p. 45

27

"Hearts of Oak" but merchant ships whether
Indiamen or others are often in difficulty as to
the choice of men for their crews and must often
take such as offer themselves, without a possibility
of ascertaining their characters, one or two of our
lot were flogged for theft, and I am happy to
say, flogging punishment in that ship, was only put in
force for the crime of theft.

As soon as Neptune had visited all his children
with those marks of fatherly affection, the procession
formed in order again, passed along the quarter deck
to the cuddy door where another glass of rum is
given to each man belonging to it and they then disperse.
The decks are cleaned up and the gun carriage restored
to its proper place, but at night the gun deck was
a regular scene of confusion, grog was plentyful and
many of them with their noviatiation still fresh in
their minds were pugnacious, and the consequence was
numerous fights and a goodly show of black eyes
the following morning.

In the "Asiatic Register" is an account of
a lawsuit occasioned by these sports, a gentleman
passenger to India on board an Indiaman told the
Captain he would not submit to the usual ceremony
on "crossing the Line" and demanded protection from
insult. The Captain said it was a custom and
he could not stop it.

"Very well" said the passenger, "I have paid
you for my cabin, I shall consider it as my house
no one shall enter it without my consent. I shall not
pay your crew their demand, not suffer them to intrude
upon my privacy on the day you think proper
to give them a license to act tyranical.

"As you please" was the Captain's reply.

On the following day Neptune hailed the ship
and the gentleman who had retired to his cabin