to prepare the dinner, fetch the victuals, clean the utensils and
take the dinner of any absentee to the galley to keep warm. In
addition to these domestic duties, he has his work in the watch to
which he belongs.

The First West Indian Cruise

Refitting work was finished, and in the month of January 1890 we left
Bermuda for the West Indies. This was my first sea trip on the
'Emerald,' as I had joined her a few days prior to Christmas 1889. We
visited most of the islands in the Indies, and, on the whole, it was
an eventful cruise. It would be a transgression of space on my part
to enter into all the details of it, such as narrating occasions when
we were caught in sudden squalls and how our gallant ship acted
under stress of weather, though on one occasion a large cutter was
washed away from the davits. However, I will narrate in brief one or
two incidents. One night whilst lying at anchor off Dominica, the
searchlight was used by way of practice. It was directed toward
shore, and whilst traversing it from right to left, the beams of
light enveloped a negro on the beach, who stood bewildered,
transfixed. After a moment's hesitation he bounded away like a hare,
the rays of light still following him, caused by manoeuvring the
instrument on board. Breathless he halted, and then in a most
terrified manner he turned about and ran in the opposite direction.
For a minute the searchlight was not moved, and the man was in the
safety of darkness. Judge of his dismay when again the light was
played upon him, whilst he was resting from his rapid wanderings up
and down the beach. Needless to say, it had the same effect. Little
did the negro dream what fun he was causing amongst the bluejackets
on our forecastle. Really, it was a shame to torment him so.

At another island I went ashore with a party of seamen, and entered a
plantation, where we freely helped ourselves to bunches of bananas,
cocoanuts and other fruit. We were under the impression that fruit of
this kind was common property, even as blackberries are in this our
own land, and this explains the weight of our heavy burdens on our
return journey. But this impression was soon to be banished from our
mind, for presently we came in contact with a gentleman, who,
understanding whence we had come, put a price on all our fruit. The
burdens in consequence became considerably lightened. I had to
satisfy myself with a few cocoanuts which cost a penny each, and was
compelled to