gave the captain more concern than the cabin-boy, who was in
the condition that makes one feel that all earthly joys
have passed away from you for evermore, and drowning would
be a happy relief from the agony of it. Needless to say, he
was soundly trounced for the misadventure; handy odds and
ends were thrown at him; he was reminded of his daring
promises on the eve of engagement, and an impassioned
oration was delivered on the curse of engaging "useless
rubbish who could not guide their stomachs when they got to
sea." His troubles had begun. The flow of curses, which he
now heard for the first time in his life, cut deeply into
his little soul, and made him long to be landed, so that he
might even wash doorsteps for a living rather than be
subjected to such coarse abuse. Ah, but there was worse to
come. This was merely a rude awakening. Could he have seen
into the series of hardships and cruelties that lay in front
of him, he might have deemed it better to close his
desolating troubles by allowing the waves which swept over
the vessel (as she was scudded along by the screaming wind)
to bear him overboard into the dark.

Home-sickness or sentimental sensations were soon made to
disappear by the busy life and rough, barbaric discipline
enforced. First-voyage impressions live long in the memory.
If they were not thrashed into permanent recollection, they
were bullied or tortured into it by revolting methods of
wrong which were recognised at that time in England to be
legal. To their shame be it said, but how often have I
heard men who had sprung from the masses and abject poverty,
and who had succeeded in getting into position (so far as