Afloat and Ashore | Page 5

then, when everything else had been packed and repacked a dozen
times or so by mother's loving hands in the big, white-painted sea-chest
that had come down from London--which had my name printed on the
outside in big capital letters that almost made me blush, and with such a
jolly little washhand-basin and things for dressing on the top of it just
inside the lid--the stupid outfitters delayed sending my blue uniform to
try on in time; and it was only on the very day before I had to start that

it was finished and sent home, for mother and Nellie to see how I
looked in it, as I wished them to do, feeling no small pride when I put it
on.
Tom, too, got away from Oxford to spend this last day with me at home;
and, though he could hardly spare the time, mother believed, from his
studies, I think he was more interested in some forthcoming race in
which his college boat was engaged.
My last morning came round at length, and with it the final parting with
mother and all at the rectory, which I left by myself. Father decided this
to be the wisest course; for, as I was, as he said, making my first start in
life, it was better to do so in a perfectly independent way, bidding the
dear home-folks good-bye at home.
My last recollection was of father's eyes fixed on mine with a loving
smile in them, and an expression of trust and hope which I determined
to deserve.
The long railway journey to town, which at any other time would have
been a rattle and whirr of delight and interest, seemed endlessly
monotonous to me, full of sad thoughts at parting with all I loved; and I
was glad enough when the train at length puffed and panted its way
into the terminus at London Bridge.
Thence, I took a cab, according to father's directions, to the offices of
the brokers in Leadenhall Street, handing them a letter which he had
given me to establish my identity.
In return, Messrs. Splice and Mainbrace, as represented by the junior
partner of the firm, similarly handed me over to the tender mercies of
one of the younger clerks of the establishment, by whom I was escorted
through a lot of narrow lanes and dirty streets, down Wapping way to
the docks; the young clerk ultimately, anxious not to miss his dinner,
stopping in front of a large ship.
"There you are, walk up that gangway," he said; and thereupon
instantly bolted off!

So, seeing nothing better to be done, I marched up the broad plank he
pointed out, somewhat nervously as there was nothing to hold on to,
and I should have fallen into the deep water of the dock had my foot
slipped, the vessel being a little way out from the wall of the wharf; and,
the next instant, jumping down on the deck, I found myself on board a
ship for the first time in my life.
CHAPTER TWO.
MY FRIEND THE BOATSWAIN.
I soon made the discovery on getting there, however, that I was neither
alone nor unobserved; for a man called out to me almost the same
instant that my feet touched the deck.
"Hullo, youngster!" he shouted.
"Do you mean me?" I asked him politely, as father bad trained me
always to address every one, no matter what their social condition
might be.
"An' is it manin' yez, I am?" retorted my interlocutor sharply. "Tare an'
'ouns, av coorse it is! Who ilse should I mane?"
The speaker was a stout, broad-shouldered, middle-aged man, clad in a
rough blue jersey as to the upper portion of his body, and wearing
below a rather dirty pair of canvas overalls drawn over his trousers,
which, being longer, projected at the bottom and overlapped his boots,
giving him an untidy look.
He was busy superintending a gang of dock labourers in their task of
hoisting up in the air a number of large crates and heavy deal packing-
cases from the jetty alongside, where they were piled up promiscuously
in a big heap of a thousand or so and more, and then, when the crane on
which these items of cargo were thus elevated had been swung round
until right over the open hatchway, giving entrance to the main-hold of
the ship, they were lowered down below as quickly as the tackle could
be eased off and the suspending chain rattle through the wheel-block

above. The clip-hooks were then unhitched and the chain run up and
the crane swung back again over the pile of goods on the jetty for
another load to be fastened on; and, so on, continually.
The man directing these operations, in turning to speak to