THE MERCHANT NAVY.

Evening Star, Issue 4260, 21 October 1876, Page 4

THE MERCHANT NAVY.

;' ;' ; : ' " 'To the Editor. ~, ! many .letters having lately ap- ;....',' ' making it appear that Poor Jack is . i-.y not* always Fpor Jack, but sometimes the re.•■>!;p , Terse, .permit me space to show that somei•o tiindslheis;deserving of sympathy, and that sometimes also he is not alone to blame. <t '- ! Ji'Manyt< .in all classes; of ships and ii .. f r& steamers bitve rmade in all but the one • ■..-.pfio i shall: refer toiave fl been almost sorry ' ''" they have ended,'so pleasant have they ' "bem; so I canhardly be- designated a green «* <' "A flunky'-'' speaks of the •"'danger;' 6i men before the mast taking naked •'■ "'■ :'" n lightsintcthe told—what would he,say of a '•'■ ''' and one of his cabin passengers, both '' ' : ; " Wastry'drunk (I speak in plain'language . .. -which, can be authenticated), going into the ; i lazaretto at three. o'clock in the mornings ' ' with af naked,' candle and, firstly; bringing tip as many bottles of beer as they could »"'.• .IdaJcry, :!and,,then going, a second time and bringing np their arms full of straw, which .'jl t-tfiey- "put on the cabin stove and burned; what'would he think of that captain being ,f sd drunk astoj put a tobacco pouch " ( ,\'' '';'"''aujd !l glerigarry . belonging .Jo his com- <-,;: i.ii -. - in' liquor: on top 'of . said fire, -' "-*■>'; whtftnen retaliated iby pu&ting some tablen k- -.0 .'cloths stools on top of ; t;' ; said-fire/and then, threatened "to 's~et his ! -jh I shipion fire,"'afterwards, playing the -eOapty bottles? What i "U^v^^^C'S a y' r !*'*^^'"' e ' v *kis fiop.^aytain, ■;: 1 j f/waosi mate was. lying full length,.: also; dead .< ■•■• >o[.drunk vol, the saloon daring hisjwatch on .'•' -' b!deok,';a»d the two officers dead beat '■ ■■' fatigue 'in ?tiie^r'berths ? X say what would he think of this captain going on the ■Tu all j n jahidle of • a prtchy dark night, with the. wind blowing a' perfect jhurricane, .'the* 6<&s"' roaring l -mountains high] so drunk ,that he could, not stand, and instead of "'' v.-: M «tern way oa ner, and almost sending her

• ; /ten miles! froni a rbcky 'and inhospitable ' £, ' Bhofe ?■' "What would he think of the boat? swain—*&■ ■ uncertificated •''■'" ''• <m poop,' and being compelled, -in , r ... .order to save that fine. ohJp ; and all f C Ai \ fad. decline■ tjO fight him as he requested, and j •';*.'; living io carry him down to his cabin, •p ! lleavipg him' in charge, of his pejb steward, a-ib '1(, srho^seameclgifted yrith'some miraculous in*a"c;flnpnc* dyer.liim:'; and 1 what would he think o«r.fine.captain, remarking th'ere v jn ,the «-&ijaring 'of all ia the saloon, " nlind, we^MH.'be aj. in ■-' ■"■■ before morning.?." .-, How yrould "A Fluke" feel passing the "■'" line on a dark night vhen the winds were howhngV'knowing there were no: lights out, ~ , and not an officer sober on board, no watch "kept, and nearly all passengers and crew of a 1,550 totf ship intoxicated ? How would !TQ.,' he feel when that captain allowed a cabin 771 V. Jjass^ng 6 * to behave himself in the saloon when drunk and before 1 -ladies in such a manner, as', would not for a moment, be. -'• ' JtolSrated on shore but in the lowest hovel of i _*/<v>thS laid-jiand once mpie. I ask bin£ after :* orj 'jessing'tbiough sueh a time and expos'tu- ''-' "' a explain,, how would he <'-"■ liKeto'walk the poop, wiihhim on a dark night ? For my part I confess I did not and was frequently warned not. to do'so, for fear, „ of falling overboard. s*t: i v j 3*Q£.'ip m ke-Vfiayß< that in no other port :Mt - ' goings on as he alluded'to have '..l"'. Ibeexi 'passed 'over so, lightly. Let me tell •""liim:' that in one port he mentioned four magistrates in turn were tried to pee if this captain or passenger could not get* their desejrts, and also the Marine Board, but all in J i'.vain- i It: was but Pf theif jurisdiction, not being nnder ■ the ".Passengeri Act. In. plain and simple "truth, had it not i •' *° •felf** for. the> courage of 'the second

omcer, and trie steadiness,, .01 cne. crew, neither' ship,, passengers, nor. crew would haVfeT'lieeli afioat two weeks after leaving -"- saiLexqept with a •captain of something Ts known, ar)d ~ V who has a reputation to lose; and never sail tradjeiv . Earthquakes, thunderstorms, tidal" wavjeS.;are to b, ' with the demon Drink as the master, ■ Vf.hich in eighty or ninety days, or may Anybody who would like to'ikeen,jclear of thegentleman spoken of jngy get the necessary information by >3 * mm^MMlmf 1 the^XAE f -IJHnr A' LOVBR OF THE SEA. > Jhuwdin, October 20,