THE CAPTAIN'S SIESTA. 353 



So entirely rotten was everything aloft, that no 

 one felt it safe to perform the usual services to the 

 sails. It was at the imminent risk of life that 

 &ny one put his foot into the rigging. Neverthe- 

 less, although each felt this, it was never alluded 

 to ii. the forecastle. It would have been unsailor 

 like to own to the possession of such a thought. 

 And there was, among those of the crew who 

 claimed to be seamen, as much readiness to go 

 aloft, upon however irksome or really dangerous 

 a duty, as though the rigging had been bran new 

 from the rope-walk. 



We were but a very short time on board before 

 we became aware that our officers drank. The 

 captain, more especially, took his bowl of grog 

 regularly, after dinner, and from it relapsed into 

 a stupid sleep, which he dignified with the name 

 of siesta. Awaking from this, he would come upon 

 deck and catechise poor Paddy on various points 

 in seamanship ; each failure in rendering a cor- 

 rect answer being attended by a blow from the 

 rope next at hand. 



On Sunday, if the day was fine and most Sun- 

 days at sea are pleasant days the mate also took 

 a siesta. After these occasions he would come 

 upon deck, looking thunder at the crew. Wo to 

 Paddy if he ^ame in his way then. There were 

 "evasions of this kind, when he could hardly force 

 Liimself to treat Fred or myself civilly. But there 

 was something of warning in old Fred's eye, 

 which probably told him that to attack either of 



