SETTING THE WATCHES, 23 



LonoraLle one; and as the boys who are educated in 

 New Bedford are brought up with the idea that to 

 be a whaling skipper is the ne plus ultra of all 

 stations in life, so they consider it as the acme of all 

 their ambitious hopes. 



At dusk the captain called the ship's company 

 aft, and addressed them to the effect, that we were 

 all together bound on a long voyage, in all proba- 

 bility to last for years, and he considered it as neces- 

 sary that we should at the outset fully understand 

 each other. He then went on to say that all hands 

 should receive a sufficient supply of such provision 

 as was in the ship, so long as it was not wasted. He 

 stated that none of the crew forward should be mis- 

 used or imposed upon by the officers. He then 

 told us, that if there were any rascals in the crew 

 he should detect them ; and concluded bj'' stating 

 that as long as we used him well, he should return 

 the compliment, and vice versa. This was plane 

 sailing, and all understood him. Immediately after- 

 ward the watches, chosen from the boatsteerers and 

 crew by the chief mate and second mate, were set; 

 the chief mate had the first choice ; the second mate, 

 M'ho heads the captain's watch, succeeded him : at 

 the same time the boats' crews were chosen by the 

 officers, as before, the chief mate having the first 

 choice, and so in succession according to rank, until 

 the fourth mate had chosen. In many ships that 

 carry four boats the captain heads his own ; but 

 most, like us, have a fourth mate, who supplies his 

 place. But to return to setting the watches, which 

 took place at seven o'clock, P. M. ; the starboard, or 

 captain's watch, headed by the second, assisted by 



