The merchant vessel : a sailor boy's voyages around the world . d the surveyors decide her to need repairs, the captain wouldhave been forced to make them. But in such cases the crewalways labor under a serious disadvantage. If the survey iscalled for by them, and it should be decided that no repairsare actually needed, the whole expense falls upon them, makinga far too heavy draft upon purses by no means plethoric. Andas a captains word and influence generally go pretty far with 132 THE MERCHANT VESSEL. the surveyors, all the chances are against the sailors. We there-lore chose rather to risk
The merchant vessel : a sailor boy's voyages around the world . d the surveyors decide her to need repairs, the captain wouldhave been forced to make them. But in such cases the crewalways labor under a serious disadvantage. If the survey iscalled for by them, and it should be decided that no repairsare actually needed, the whole expense falls upon them, makinga far too heavy draft upon purses by no means plethoric. Andas a captains word and influence generally go pretty far with 132 THE MERCHANT VESSEL. the surveyors, all the chances are against the sailors. We there-lore chose rather to risk another laborious passage than ventureto call a survey. We sailed from London on the second of March, and arrivedin Boston on the second of April, our voyage lasting just threemonths. I had seen sufficient of cold weather, had gratified adesire I had long entertained, to make, myself, the experienceof a winter trip across the Atlantic, and now firmly deter-mined that my future life at sea should be passed as much aspossible in warm weather. H W w w> o OC2. CHAPTER X. Ship for Calcutta—My new ship—Preparations for an India voyage—Sail fromBoston—Points of difference between Indiamen and other ships—Discipline— Work—Our crew—A character. REMAINING in Boston two weeks, I sailed in a large,comfortable ship, the Akbar, for Calcutta. The wages weretwelve dollars per month. We carried seventeen hands beforethe mast, with a carpenter and sail-maker in the steerage,besides chief, second, and third mates. We had a splendid ship—neat, clean, and plentifully sup-plied with stores of all kinds. Our forecastle, like those of mostIndiamen, was on deck—-what is called a topgallant-forecastle— airy, and tolerable roomy, although, for the matter of room,all the forward deck was before us, to eat, sleep, or play was understood that she was to be a watch-and-watch ship,and we expected to have a pleasant voyage — an expectationin which we were not disappointed. I
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