344 SKETCHES OF SEA-LIFE. 



During the next day we set all sail again, and passing off the 

 Banks, suddenly emerged into pleasant weather. But we were 

 rolled about most wantonly by a tremendous sea, the relics of the 

 last night's gale. Thus speedily every thing settled again into 

 the usual round of day duties, "wash decks" in the morning, 

 "pump ship, the watch," and "hold the reel, boys," every eight 

 bells, and "braid sennet," or "make mats for chafing gear," 

 when there was nothing else to be done. 



It was one afternoon, not many days later than this, as there 

 was a sly inkling among the younger and lighter portion of the 

 crew that the remaining part of the day would be devoted to the 

 peculiarly unpleasant duty of "slushing" the upper masts, when, 

 lo! and behold! boy Harry was nowhere to be found. Immedi- 

 ately every nook and cranny of the ship rang to the loud cry 

 " Boy Harry ! " " Boy Harry ! " It happened to fall to my lot to 

 rummage the forecastle for him ; when hunting for some time 

 all alone, I at last heard a low whisper, issuing out from a heap 

 of rubbish in the back side of a bunk "Charley! Charley! The 

 mate he find me, he athk me vere I thick, vot I tell him ?" " Tell 

 him," said I, "you are sick to the stomach." "Yerebethe 

 thtomich?" Pointing out its locality, I hove another blanket 

 over him, and was forthwith busily engaged again tumbling 

 chests about, when the chief mate stepped in and commenced 

 the search for himself. We must now introduce to the reader, 

 Mr. Beattie, our first mate, a most skillful seaman, but a narrow, 

 conceited soul ; who dwelt most rigidly on the "minor points of the 

 law," and seemed to think his reputation depended on his petty 

 tyranny over the boys. After searching some time, he at last 

 stumbled on Harry, buried in his dark nest. And out he hauled 

 him to view rather roughly, asking, with many pretty adjuncts 

 to his speech, what he was stowed away in there for ? " I'th 

 thick, thir Oh! hard thick in my thtomich thir." "That's 

 your case then, is it ? " said the mate. " I'll soon fix you out." 

 So aft he hurried, and in a few minutes came back with a wine- 

 glass nearly filled with castor oil. The instant Harry saw what 

 the game was to be, he seized the glass from the mate, applied it 

 to his lips, and quicker than thought, its contents were gone. 



