{"id":"01KG8AMFF1QF74RWWJXV2TWK0Q","cid":"bafkreic5hlwdcttp3tjkzsxi4x3ix4pynqruwq7jj25qkgfdpr6g66e5ny","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":8579,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:36.274Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 1","source_file":"01KG89J19NC56FFGBCM2SWEZZY","start_line":8519,"text":"CHAPTER LIII.\r\nSEAFARING PERSONS PECULIARLY SUBJECT TO BEING UNDER THE WEATHER.—THE\r\nEFFECTS OF THIS UPON A MAN-OF-WAR CAPTAIN.\r\n\r\n\r\nIt has been said that some midshipmen, in certain cases, are guilty of\r\nspiteful practices against the man-of-war’s-man. But as these\r\nmidshipmen are presumed to have received the liberal and lofty breeding\r\nof gentlemen, it would seem all but incredible that any of their corps\r\ncould descend to the paltriness of cherishing personal malice against\r\nso conventionally degraded a being as a sailor. So, indeed, it would\r\nseem. But when all the circumstances are considered, it will not appear\r\nextraordinary that some of them should thus cast discredit upon the\r\nwarrants they wear. Title, and rank, and wealth, and education cannot\r\nunmake human nature; the same in cabin-boy and commodore, its only\r\ndifferences lie in the different modes of development.\r\n\r\nAt sea, a frigate houses and homes five hundred mortals in a space so\r\ncontracted that they can hardly so much as move but they touch. Cut off\r\nfrom all those outward passing things which ashore employ the eyes,\r\ntongues, and thoughts of landsmen, the inmates of a frigate are thrown\r\nupon themselves and each other, and all their ponderings are\r\nintrospective. A morbidness of mind is often the consequence,\r\nespecially upon long voyages, accompanied by foul weather, calms, or\r\nhead-winds. Nor does this exempt from its evil influence any rank on\r\nboard. Indeed, high station only ministers to it the more, since the\r\nhigher the rank in a man-of-war, the less companionship.\r\n\r\nIt is an odious, unthankful, repugnant thing to dwell upon a subject\r\nlike this; nevertheless, be it said, that, through these jaundiced\r\ninfluences, even the captain of a frigate is, in some cases, indirectly\r\ninduced to the infliction of corporal punishment upon a seaman. Never\r\nsail under a navy captain whom you suspect of being dyspeptic, or\r\nconstitutionally prone to hypochondria.\r\n\r\nThe manifestation of these things is sometimes remarkable. In the\r\nearlier part of the cruise, while making a long, tedious run from\r\nMazatlan to Callao on the Main, baffled by light head winds and\r\nfrequent intermitting calms, when all hands were heartily wearied by\r\nthe torrid, monotonous sea, a good-natured fore-top-man, by the name of\r\nCandy—quite a character in his way—standing in the waist among a crowd\r\nof seamen, touched me, and said, “D’ye see the old man there,\r\nWhite-Jacket, walking the poop? Well, don’t he look as if he wanted to\r\nflog someone? Look at him once.”\r\n\r\nBut to me, at least, no such indications were visible in the deportment\r\nof the Captain, though his thrashing the arm-chest with the slack of\r\nthe spanker-out-haul looked a little suspicious. But any one might have\r\nbeen doing that to pass away a calm.\r\n\r\n“Depend on it,” said the top-man, “he must somehow have thought I was\r\nmaking sport of _him_ a while ago, when I was only taking off old\r\nPriming, the gunner’s mate. Just look at him once, White-Jacket, while\r\nI make believe coil this here rope; if there arn’t a dozen in that ’ere\r\nCaptain’s top-lights, my name is _horse-marine_. If I could only touch\r\nmy tile to him now, and take my Bible oath on it, that I was only\r\ntaking off Priming, and not _him_, he wouldn’t have such hard thoughts\r\nof me. But that can’t be done; he’d think I meant to insult him. Well,\r\nit can’t be helped; I suppose I must look out for a baker’s dozen afore\r\nlong.”\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 1"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJSTQQXR5SQ03FTTZR1W1","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J19NC56FFGBCM2SWEZZY","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AMFF1M48NPZZMRHFJDAX8","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:38.369Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:49.982Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}