THE EARLY LIFE OF E. J. PECK 9 



tar with a hammer is whack, whacking a leather 

 sole before clumping it, as well as any shoemaker, on 

 to the waiting boot, and thus proving that " a sailor 

 can do anything." A little knot of men is in hot 

 and fiery argument over the Tichborne Case ; another 

 over the merits of a new gun. Here is a man writing 

 to his sweetheart ; another is making a twine cabbage- 

 net for the mess ; a third is mangling his washed 

 clothes with the bottom of an enamelled basin or 

 rolling-pin. The gangway is blocked here and there 

 by men with fathoms of spun yarn and canvas- 

 wrapped leaf-tobacco, " heaving " it into those 

 huge cigar-shaped rolls much appreciated by sailors, 

 envied and coveted by shore smokers a hundred or 

 two of men laughing, talking, skylarking ; this is the 

 scene into which the Gracious Spirit enters, and seek- 

 ing out amid the din of that deck the young sailor 

 who, defying all opposition, sits reading his Bible, 

 whispers to him the word of peace and assurance. 



On January 7, 1874, he was transferred from the 

 Excellent to H.M.S. Hector, the guardship in South- 

 ampton Water, and here he formed a friendship 

 with John Martin, sailmaker, Sydney Watson, 

 carpenter's yeoman, and Tom Yeadle, seaman. 

 These four eventually came to be like-minded in 

 spiritual things, and so were also inseparable, meet- 

 ing together night after night for prayer and praise. 

 But they could not remain satisfied with mutual 

 edification. They must offer their good tilings to 



