d
the paymaster with his staff, began the work of payment. On the
seaman's name being called, he stepped toward the pay-table and gave
his number on the ship's book; then receiving the money due to him
walked out of the gangway. It was now my turn, and although some of
the men received from sixty to eighty, and one a hundred pounds,
mine was the modest sum of three shillings and sixpence, despite the
fact that I had been receiving eightpence a day in addition to most
of them--five pence as the organist, and threepence for being a
flute-player.

How do I account for the contrast? In this way. Some men did the
washing of others, charging threepence per piece, and a shilling for
scrubbing a hammock, and others owned a sewing-machine with which in
spare time they made uniform suits. Washing and sewing men were bent
upon having a good pay-day. These two classes of men would seldom buy
any article from the canteen. I should not say they were niggardly or
selfish--their course probably was governed by self-denial, or it may
be that their future marriage day was the solution of their conduct.
As for myself, I never could eat with relish any service food,
consequently most of my wages was spent in canteen food, and the
remainder on shore. Therefore on paying-off day I received my few
shillings as contentedly as those did who were the recipients of many
pounds, for I had utilised my money in one way, and they were about
to do so in another. That is all.

Little groups of men gathered on the wharf to wish each other
'good-bye,' as it was not likely they would ever meet again. I often
think of Collins, who belonged to the same section of the starboard
watch as I. He was a very witty fellow. He was asked one day where
his messmate Jack Frost was? In reply he answered, "He is on the
fore-yard shooting sparrows for the sick." This was amusing,
considering at the time we were in a heavy gale far out at sea. On
another occasion a civilian at Halifax asked him, "What do you
sailors get to eat at sea?" "We live on wind and chew daylight," was
his answer.

When outside the dockyard gates I made off to a restaurant for
refreshment, and then caught the train for Devonport, reaching it at
8 p.m. My father and a friend were on the platform to meet me. We
took a cab to the quay, from which a waterman rowed us across the
harbour. Then a journey of another three miles in a carriage, and I
was at home, sweet home. My mother and sisters, who h