White Jacket | Page 6

Audacious was voted a bore by his shipmates.
And one hot afternoon, during a calm, when the fore-top Captain like
many others, was standing still and yawning on the spar-deck; Jack
Chase, his own countryman, came up to him, and pointing at his open
mouth, politely inquired, whether that was the way they caught flies in
Her Britannic Majesty's ship, the _Audacious?_ After that, we heard no
more of the craft.
Now, the tops of a frigate are quite spacious and cosy. They are railed
in behind so as to form a kind of balcony, very pleasant of a tropical
night. From twenty to thirty loungers may agreeably recline there,
cushioning themselves on old sails and jackets. We had rare times in
that top. We accounted ourselves the best seamen in the ship; and from
our airy perch, literally looked down upon the landlopers below,
sneaking about the deck, among the guns. In a large degree, we
nourished that feeling of "_esprit de corps_," always pervading, more
or less, the various sections of a man-of-war's crew. We main-top-men
were brothers, one and all, and we loaned ourselves to each other with
all the freedom in the world.
Nevertheless, I had not long been a member of this fraternity of fine
fellows, ere I discovered that Jack Chase, our captain was-- like all
prime favorites and oracles among men--a little bit of a dictator; not
peremptorily, or annoyingly so, but amusingly intent on egotistically
mending our manners and improving our taste, so that we might reflect
credit upon our tutor.
He made us all wear our hats at a particular angle--instructed us in the
tie of our neck-handkerchiefs; and protested against our wearing vulgar
dungeree trowsers; besides giving us lessons in seamanship; and
solemnly conjuring us, forever to eschew the company of any sailor we
suspected of having served in a whaler. Against all whalers, indeed, he
cherished the unmitigated detestation of a true man-of-war's man. Poor
Tubbs can testify to that.
Tubbs was in the After-Guard; a long, lank Vineyarder, eternally
talking of line-tubs, Nantucket, sperm oil, stove boats, and Japan.

Nothing could silence him; and his comparisons were ever invidious.
Now, with all his soul, Jack abominated this Tubbs. He said he was
vulgar, an upstart--Devil take him, he's been in a whaler. But like many
men, who have been where you haven't been; or seen what you haven't
seen; Tubbs, on account of his whaling experiences, absolutely affected
to look down upon Jack, even as Jack did upon him; and this it was that
so enraged our noble captain.
One night, with a peculiar meaning in his eye, he sent me down on
deck to invite Tubbs up aloft for a chat. Flattered by so marked an
honor--for we were somewhat fastidious, and did not extend such
invitations to every body--Tubb's quickly mounted the rigging, looking
rather abashed at finding himself in the august presence of the
assembled Quarter-Watch of main-top-men. Jack's courteous manner,
however, very soon relieved his embarrassment; but it is no use to be
courteous to some men in this world. Tubbs belonged to that category.
No sooner did the bumpkin feel himself at ease, than he launched out,
as usual, into tremendous laudations of whalemen; declaring that
whalemen alone deserved the name of sailors. Jack stood it some time;
but when Tubbs came down upon men-of-war, and particularly upon
main-top-men, his sense of propriety was so outraged, that he launched
into Tubbs like a forty-two pounder.
"Why, you limb of Nantucket! you train-oil man! you sea-tallow
strainer! you bobber after carrion! do you pretend to vilify a
man-of-war? Why, you lean rogue, you, a man-of-war is to whalemen,
as a metropolis to shire-towns, and sequestered hamlets. _Here's_ the
place for life and commotion; _here's_ the place to be gentlemanly and
jolly. And what did you know, you bumpkin! before you came on
board this _Andrew Miller?_ What knew you of gun-deck, or orlop,
mustering round the capstan, beating to quarters, and piping to dinner?
Did you ever roll to grog on board your greasy ballyhoo of blazes? Did
you ever winter at Mahon? Did you ever '_ lash and carry?_' Why, what
are even a merchant-seaman's sorry yarns of voyages to China after tea-
caddies, and voyages to the West Indies after sugar puncheons, and
voyages to the Shetlands after seal-skins--what are even these yarns,
you Tubbs you! to high life in a man-of-war? Why, you dead-eye! I
have sailed with lords and marquises for captains; and the King of the
Two Sicilies has passed me, as I here stood up at my gun. Bah! you are

full of the fore-peak and the forecastle; you are only familiar with
Burtons and Billy- tackles; your ambition never mounted above
pig-killing! which, in my poor opinion, is the