passion; but when he had somewhat recovered, the splendour of his jerky vocabulary could be heard far beyond the precincts of the cabin.  He declared that his authority had never been outraged in such a fashion before, and with the air of an autocrat ordered the mate to his berth until the morrow, when he would have to appear before the British Consul.

The officer’s pride was injured, his temper was up, and he began to suitably libel everybody.  Her Majesty’s representative was the object of much vituperation, and a rather brilliant harangue was brought to a close by the officer stating that he would go and see the blooming Consul, and say some straight things to him.  With a final flourish he called out at the top of his voice, disdainfully—­

“Who the h——­ is he?”

The next morning at ten o’clock the captain gave orders to row him ashore.  The mate wore a humbler appearance than on the previous day:  meditation had mellowed him.  He stepped into the boat beside his commander, but was told with icy dignity that the boy would take him ashore in the cook’s lurky.  No greater insult could have been offered to an officer.  The Consul at that time was Walter Maynard, a charming man whom I knew well years afterwards.  Although I only heard odds and ends of what transpired, I feel sure the advice given was in the mate’s interests, and made him see his objection from another point of view.  He did not take kindly to bringing the labourers off, but he sullenly commenced from that day to do it.

Coal cargoes were at that time jumped out of the hold with four ropes bent on to one called a runner, which was rove through a coal gin fastened on to the end of a derrick composed of two studdingsail booms lashed together, and steps were rigged with studdingsail yards and oars.  The arrangement had the appearance of a gate, and was fixed at an angle.  Four men gave one sharp pull with the whip ropes, and then jumped from the step on to the deck.  The men in the hold changed places with the whips every two hours.  It was really an exciting thing to witness the whipping out of coal cargoes.  It may be seen even now in some ports of the United Kingdom, but the winch has largely taken the place of this athletic process.  Most captains supplied rum or vodka liberally, with a view to expediting dispatch, and did not scruple to log and fine those seamen who acquired a craving for alcohol, and misconducted themselves in consequence when they got liberty to go ashore.  Nobody was more severe on the men who committed a breach of discipline than those who, for their own profit, had taught them to drink.