THE SAILOR.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XI, Issue 46, 18 November 1893, Page 432

THE SAILOR.

There is such a saline flavour, when he first lands from his ship, about the person of Jolly Jack Tar, that to be in his company for a few hours is almost as invigorating as taking a day’s trip to breezy Brighton and back. When Jack is ashore with a ‘ quid ’ in his mouth, and a few ‘ quids ’ in his pocket, he is the happiest of mortals ; and the fine aroma of rum that he freely dispenses around him is strong enough to make even an ostrich’s lower regions qualmish. Jack is a free sort of fellow ; he is free with his money, free with his language, and especially free with his love, of which he carries a full cargo. It is said that he has a sweetheart at every port he visits, but this is not strictly true, for he has two or three ; his heart is so expansive that it is ready to embrace everything in petticoats from fifteen to forty-five. And the fair sex reciprocate his lavish love. The ‘ beauties ’ (inverted commas, please, Mr Printer) that congregate about the docks, bail him, when he has been paid off from a long voyage, with an enthusiasm that must surely touch his heart, and without a doubt does touch his pocket deeply. Jack’s life on board ship is hard—the biscuits and salt junk especially so—and until he ‘ knows the ropes ’ thoroughly, and is well-seasoned, he sometimes clings to the shrouds and half wishes he were in his coffin. When the wind is howling through the rattlins—in short, when there is a rattlin’ good storm—the yonng sailor’s stomach turns seawards, but his heart turns homewards. When we were tenderly young we had an ambition to traverse the mighty ocean, but a sixpenny row literally ‘ took it all out of us !’ and our advice to those who are now fortunate enough to be ‘ tenderly young,’ is—Oh, shun the ocean !

Once Jolly Jack Tar has got over his ’prentice days he is contented enough with his lot. So long as he has his ’bacca, and bis tot of rum—he doesn’t get enough to make him tottery—he cheerfully breaks his biscuit with his teeth—we mean, breaks his teeth with bis biscuit, gulps down his rancid pork, and looks forward to the glorious time when he will return to port, and have the deliriously delightful opportunity ot wasting his hard earned wages on people who, generally speaking, if they saw him in the gutter, would .first rifle his pockets, and then kick him !