Zealand

32. Cabin Boy

When Captain and I had finished sipping our tae, he pointed at the pantry. "Take yourself some bread and ham, lad – and an apple. I must be away to speak with Mister Gilbert about officers and crew, and I will eat there."

"Speak with him about those on the Admiralty list, sir?"

"Aye, lad. And also from his experience – those he knows from his Navy days and from his recent adventuring."

"Might I go with you?"

"You will find the talk wearisome."

"I do find it so at times, sir. But I must work at stopping my mind from wandering at each unknown word and learn to give my attention to the whole sense.[1] Accompanying you will give me opportunity for that, and if I am to be useful to you aboard, I must know all about the ship and the crew."

Captain chuckled. "Well spoken, lad, but knowing all of these things is the province[2] of a captain, not of a cabin boy."

"But if I am to become a captain one day, I must take every opportunity to learn."

"Indeed, and I must not deny such eagerness." He nodded toward the hearth doors. "Make the fire safe, lad, and we shall away."

A short while later, as we walked along the road beside the dike, Captain said, "Frederick – Mister Gilbert and I had only begun to examine the list when I was informed of your trouble and delay. I told him we would resume in an hour at the Globe[3], that we might dine while we talk."

"We are early, then."

"Aye, because of your fast count. We shall go first to Zealand to see what work has commenced. Then aft to the great cabin to inventory the charts and navigation instruments, that we know what additional is needed."

"Inventory, sir?"

"To inventory is to count items and make a list. The list is called an inventory, and it gives us a measure of what we have, and more importantly, it assists us to determine what we lack. Remember, once we are at sea, we have no means to resupply."

"Except from plunder."

Captain laughed. "Indeed, lad. But that is too unpredictable. We must carry all our needs with us. To know what additional is required, we must first know what we have, and thus the need to compile an inventory."

"Is that part of my duty?"

"Nay, lad. Nay, that is done by those in charge of each division."

"Division, sir?"

"Parts of the ship's crew, lad – the deck, the carpentry, the gunnery, the cookery,[4] and so forth. Mates in each division account for their stores and report them to me."

"Then, what is my duty?"

"To maintain the great cabin clean and proper, to launder clothing, bedding and table linens, and to serve my meals."

"As I do at home, sir."

"Aye, lad, and superbly so. But aboard, rather than preparing and cooking, you will fetch the meals from the cookery."

I pondered all this in silence as we walked, then I asked, "How many will the crew number, sir?"

"If all are experienced and competent, then eighty should do. If one-fourth of them require training, then a hundred."

"So, two still learning is the same as one experienced."

"Indeed! Your speedy facility with numbers continues to impress me, lad."

"This pleases me, sir." I paused to contemplate, then continued, "So, we will need another cabin boy."

Captain shook his head. "Nay, lad. You are already fully experienced and competent."

"But you had said we sail without pause, so who does my duties at night while I sleep?"

"Your duties can be easily accomplished during the day – only a portion of the day. The remainder of the time is yours to allow you to observe and to learn."

"And who captains while you sleep?"

"I do. A captain's duty is unending."

"But you need to sleep. What then? Who steers the ship?"

Captain roared a laugh. "I see from whence comes your confusion, lad. It is far different from sailing a barge, such as Bessy. A ship is steered by a helmsman, and he does so as bid by the watch officer who controls the ship according to the captain's wishes."

"Oh! And what happens when they sleep?"

"The crew is divided into three watches, each of four hours, and they stand duty in rotation. One active at their stations, and two resting but forever ready if needed."

"Aha! And you are forever ready if needed."

"Aye, lad. I entrust the sailing and safety of the ship to the watch officers, and they call me when the conditions or situation cause them doubt."

I nodded in understanding. "For you to resolve their doubt and make decisions."

"Exactly, lad." Captain paused and pursed his lips. "But I should begin calling you Boy. That is the traditional title of a cabin boy."

Notes:
[1] The awkward phrasing is because concentrate didn't acquire the meaning of mental focus until the 1860s, and focus didn't mean this until 1807.
[2] The word responsibility didn't enter the language until the late 1700s. Province, meaning one's particular business or expertise, is from the 1620s.
[3] The Globe was an inn near the Deptford dockyards, and Pepys mentions it seven times in his diary, always involving what we now call a business lunch.
[4] The use of the word galley as a shipboard kitchen didn't evolve until 1750.