THM AMEBICAN WHALEMAN. 283 



and sugar, when molasses will serve for botb. I always tell 

 the steward to put molasses in place of them." 



Said Saint Mathew, " Such an order would ache me worse 

 than rheumatism, and my butter would breed dyspepsia." 



" Look here, Captain Mathews, that kind of talk's all very 

 pretty ; but, your owners will bring you up with a round 

 turn some of these days, for pampering your men with but- 

 ter and sugar, and such menavelins." 



" I'll take care of that, sir, as I am an owner myself ; and 

 the others have the sense to feel safer in the venture because 

 I don't shift grub on my table." 



This anecdote illustrates some of the different views that 

 are held about the proper kind of food for sailors. 



The etiquette of meals on board ship is very amusing to 

 Jack at the helm. The order of procedure for dinner is 

 somewhat in this wise : The sun's altitude has been taken, 

 and eight bells struck. The captain is pacing the weather 

 and the mate the lee quarter deck. The second mate is 

 somewhere or other, but surely to windward of the third 

 mate. All hands are as hungry as wolves. The steward 

 comes up the companion-way, and touching his greasy Scotch 



cap, announces, " Captain B , dinner is on." "All right;" 



and the captain takes a turn by the binnacle, if we are run- 

 ning a course, and peeps at the compass. Then in the com- 

 panion-way, on his way down he stops, takes a long look at 

 the sails, and, as it were, a last farewell of the light of heiav- 



en. " Mr. F , dinner is on." " Ay, ay, sir," says the 



mate, as he strolls to weather-deck. 'Now Mr. F takes 



a shorter peep at the compass, and, pausing in the compan- 

 ion, he, too, takes his upward survey. The two other mates 

 go through precisely the same performance, only according 

 to their respective ranks they take yet shorter peeps at the 

 compass and glance heavenward. They then arrive simuL 

 taneously at the table, to find the captain and Mr. F lei- 



