Outward Bound Or, Young America Afloat: A Story of Travel and Adventure, Optic [best non fiction books of all time txt] 📗

or of the candidates nominated by them, had been elected. The attempt to bribe the independent voters, by giving them office, had been a signal failure; and it is to be hoped that Young America, when fully developed, will stick to his principles.

"Captain Richard Carnes," said Mr. Lowington, as he stepped upon the hatch, after the voting had been concluded.

The young gentleman thus addressed came forward, blushing beneath the honors which had been bestowed upon him. The principal took his hand.

"Captain Carnes, I congratulate you upon your election to the highest office in the gift of your com {54}panions; and I congratulate your fellow-students also upon having so good a young man to handle the ship. You have been modest, and they have been wise. I congratulate you both. Young gentlemen, I am satisfied that your captain will be just, courteous, and gentlemanly, in his relations with you; and I hope you will yield a willing and cheerful obedience to his orders, and to those of all your superiors. Let me say that this business is not a farce; it is not mere boys' play; for as soon as the officers and crew are fully trained and instructed, all ship duty will be carried on without assistance from me or others. When necessary, I shall advise the captain what to do, but I shall not do it myself; neither shall I needlessly interfere with the discipline of the ship.

"This is the last time an election of officers will be permitted, for it is liable to many objections, not the least of which are the bribery and corruption by which some have attempted to obtain office."

Mr. Lowington looked at Shuffles, as though he knew all about the method to which he had resorted to secure an election; but we are quite sure that Paul Kendall had never lisped a word of it to him, or to any of the instructors.

"On the first day of July, young gentlemen, all the offices will be vacant; and they will be awarded strictly in accordance with the marks you may obtain. There will be no veto upon the result of the merit roll. These places, therefore, are open to all. We have no aristocracy on board. Every student in the ship is a candidate for the captaincy. Now, if the officers elect will follow me to the after cabin, I will {55} install them into their new positions; after which I will proceed to organize the crew."

The door of the after cabin, which had hitherto been a mystery to all the boys, was unlocked by the head steward, and Mr. Lowington, followed by the officers, entered. The students on deck were ordered forward, and were not even permitted to look down the companion-way, for the principal intended to keep the after cabin exclusively for the officers; and no one not entitled to admission was to be allowed to cross its threshold. He believed that this mystery, and this rigid adherence to the division line between officers and crew, would promote the discipline of the ship, and enhance the value of the offices—the prizes for good conduct, and general fidelity to duty.

"Captain Carnes, this is your state room," continued Mr. Lowington, opening the door of the room farthest forward on the starboard side. "As the commander of the ship you are entitled to an apartment by yourself."

"Thank you, sir," replied the captain, as he stepped into the room.

"You will find on the hooks your uniform as captain. There are three suits, from which you will select one that fits you."

Captain Carnes entered and closed the door. If he did not feel like a king, he ought to have felt so.

Mr. Lowington then gave the next room to the first and second lieutenants, who were to occupy it together; and they were also directed to clothe themselves in the uniforms deposited there for their use. The third state room was given to the third and fourth lieutenants, and {56} the fourth to the first and second midshipmen. The forward room of the port side was assigned to the first and second masters; the next to the third and fourth; the third to the two pursers, and the last to the third and fourth midshipmen.

In a short time the officers came out of their rooms clothed in their uniforms, which consisted of a blue frock coat, with brass buttons, and blue pants. The cap was of the same material, with a gold band around it. Thus far the uniforms were all alike; but there were distinguishing insignia to indicate the rank of each. All the officers had shoulder-straps, by which their positions were designated. The captain had two anchors; the first lieutenant had one anchor, with four stars, one above, one below, and one on each side; the second lieutenant had the anchor with three stars—none above; the third lieutenant, one star on each side of the anchor; and the fourth lieutenant one star below the anchor. The captain also wore five narrow gold bands on each of his coat sleeves; the first lieutenant four, and so on, the fourth wearing but one band.

The shoulder-straps of the masters contained no anchor; only the stars, one for each grade, the first master having four stars; the fourth only one. The rank of the pursers was indicated by the outline of a parallelogram for the second, and two of the same figure, one within the other, for the first. The straps of the midshipmen contained gilt numbers, from one to four, designating their grade.

The officers presented a very elegant and dashing appearance in their new uniform; and if some of them {57} did not feel a little vain, it was because they were less human than boys usually are.

"What are we to do, sir?" asked Kendall of the principal, after the uniforms had been duly criticised.

"Nothing, at present."

"Nothing! Why, I feel like a counterfeit gold dollar, in this rig, when I know no more about a ship than I do about the inside of the moon."

"You will learn in due time. You will go on deck now, young gentlemen; and remember that, as officers, you are not to be familiar with the crew while you are on duty."

"Can't we speak to them?" asked Kendall, who was not disposed to be so exclusive as naval discipline required him to be.

"Not while you are on duty, except when it is necessary to do so. We will now assign the berths in the steerage to the crew."

As the boys came on board, they had taken the berths as they pleased. Shuffles had selected a room, and invited his "cronies" to occupy the bunks it contained with him. The berths were now to be distributed by lot. Professor Mapps had provided seventy-two slips of paper, on each of which he had written a number. The boys were mustered into line, and drew out these numbers from the package. As each student drew his slip, the purser wrote down his name in a book, with the number he had drawn.

In the steerage, each berth had its own number, which was also applied to a locker, and a seat at one of the mess tables. When the drawing was completed each student had his berth, his clothes locker, {58} and his seat at meals. Many of them were extremely dissatisfied when they found that they had been separated from their "cronies;" but the principal was firm, and would not allow a single change to be made.

By this time it was twelve o'clock, and Boatswain Peaks piped all hands to muster. The ensign was hoisted, and saluted with three cheers, in which all hands, young and old, joined. When this ceremony was finished, the crew were piped to dinner, and the officers went to their cabin, where the steward had set the table for them for the first time. They dined like lords, though upon the same fare as their companions in the steerage.

CHAPTER IV.

{59}

OFFICERS AND SEAMEN.

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After dinner the organization of the crew was continued. All hands were "piped to muster," and by this time most of those who had been disaffected at the drawing of berths had recovered their natural equanimity, and all were intensely interested in the arrangement of the details. None of the boys knew what was coming, and their curiosity kept them in a continuous state of excitement.

"All who have drawn even numbers will take the starboard side of the ship," said Mr. Lowington from his perch on the hatch. "All who have drawn odd numbers will take the port side."

"This is the starboard side, my lads," added Mr. Fluxion, the instructor in mathematics—who, like the principal, had been a naval officer,—as he pointed to the right, looking forward.

Some had already forgotten their numbers, and there was considerable confusion before the order could be obeyed.

"Young gentlemen, the books will be opened to-day; and a student who forgets his number again will lose a mark," said Mr. Lowington. "Are they all in their places, Mr. Fluxion?" {60}

"They are, sir," replied the instructor, who had just counted them.

"Young gentlemen, you are thus divided into two equal parts—the starboard and the port watches. Now form a straight line, toe the crack, and call your numbers in order, beginning with the starboard watch."

The boys eagerly followed this direction, though some assistance was required from the instructors in repressing their superfluous enthusiasm.

"Very well," continued Mr. Lowington, when the students were formed in two lines. "Every boy in the starboard watch whose number is divisible by four, step forward one pace. Number three in the port watch, do the same. Mr. Mapps, oblige me by seeing that every alternate boy in the line steps forward."

"The line is formed, sir," replied the instructor, when he had carried out the direction of the principal.

"Each watch is now divided into two parts—the first and second parts, as they will be called. Now, young gentlemen, the clothing will be distributed, and each student will put on his uniform at once."

The four lines were then marched down into the steerage, each under the charge of an instructor, to a particular locality, where the head steward and his assistants had deposited the clothing for each watch and quarter watch. The uniform consisted of blue seaman's pants and a heavy flannel shirt or frock, such as is worn in the United States navy. To each student the following articles were served out:—

1 pea-jacket.
1 blue cloth jacket.
1 pair blue cloth pants.
{61} 1 pair blue satinet pants.
1 blue cap.
1 straw hat, of coarse, sewed straw.
1 Panama hat, bound.
2 knit woollen shirts.
2 pair knit woollen drawers.
2 white frocks.
2 pair white duck pants.
4 pair socks.
2 pair shoes.
2 black silk neck-handkerchiefs.

These articles were given to the boys, and they were required to put on the every-day uniform; after which they were directed to arrange the rest of the clothing in the lockers belonging to them. The contractor who had furnished the goods was present with four tailors, to attend to the fitting of the clothes, which were all numbered according to the size. In a short time the students began to come out of their rooms, clothed in their new rig. They looked intensely "salt," and there was no end to the jokes and smart things that were said on this interesting occasion. Even Shuffles hardly knew himself in his new dress.

The frock had a broad rolling collar, in each corner of which was worked an anchor in white. The black silk neck-handkerchief was worn under the collar, and not many of the boys had acquired the art of tying the regular sailor's knot. Boatswain Peaks not only stood up as a model for them, but he adjusted the "neck gear" for many of them. Bitts, the carpenter, and {62} Leech, the sailmaker, who were also old sailors, cheerfully rendered a valet's assistance to such as needed help.

Agreeably to the directions of Mr. Lowington, the shore suits of the students were done up in bundles, each marked with the owner's name, and the head steward took them to Mr. Lowington's house for storage.

Rigged out in their "sea togs," the students began to feel salt, as well as to look salt. Some of them tried to imitate the rolling gait of the boatswain when they walked, and some of them began to exhibit an alarming tendency to indulge in sea slang.

"There, my hearty, you look like a sailor now," said Peaks, when he had rolled over the collar and tied the square knot in the handkerchief of Wilton.

"Shiver my timbers, but I feel like one," laughed the embryo seaman.

"What's that, young gentleman?" demanded Mr. Lowington, who happened to be within hearing; "what did you say?"

"I said I felt like a sailor, sir."

"What was the expression you used?"

"I only said shiver my timbers, sir."

"You stole that expression from a yellow-covered novel. Did you ever hear Mr. Peaks, who has been a sailor all his lifetime, use such language?"

"I'll be bound he never did,"