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Article PENCILLIJSTGS FEOM THE SKETCH-BOOK OF A ... ← Page 6 of 7 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Pencillijstgs Feom The Sketch-Book Of A ...
and how does the forrher , when manned with skilful and active seamen , seem to possess a nobility and dignity peculiar to herself ! How truly does she Walk the water like a thing of life , And seems to dare the elements to strife !"
But are our commercial vessels manned in these days , numerically speaking , as in the time I write of ? Has not the advance of science in its application to nautical matters been supposed erroneously to be a sufficient substitute for the old number of brawny arms once thought necessary when encountering the terrific hurricane ? Is it not too true , that in these days the cuddy servants even , in some cases have been without a knowledge of the sailor ' s duties , yet , to
save expense , borne on the ship ' s books as able seamen ? And if so , is it to be wondered at , that we should have lately had to read so many painful accounts of shipwrecks in the papers of the day , more especially since the auri sacra fames , the burning desire to obtain gold at all hazards in California and Australia has been the temptation to cupidity , and its infallible consequence , in such instances , a reckless disregard of the securities necessary for the protection of human life ?
Our crew were of the true caste , the genuine old British Tar , w ho from early discipline acquires a manly hardihood in his vocation unsurpassed by any ; but it seems quite a pity , as far as the picturesque is concerned , that with the march of intellect , the distinctive features of dress and style , and the old pigtail with which , in Dibdin ' s time , the jolly English sailor was in our minds so completely identified ,
should have given place to the more amphibious-looking character of the present age . Altered , however , in professional ability we may believe he is not . Alacrity , obedience , and heroism , are qualities which yet distinguish him . Those in the John were men of the right sort : at sea they were in their element . They were made of that stuff which , while it commanded the admiration of their
countrymen , was the envy and surprise of foreigners . To see the noble fellows steadily reefing before the approaching gale , and when in the roughest weather with outstretched arms they shortened sail , was enough to fill the beholder with entire confidence in their powers , and make him feel proud that such men were of his own nation . Our pilot , who was to conduct us through the Downs , was a humorous
old fellow , and a thorough Welch man : just the sort of man to tell a tale over a glass of grog , and smoke a pipe of tobacco in congenial company . He had a variety of droll stories at call , which to us youngsters afforded great fun and amusement , and , as 1 learnt , of many a ship ' s party had he in bis time been the life and soul . I
question whether in these days the common sailor is so superstitious as formerly , probably from being better educated , though , even yet , he objects to sail on alMday ; and in earlier times , his love of the marvellous and his credulity were proverbial . Our facetious pilot having brought us through the Downs , left us , in his little cutter for
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Pencillijstgs Feom The Sketch-Book Of A ...
and how does the forrher , when manned with skilful and active seamen , seem to possess a nobility and dignity peculiar to herself ! How truly does she Walk the water like a thing of life , And seems to dare the elements to strife !"
But are our commercial vessels manned in these days , numerically speaking , as in the time I write of ? Has not the advance of science in its application to nautical matters been supposed erroneously to be a sufficient substitute for the old number of brawny arms once thought necessary when encountering the terrific hurricane ? Is it not too true , that in these days the cuddy servants even , in some cases have been without a knowledge of the sailor ' s duties , yet , to
save expense , borne on the ship ' s books as able seamen ? And if so , is it to be wondered at , that we should have lately had to read so many painful accounts of shipwrecks in the papers of the day , more especially since the auri sacra fames , the burning desire to obtain gold at all hazards in California and Australia has been the temptation to cupidity , and its infallible consequence , in such instances , a reckless disregard of the securities necessary for the protection of human life ?
Our crew were of the true caste , the genuine old British Tar , w ho from early discipline acquires a manly hardihood in his vocation unsurpassed by any ; but it seems quite a pity , as far as the picturesque is concerned , that with the march of intellect , the distinctive features of dress and style , and the old pigtail with which , in Dibdin ' s time , the jolly English sailor was in our minds so completely identified ,
should have given place to the more amphibious-looking character of the present age . Altered , however , in professional ability we may believe he is not . Alacrity , obedience , and heroism , are qualities which yet distinguish him . Those in the John were men of the right sort : at sea they were in their element . They were made of that stuff which , while it commanded the admiration of their
countrymen , was the envy and surprise of foreigners . To see the noble fellows steadily reefing before the approaching gale , and when in the roughest weather with outstretched arms they shortened sail , was enough to fill the beholder with entire confidence in their powers , and make him feel proud that such men were of his own nation . Our pilot , who was to conduct us through the Downs , was a humorous
old fellow , and a thorough Welch man : just the sort of man to tell a tale over a glass of grog , and smoke a pipe of tobacco in congenial company . He had a variety of droll stories at call , which to us youngsters afforded great fun and amusement , and , as 1 learnt , of many a ship ' s party had he in bis time been the life and soul . I
question whether in these days the common sailor is so superstitious as formerly , probably from being better educated , though , even yet , he objects to sail on alMday ; and in earlier times , his love of the marvellous and his credulity were proverbial . Our facetious pilot having brought us through the Downs , left us , in his little cutter for