Part 5 (1/2)
One of the most rollicking and joyous days the sailor had during a voyage was that on which his dead horse expired; that is, when his month's advance was worked out. If he took a month's advance, he always considered that he had worked that month for nothing: and, literally, he had done so, as the money given to him in advance usually went towards paying a debt or having a spree; so it was fitting, considering these circ.u.mstances, that special recognition should be made of the arrival of such a period. An improvised horse was therefore constructed, and a block with a rope rove through it was hooked on to the main yardarm.
The horse was bent on, and the ceremony commenced by leading the rope to the winch or capstan, and the song ent.i.tled ”The Dead Horse” was sung with great gusto. The funeral procession as a rule was spun out a long time, and when the horse was allowed to arrive at the yard arm the rope was slipped and he fell into the sea amid much hilarity! The verse which announces his death was as follows:--
”They say my horse is dead and gone;-- And they say so, and they say so!
They say my horse is dead and gone;-- Oh, poor old man!”
The verse which extinguishes him by dropping him into the sea goes like this:--
”Then drop him to the depths of the sea;-- And they say so, and they say so!
Then drop him to the depths of the sea;-- Oh, poor old man!”
This finished the important event of the voyage; then began many pledges of thrift to be observed for evermore, which were never kept longer than the arrival at the next port, or at the longest until the arrival at a home port, when restraint was loosened. The same old habits were resumed, and the same old month's advance was required before sailing on another voyage.
The ”White Stocking Day” was as great an event ash.o.r.e as the Dead Horse day was at sea. The sailors' wives, mothers, or sweethearts always celebrated half-pay day by wearing white stockings and by carrying their skirts discreetly high enough so that it might be observed. This custom was carried out with rigid regularity, and the partic.i.p.ators were the objects of sympathetic attraction. Poor things, there is no telling what it cost them in anxiety to keep it up. Their half-pay would not exceed thirty s.h.i.+llings per month, and they had much to do with it, besides providing white stockings and a suitable rig to grace the occasion.
”We're homeward bound and I hear the sound,” was the favourite song when heaving up the anchor preparatory to pointing homeward. This chanty has a silken, melancholy, and somewhat soft breeziness about it, and when it was well sung its flow went fluttering over the harbour, which re-echoed the joyous tidings until soloist and choristers alike became entranced by the power of their own performances; and the mult.i.tudes who on these occasions came to listen did not escape the rapture of the fleeting throbs of harmony which charged the atmosphere, and made you feel that you would like to live under such sensations for ever!
HOMEWARD BOUND (HEAVING THE ANCHOR)
Our anchor's a-weigh and our sails are well set;-- Goodbye, fare you well; goodbye, fare you well!
And the friends we are leaving we leave with regret;-- Hurrah! my boys, we're homeward bound!
We're homeward bound, and I hear the sound;-- Goodbye, fare you well; goodbye, fare you well!
Come, heave on the cable and make it spin round!-- Hurrah! my boys, we're homeward bound!
Oh let ourselves go, and heave long and strong;-- Goodbye, fare you well; goodbye, fare you well!
Sing then the chorus for 'tis a good song;-- Hurrah! my boys, we're homeward bound!
We're homeward bound you've heard me say;-- Goodbye, fare you well; goodbye, fare you well!
Hook on the cat-fall, and then run away!
Hurrah! my boys, we're homeward bound!
After a long, dreary pilgrimage of trackless oceans, the last chant had to be sung as their vessel was being warped through the docks to her discharging berth; and now all their grievances, joys, and sorrows were poured forth in ”Leave her, Johnnie, leave her!” It was their last chance of publicly announcing approval or disapproval of their s.h.i.+p, their captain, and their treatment. Here is a sample of it:--
”I thought I heard the skipper say, 'Leave her, Johnnie, leave her!
To-morrow you will get your pay, Leave her, Johnnie, leave her!'
The work was hard, the voyage was long;-- Leave her, Johnnie, leave her!
The seas were high, the gales were strong;-- It's time for us to leave her!
The food was bad, the wages low;-- Leave her, Johnnie, leave her!
But now ash.o.r.e again we'll go;-- It's time for us to leave her!
The sails are furled, our work is done!
Leave her, Johnnie, leave her!
And now on sh.o.r.e we'll have our fun!