White Jacket | Page 7

proper phrase for whaling!
Topmates! has not this Tubbs here been but a misuser of good oak
planks, and a vile desecrator of the thrice holy sea? turning his ship, my
hearties! into a fat-kettle, and the ocean into a whale-pen? Begone! you
graceless, godless knave! pitch him over the top there, White-Jacket!"
But there was no necessity for my exertions. Poor Tubbs, astounded at
these fulminations, was already rapidly descending by the rigging.
This outburst on the part of my noble friend Jack made me shake all
over, spite of my padded surtout; and caused me to offer up devout
thanksgivings, that in no evil hour had I divulged the fact of having
myself served in a whaler; for having previously marked the prevailing
prejudice of men-of-war's men to that much- maligned class of
mariners, I had wisely held my peace concerning stove boats on the
coast of Japan.
He presides at the head of the Ward-room officers' table, who are so
called from their messing together in a part of the ship thus designated.
In a frigate it comprises the after part of the berth-deck. Sometimes it
goes by the name of the Gun-room, but oftener is called the Ward-room.
Within, this Ward-room much resembles a long, wide corridor in a
large hotel; numerous doors opening on both hands to the private
apartments of the officers. I never had a good interior look at it but
once; and then the Chaplain was seated at the table in the centre,
playing chess with the Lieutenant of Marines. It was mid-day, but the
place was lighted by lamps.
Besides the First Lieutenant, the Ward-room officers include the junior
lieutenants, in a frigate six or seven in number, the Sailing-master,
Purser, Chaplain, Surgeon, Marine officers, and Midshipmen's
Schoolmaster, or "the Professor." They generally form a very agreeable
club of good fellows; from their diversity of character, admirably
calculated to form an agreeable social whole. The Lieutenants discuss
sea-fights, and tell anecdotes of Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton; the
Marine officers talk of storming fortresses, and the siege of Gibraltar;
the Purser steadies this wild conversation by occasional allusions to the
rule of three; the Professor is always charged with a scholarly reflection,
or an apt line from the classics, generally Ovid; the Surgeon's stories of

the amputation-table judiciously serve to suggest the mortality of the
whole party as men; while the good chaplain stands ready at all times
to give them pious counsel and consolation.
Of course these gentlemen all associate on a footing of perfect social
equality.
Next in order come the Warrant or Forward officers, consisting of the
Boatswain, Gunner, Carpenter, and Sailmaker. Though these worthies
sport long coats and wear the anchor-button; yet, in the estimation of
the Ward-room officers, they are not, technically speaking, rated
gentlemen. The First Lieutenant, Chaplain, or Surgeon, for example,
would never dream of inviting them to dinner, In sea parlance, "they
come in at the hawse holes;" they have hard hands; and the carpenter
and sail-maker practically understand the duties which they are called
upon to superintend. They mess by themselves. Invariably four in
number, they never have need to play whist with a dummy.
In this part of the category now come the "reefers," otherwise
"middies" or midshipmen. These boys are sent to sea, for the purpose
of making commodores; and in order to become commodores, many of
them deem it indispensable forthwith to commence chewing tobacco,
drinking brandy and water, and swearing at the sailors. As they are only
placed on board a sea-going ship to go to school and learn the duty of a
Lieutenant; and until qualified to act as such, have few or no special
functions to attend to; they are little more, while midshipmen, than
supernumeraries on board. Hence, in a crowded frigate, they are so
everlastingly crossing the path of both men and officers, that in the
navy it has become a proverb, that a useless fellow is "_as much in the
way as a reefer _."
In a gale of wind, when all hands are called and the deck swarms with
men, the little "middies" running about distracted and having nothing
particular to do, make it up in vociferous swearing; exploding all about
under foot like torpedoes. Some of them are terrible little boys, cocking
their cups at alarming angles, and looking fierce as young roosters.
They are generally great consumers of Macassar oil and the Balm of
Columbia; they thirst and rage after whiskers; and sometimes, applying
their ointments, lay themselves out in the sun, to promote the fertility of
their chins.
As the only way to learn to command, is to learn to obey, the usage of a

ship of war is such that the midshipmen are constantly being ordered
about by the Lieutenants;