The Life of a Ship from the Launch to the Wreck | Page 4

he dried his eyes and began to
take great interest in the curious things he saw around him. What
surprised him most of all was, that although he actually was at sea, he
could not see the sea at all! This was because the sides of the ship,
which are called "bulwarks," were so high that they quite prevented the
little boy from seeing overboard. Davy soon found an opening in the
bulwarks, however, which his friend Ben called the "gang-way,"
through which he could see the water and the ships and boats that were
sailing there. And when he mounted the high part of the deck in front
of the ship, which is called the "forecastle," or when he went upon the
high deck at the stern of the ship, which is called the "poop," then he
could see all round. And what a wonderful and new sight it was to
Davy! His cottage was gone! The beach, and the pier where the nets
used to hang, were gone. The trees and fields were all gone, and there
was nothing but sea, sea, sea, all round, so that the Fair Nancy seemed
the only solid thing in the whole wide world! But poor Davy did not
look or wonder long at this, for the breeze freshened, and the waves
rose, and the ship plunged, and Davy felt very queer about the stomach!
There is a man in every ship called the "steward," and everybody loves
that man, because he goes about from morning till night trying to do
people good and to make them happy. He looks after breakfasts,
dinners, teas, and suppers. He answers every one who calls, and gets
for everybody anything that they want. He is never ill, never in a hurry,
never in a bad temper; in fact, he is a very charming man.
Now, when the steward saw Davy with a pale face, and red eyes, and
awfully seasick, he went up to him with a smile, and said, "Sick, my lad?

you'll soon get used to it. Always sick when you first go to sea. Come
below and I'll give you summat to do you good, and tumble you into
your hammock." By going below the good steward meant going below
the deck into the cabin. A ship is just like a large house, divided into a
number of rooms--some of which are sitting rooms, some store and
provision rooms, some kitchens and pantries, closets and cupboards;
and there are two or three flats in some ships, so that you can go up or
down stairs at your pleasure. When Davy went down the ladder or stair,
which is called the "companion," and followed the steward through
many rooms full of all kinds of things that seemed to be all in
confusion, and saw the sailors sitting, and smoking, and laughing, and
talking on chests and tables, he almost believed that he was in a house
on shore; but then he remembered that houses on shore don't dance
about and roll, first on one side and then on the other, and plunge
forwards and then backwards; so he sighed and put his hands to his
breast, which felt very uncomfortable.
"Here's your hammock," said the steward; "all the sailors sleep in these
things, and this one is yours." So saying, he lifted Davy from the
ground and tossed him into bed. The "hammock" is a long piece of
canvas drawn in round an iron ring at each end. To this ring a number
of cords are attached, and the hammock is slung by them to the beams
of the ship. In the bed thus formed the blankets are put; and a very snug
bed it is, as it swings about with the ship. Davy soon fell asleep, but he
was quickly wakened again by the horrible noises on deck. Ropes were
thrown about, men's feet were stamping, pieces of wood were falling,
doors were banging, masts were creaking, the wind was howling; in
short, Davy thought it must be a terrible storm and that they should all
be lost. But the steward said to him, in passing, "It's only a stiff breeze,
youngster;" so he turned round and went to sleep again. For two days
and two nights did Davy lie there--very sick! On the morning of the
third day he awoke much refreshed, and felt strongly inclined to eat his
blankets! As he lay wondering how he was to get down out of his
hammock without breaking his neck, he heard his friend Ben Block
conversing with a man in another hammock who had never been to sea
before and was very, very sick.

"Oh! dear me," sighed the sick man, "where are we now?"
"Don't know," answered Ben; "we've been drove pretty far