{"id":"01KG8AKT6027EHP0VV0N6DSX39","cid":"bafkreibyg6d3yzdxmlhjhg6wi52hnz5qcwig5ixf32nlhcr2rmnq6tcxae","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":1760,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:15.149Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 2","source_file":"01KG89J1H7Y803CZ7X80F0QFHZ","start_line":1682,"text":"Flash Jack, with his knife, often dug into the dank, rotten planks\r\nribbed between us and death, and flung away the splinters with some sea\r\njoke.\r\n\r\nAs to the remaining invalids, they were hardly ill enough to occasion\r\nany serious apprehension, at least for the present, in the breasts of\r\nsuch thoughtless beings as themselves. And even those who suffered the\r\nmost, studiously refrained from any expression of pain.\r\n\r\nThe truth is, that among sailors as a class, sickness at sea is so\r\nheartily detested, and the sick so little cared for, that the greatest\r\ninvalid generally strives to mask his sufferings. He has given no\r\nsympathy to others, and he expects none in return. Their conduct, in\r\nthis respect, so opposed to their generous-hearted behaviour ashore,\r\npainfully affects the landsman on his first intercourse with them as a\r\nsailor.\r\n\r\nSometimes, but seldom, our invalids inveighed against their being kept\r\nat sea, where they could be of no service, when they ought to be ashore\r\nand in the way of recovery. But—“Oh! cheer up—cheer up, my\r\nhearties!”—the mate would say. And after this fashion he put a stop to\r\ntheir murmurings.\r\n\r\nBut there was one circumstance, to which heretofore I have but barely\r\nalluded, that tended more than anything else to reconcile many to their\r\nsituation. This was the receiving regularly, twice every day, a certain\r\nportion of Pisco, which was served out at the capstan, by the steward,\r\nin little tin measures called “tots.”\r\n\r\nThe lively affection seamen have for strong drink is well known; but in\r\nthe South Seas, where it is so seldom to be had, a thoroughbred sailor\r\ndeems scarcely any price too dear which will purchase his darling\r\n“tot.” Nowadays, American whalemen in the Pacific never think of\r\ncarrying spirits as a ration; and aboard of most of them, it is never\r\nserved out even in times of the greatest hardships. All Sydney\r\nwhalemen, however, still cling to the old custom, and carry it as a\r\npart of the regular supplies for the voyage.\r\n\r\nIn port, the allowance of Pisco was suspended; with a view,\r\nundoubtedly, of heightening the attractions of being out of sight of\r\nland.\r\n\r\nNow, owing to the absence of proper discipline, our sick, in addition\r\nto what they took medicinally, often came in for their respective\r\n“tots” convivially; and, added to all this, the evening of the last day\r\nof the week was always celebrated by what is styled on board of English\r\nvessels “The Saturday-night bottles.” Two of these were sent down into\r\nthe forecastle, just after dark; one for the starboard watch, and the\r\nother for the larboard.\r\n\r\nBy prescription, the oldest seaman in each claims the treat as his,\r\nand, accordingly, pours out the good cheer and passes it round like a\r\nlord doing the honours of his table. But the Saturday-night bottles\r\nwere not all. The carpenter and cooper, in sea parlance, Chips and\r\nBungs, who were the “Cods,” or leaders of the forecastle, in some way\r\nor other, managed to obtain an extra supply, which perpetually kept\r\nthem in fine after-dinner spirits, and, moreover, disposed them to look\r\nfavourably upon a state of affairs like the present.\r\n\r\nBut where were the sperm whales all this time? In good sooth, it made\r\nlittle matter where they were, since we were in no condition to capture\r\nthem. About this time, indeed, the men came down from the mast-heads,\r\nwhere, until now, they had kept up the form of relieving each other\r\nevery two hours. They swore they would go there no more. Upon this, the\r\nmate carelessly observed that they would soon be where look-outs were\r\nentirely unnecessary, the whales he had in his eye (though Flash Jack\r\nsaid they were all in his) being so tame that they made a practice of\r\ncoming round ships, and scratching their backs against them.\r\n\r\nThus went the world of waters with us, some four weeks or more after\r\nleaving Hannamanoo.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nCHAPTER XIII.\r\nOUR DESTINATION CHANGED\r\n\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 2"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJH07MQM35VETZATZ3R3G","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1H7Y803CZ7X80F0QFHZ","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKT6009X9MH373BFH0PJS","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AKT6AXGVTBMFEZ3WNFY8Y","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:16.576Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:24.492Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}