{"id":"01KG8AKYJNBVP8GPJK2ATGJ16X","cid":"bafkreifsk6ltzg63bga5z7hftsimah7dqaktzdeohgju4rbdbwvuyq7ft4","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":5346,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:14.838Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 1","source_file":"01KG89J1GP71YDJ60P8SRH97MF","start_line":5276,"text":"CHAPTER XXIX.\r\nREDBURN DEFERENTIALLY DISCOURSES CONCERNING THE PROSPECTS OF SAILORS\r\n\r\n\r\nThe ship remained in Prince’s Dock over six weeks; but as I do not mean\r\nto present a diary of my stay there, I shall here simply record the\r\ngeneral tenor of the life led by our crew during that interval; and\r\nwill then proceed to note down, at random, my own wanderings about\r\ntown, and impressions of things as they are recalled to me now, after\r\nthe lapse of so many years.\r\n\r\nBut first, I must mention that we saw little of the captain during our\r\nstay in the dock. Sometimes, cane in hand, he sauntered down of a\r\npleasant morning from the _Arms Hotel_, I believe it was, where he\r\nboarded; and after lounging about the ship, giving orders to his Prime\r\nMinister and Grand Vizier, the chief mate, he would saunter back to his\r\ndrawing-rooms.\r\n\r\nFrom the glimpse of a play-bill, which I detected peeping out of his\r\npocket, I inferred that he patronized the theaters; and from the flush\r\nof his cheeks, that he patronized the fine old Port wine, for which\r\nLiverpool is famous.\r\n\r\nOccasionally, however, he spent his nights on board; and mad,\r\nroystering nights they were, such as rare Ben Jonson would have\r\ndelighted in. For company over the cabin-table, he would have four or\r\nfive whiskered sea-captains, who kept the steward drawing corks and\r\nfilling glasses all the time. And once, the whole company were found\r\nunder the table at four o’clock in the morning, and were put to bed and\r\ntucked in by the two mates. Upon this occasion, I agreed with our\r\nwoolly Doctor of Divinity, the black cook, that they should have been\r\nashamed of themselves; but there is no shame in some sea-captains, who\r\nonly blush after the third bottle.\r\n\r\nDuring the many visits of Captain Riga to the ship, he always said\r\nsomething courteous to a gentlemanly, friendless custom-house officer,\r\nwho staid on board of us nearly all the time we lay in the dock.\r\n\r\nAnd weary days they must have been to this friendless custom-house\r\nofficer; trying to kill time in the cabin with a newspaper; and rapping\r\non the transom with his knuckles. He was kept on board to prevent\r\nsmuggling; but he used to smuggle himself ashore very often, when,\r\naccording to law, he should have been at his post on board ship. But no\r\nwonder; he seemed to be a man of fine feelings, altogether above his\r\nsituation; a most inglorious one, indeed; worse than driving geese to\r\nwater.\r\n\r\nAnd now, to proceed with the crew.\r\n\r\nAt daylight, all hands were called, and the decks were washed down;\r\nthen we had an hour to go ashore to breakfast; after which we worked at\r\nthe rigging, or picked oakum, or were set to some employment or other,\r\nnever mind how trivial, till twelve o’clock, when we went to dinner. At\r\nhalf-past nine we resumed work; and finally _knocked off_ at four\r\no’clock in the afternoon, unless something particular was in hand. And\r\nafter four o’clock, we could go where we pleased, and were not required\r\nto be on board again till next morning at daylight.\r\n\r\nAs we had nothing to do with the cargo, of course, our duties were\r\nlight enough; and the chief mate was often put to it to devise some\r\nemployment for us.\r\n\r\nWe had no watches to stand, a ship-keeper, hired from shore, relieving\r\nus from that; and all the while the men’s wages ran on, as at sea.\r\nSundays we had to ourselves.\r\n\r\nThus, it will be seen, that the life led by sailors of American ships\r\nin Liverpool, is an exceedingly easy one, and abounding in leisure.\r\nThey live ashore on the fat of the land; and after a little wholesome\r\nexercise in the morning, have the rest of the day to themselves.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 1"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJRM0AKT1HBDD19XJYXXB","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1GP71YDJ60P8SRH97MF","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKYJD18NPCQFDTZV3N75S","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:21.077Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:29.345Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}