190 CAPTAIN ZACHARY G. LAMSON 



on board any decent ship) that I found my- 

 self very uncomfortable. I went into the 

 ward room. There were four officers, such 

 as they were. They had not decent pro- 

 visions upon their table, one solitary mug 

 to drink coffee in was filled and passed 

 around. Their long cruise was their apo- 

 logy, but I was soon convinced of the rea- 

 sons which were becoming more obvious 

 every moment. I remained and break- 

 fasted the next day, when the same miser- 

 able mode of living was shown in their 

 breakfast. During the time I was at the 

 table a boy brought on a dish of stewed 

 porpoise, that some of the officers had stolen 

 from my crew, who had on the passage 

 cured one by smoking it at the Caboose. 

 On an inquiry at the table what dish it was, 

 my boy George Tittle, who was with me on 

 board said, "It was some of our sailors' 

 porpoise." Such a grinning and wry mouths 

 you could hardly imagine. "Take it away, 

 throw it away." It was put off the table. 

 Shortly after I went on deck leaving my 



