SAILING CRAFT 99 



was enforced without the slightest reference 

 to what was regarded as landlubber's law. 

 The Britisher's Board of Trade regulations 

 were regarded with contempt ; and not with- 

 out reason ; for, excellent as they were, they 

 struck the Bluenose seamen as being an inter- 

 ference made solely in the supposed interests 

 of the men against the officers. 



The mistake was that the old injustices were 

 repeated in a new way. Formerly the law 

 either sided with the officers and owners 

 or left them alone ; now it either sided with 

 the men or left the officers and owners in the 

 lurch. The true balance was not restored. 

 Here is a thoroughly typical instance of the 

 difference between a Britisher and a Bluenose 

 under the new dispensation. The second mate 

 of a Britisher asked for his discharge at Bombay 

 because he could not manage the men, who 

 had shirked disgracefully the whole way out. 

 The skipper got a good Bluenose for. his new 

 second mate. The first day the Bluenose 

 came aboard one of the worst shirkers slung 

 a bucket carelessly, cut the deck, and then 

 proceeded to curse the ship and all who sailed 

 in her, as he had been accustomed to do under 

 the Britisher. The Bluenose mate simply 

 said, ' See here, just shut your head or I '11 



