384 NIMROD OF THE SEA; OB, 



surely in their second plateful. Now, the misery of the ar- 

 rangement is in this : the officers must come up in reversed 

 order third, second, first mate, and lastly the captain. A 

 third mate has thus only about seven and a half moments to 

 dispose of his grub. The old man last of all appears on 

 deck, picking his satisfied teeth in the most tantalizing man- 

 ner, and the four boat-steerers next make a dash for the ta- 

 ble, and make clean sweep of the remnants. 



With the men there is less formality in fact, no formali- 

 ty at all. A tub, called the meat-kit, is provided ; one for 

 each watch. Into this is dumped the boiled pork and beef, 

 and into another similar tub, the unpeeled potatoes, rice, 

 beans, and whatever dessert there is. With fingers for 

 forks and a belt sheath-knife, each fellow pitches in, mauls, 

 turns, picks, and cuts for the choicest bit, transfers the mess 

 to his tin plate, and sitting on hatch, windlass, terrapin's 

 back, or bread-kit, proceeds to discuss his grub, ungrateful- 

 ly swearing all the while at owner, captain, and cook. The 

 coffee in the morning, and the tea at night is served in buck- 

 ets, and a quart cup is a usual allowance, unless the man be 

 thirsty, when a half -gallon is not denied. The difference 

 between the tea and coffee is less discernible by the taste, 

 than by the difference in the texture of the grounds. I al- 

 ways thought that the tea most resembled a weak vegetable- 

 soup, floating grease being somewhat more apparent on it 

 than on the coffee. But both decoctions are dished boiling 

 hot, and this is their chief recommendation, inasmuch as the 

 heat is pretty sure to dislodge any of the white bread- 

 worms, say an inch long ? which may lurk in the soaking bis- 

 cuit. Its after-warmth, moreover, softens the bread, so as 

 to save teeth in the eating. After meals each fellow slips 

 his plate into the netting over his berth, and the cockroaches 

 see to it that his crockery is clean for next meal. 



We are keeping a sharp lookout for land, as a small low 



