THE MEN
OF THE
MERCHANT SERVICE
BEING
THE POLITY OF THE MERCANTILE MARINEFOR 'LONGSHORE READERS
BY
FRANK T. BULLEN, F.R.G.S.
AUTHOR OF "THE CRUISE OF THE 'CACHALOT,'" "THE LOG OF A SEA-WAIF,
"IDYLLS OF THE SEA," ETC.
LONDON
SMITH, ELDER & CO., 15, WATERLOO PLACE
1900
(All rights reserved)
PRINTED BY
WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED,
LONDON AND BECCLES.
TO
RUDYARD KIPLING
IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF BOTH HIS
WONDERFUL GENIUS
AND HIS GREAT KINDNESS
TO
THE AUTHOR
PREFACE.
It has been repeatedly represented to me by disinterested friends,that among the innumerable works of both fact and fiction dealing withthe sea, there are none telling in a comprehensive way what are theconditions of life in the Merchant Service; in other words, that thereis no work to which a parent, yielding to his son's importunity tobe allowed to go to sea, and seeking to know something of the natureof things on board of a merchant ship in detail, can turn with theassurance that he may there find what he needs. Nor can the youthanxious to go to sea in the Merchant Service find any guidance whichwill at once be comprehensive and reliable compacted into one handyvolume. And as these same friends have done me the honour to suggestthat I have the qualifications necessary for producing such a work,I have, not at all unwillingly, acceded to their suggestions, andundertaken the task.
The recollection of many kindly criticisms on the preface to the "Logof a Sea-Waif," scolding me good-naturedly for what it has pleased themto term my exaggerated modesty, prevents me from sinning now in thatdirection. I will merely say that I have done my best to justify myfriends' confidence in me, and that I earnestly hope the book will notfall too far short of their expectations.
The planning of such a work seems to be comparatively easy. Thefirst thing that suggested itself was the setting forth, in a seriesof chapters, the duties, required qualifications, difficulties,privileges, etc., of the various members of a ship's company.
A doubt has naturally arisen in my mind as to how far it is justifiableto deal with sailing ships in these latter days. My own personalknowledge and predilections are on the side of the "wind-jammer," andconsequently I feel the less inclined to deal with her perfunctorily.I cannot, however, conceal from myself the fact that the passing ofthe sailing ship is being greatly accelerated of late years, andthat in all probability another twenty years will witness her finaldisappearance. On the other hand, I should not be at all surprisedto see a sudden recrudescence of sailing ship building. Consideringthe sailing ship's economy, her vast carrying capacity, the fact thather very slowness as compared with the steamer is actually no meanadvantage in a great number of instances, viz. to quote one, wheregoods are bought in a low market and are not required by the buyerfor some months, so that their shipment by a sailer actually saveswarehouse charges as well as freight—I cannot understand why thesailer should be suffered to disappear. Nevertheless, as engineeringscience advances, economies will doubtless be found possible insteamships which will so greatly lessen their expenses as to make thecompetition of sailers out of the question. The opening of a PanamaCa