We lost all interest in the voyage;
cared nothing about the cargo, which we were only collecting for
others; began to patch our clothes; and felt as though we were fixed
beyond all hope of change.
In addition to, and perhaps partly as a consequence of, this state
of things, there was trouble brewing on board the vessel. Our mate (as
the first mate is always called, par excellence) was a worthy man;- a
more honest, upright, and kind-hearted man I never saw; but he was too
good for the mate of a merchantman. He was not the man to call a
sailor a "son of a b--h," and knock him down with a handspike. He
wanted the energy and spirit for such a voyage as ours, and for such a
captain. Captain T--- was a vigorous, energetic fellow. As sailors
say, "he hadn't a lazy bone in him." He was made of steel and
whalebone. He was a man to "toe the mark," and to make every one
else step up to it. During all the time that I was with him, I never
saw him sit down on deck. He was always active and driving; severe
in his discipline, and expected the same of his officers. The mate not
being enough of a driver for him, and being perhaps too easy with
the crew, he was dissatisfied with him, became suspicious that
discipline was getting relaxed, and began to interfere in
everything.
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