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Sea life in Nelson's time

Chapter 8: FOOTNOTES:
By John Masefield
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History - British

About This Book

The work surveys naval life during the age of sail, opening with ship design, construction, materials, sheathing and rigging, then explaining armament and gun operation. It sketches the ship's internal layout deck by deck and profiles officers, warrant officials and ordinary seamen, describing duties, hierarchy, messes, clothing and provisions. Later chapters cover discipline and punishments, conduct in battle and daily routines at sea and in port, alongside crew songs, signals and customs. Illustrated technical notes and an appendix complement vivid accounts of shipboard work, sailing maneuvers, and the social atmosphere of life aboard men-of-war.

FOOTNOTES:

[16] It is hardly necessary to say that a captain was junior to a commodore, or senior captain, and to an admiral, or flag officer. The admiral commanded squadrons of ships; the commodore, detachments from those squadrons. The present work is of too narrow a scope to allow of any consideration of their respective duties. We must confine ourselves to an account of the usual officers aboard a ship of war. Those curious to learn about commodore and admiral will find plenty of information in Burney’s “Falconer,” and the various Naval Histories.

[17] The lieutenant had perhaps improved in manners since Edward Thompson’s time, when “a chaw of Tobacco, a ratan, and a rope of Oaths,” were counted sufficient qualifications for a lieutenancy. Still, as many lieutenants were mates pressed out of merchant ships, there were many in H.M. ships who encouraged the chief faults mentioned in this article.

[18]

“’Twas folly trying
To read i’ th’ Berth—for what with shying
Hats about—and playing flutes,
Backgammon—Boxing—Cleaning Boots,
And other such polite pursuits.
Skylarking—Eating—Singing—Swigging,
And Arguments about the Rigging,
‘This Mast how taut!’ ‘That sail how square’
All Study had been fruitless there.”
Thus Jack Mitford from his gravel pit in Battersea.