The second mate's is proverbially a dog's berth. He is neither
officer nor man. The men do not respect him as an officer, and he is
obliged to go aloft to reef and furl the topsails, and to put his
hands into the tar and slush, with the rest. The crew call him the
"sailors' waiter," as he has to furnish them with spun-yarn, marline,
and all other stuffs that they need in their work, and has charge of
the boatswain's locker, which includes serving-boards,
marline-spikes, etc., etc. He is expected by the captain to maintain
his dignity and to enforce obedience, and still is kept at a great
distance from the mate, and obliged to work with the crew. He is one
to whom little is given and of whom much is required. His wages are
usually double those of a common sailor, and he eats and sleeps in the
cabin; but he is obliged to be on deck nearly all his time, and eats
at the second table, that is, makes a meal out of what the captain and
chief mate leave.
The steward is the captain's servant, and has charge of the
pantry, from which every one, even the mate himself, is excluded.
These distinctions usually find him an enemy in the mate, who does not
like to have any one on board who is not entirely under his control;
the crew do not consider him as one of their number, so he is left
to the mercy of the captain.
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