338 SKETCHES OF SEA-LIFE. 



chant, and had already been on a voyage to Canton before the 

 mast. His real name was Lee ; but from the fact of his having 

 adopted every habit and quality which make up a sailor except 

 seamanship, the mate gave him the significant title of " Chaw- 

 tobacco Jack." Another was poor " Jimmy Ducks," of a wealthy 

 family, but of the utmost personal inefficiency and arrogance. 

 He had been another Havre voyage before with the same 

 captain, and of all on board our ship was his only favorite. On 

 him, by a little art, especially by feigning great ignorance in the 

 calling of the "prodigal son," I very speedily shifted the 

 name and duties which an almost universal usage had otherwise 

 fixed on me. I refer to the care of the pigs and cows that were 

 on board ship. The third who made out the trio of those whom 

 the men called "gentlemen's sons," was that same truant from 

 college and home, already introduced to the reader ; and in de- 

 fault of an easier name, he went by the self-appropriated one of 

 "Charlie." But now for "boy Harry," decidedly the most 

 important personage aboard ship, at once the life and butt of the 

 crew, and an everlasting plague to the officers an absolute essen- 

 tial everywhere, and yet for ever in the way. I have him now 

 in my mind's eye his short, chubbed form, and fat, Dutch vis- 

 age, in which sparkled as keen and roguish a pair of black eyes 

 as ever a youngster sported ; and then that lisping, Hollandish 

 tongue of his how its least movement would set the men laugh- 

 ing and cursing! yet it never rested. And well I may remember 

 him, for many is the time we have raced up the rigging together 

 in strife for the " weather } 7 ard arm ; " and many is the long 

 watch hour we have whiled away together with schemes of mis- 

 chief or in kindly spats. I recollect well when I first saw him. 

 It was on board, just before we left New York. The captain 

 chancing to pass him, asked what he was doing there ; lie said, 

 the mate had hired him for "or'nary theaman ; " he had been to 

 sea two years. The mate soon after coming up, asked him the 

 same question ; he answered promptly, that the captain had 

 engaged him for an " or'nary theaman." And so we had " boy 

 Harry" in our crew, though he unfortunately failed of getting 

 ordinary seaman's wages. 



