INSIDE THE SHIP
Meals were eaten on deck in good weather;
but cold and rain usually forced them to eat between-decks. Inside of the
boat was not at all like today's cruise ships. The vessel was
too be swept once a day and animal droppings thrown into the sea twice
a day. Between-decks were to be aired in good weather and vinegar
was used as a disinfectant when necessary. There was high humidity
in the boat, what with the people and livestock in there. This caused
condensation on the walls and beams. Water seeped into the hold and
became stagnant. This led to unsanitary conditions. The day after
a storm, the ship had to be aired out.
At night is was pitch black inside and
passengers and sailors had to move about stooped over. The portholes
were closed unless involved in a battle. Lanterns and candles were
not
permitted for fear of fire. The only place for “socializing”
was on the upper deck, but the weather often rendered that impossible.[Proulx,
p. 104]
A sailor’s hammock was a 3x6 foot piece of
canvas, suspended between beams by 2 or 4 (one at each corner) ropes.
The French called them “branles” or “swings” because they swayed with the
ship. One officer called them the “swinging graves”. There
was one hammock for every 2 seamen. They slept fully clothed, in
case of emergency. They also got a blanket. All hands slept
between the decks. They often had to stoop, since the decks weren’t
tall. On an 80 ton brigantine, the floor-ceiling distance was 3 1/2
ft. A 50 gun man of war had heights of only 5 ft. Passengers
might sleep in the gun room at the stern of the ship ... on bunks set up
in two or three tiers. The cots were corded with spun yarn and had
a mattress. If there were too many passengers, some would sleep
with the crew. A makeship partition of canvas or wood might be set
up for privacy. [Proulx, p. 101]
The passenger area was noisy, with the rudder
tiller passing through the gun room. It was dark and crowded.
There was no privacy to change clothes so many stayed in the same dirty
clothing. The movement of the ship would dismantle the cots and people
would be flung on top of one another.
The infirmary was forward in the between-decks,
and there were cots similar to the passenger area. Chief officers
and important passengers slept in rooms or cabins under the quarterdeck.
They had locks and paneling (to quieten noise). There was a wardroom;
a large chamber used for chief officer meetings and as a dining room, under
the quarterdeck. The kitchens were in the forecastle.
Live animals (such as pigs, sheep, chicken,
cattle; usually only transported by men of war) were put between-decks
in front of the sailmakers. Sometimes they were taken to be eaten;
and sometimes to establish livestock in the New World. [Proulx,
p. 102] Sometimes horses were transported. Animals
were sometimes tossed around so much that they died.
Most provisions (powder, vegetables, sea biscuits)
were stored in storerooms that were lined with plaster and hung with matting
to protect against moisture.
FOOD
A seaman’s rations were usually less than
he needed. More than half of the calories came from sea biscuits.
The biscuits were pure wheat, unmixed with bran. They were baked
4-6 weeks before. The flour used was not always the best. If
flour was questionable, it would be sold to use to make sea biscuits.
The biscuits (hard tack) was packed into sacks of 55-60 pounds each.
They were shaped like pancakes. Each was 14 ounces of dough cooked
till it was 8-9 ounces. Each man got 18 oz. (~2 biscuits) a day.
In port, everyone got fresh bread; on the voyage, only petty officers and
the sick got it. Each crew member got 3/4 pint of red wine which
was mixed with water to make 3 half-liter mugs of beverage. Most
of the wine was from the Bourdeaux region. Wine was consumed first,
because it didn’t keep well. Once a cask was opened, the wine would
turn to vinegar after a short while.
A sailor’s breakfast was wine and a biscuit.
In the French navy, bells and drums were used to signal the hours of rising,
meals, watches, and sleep. The day began at 7 with prayers then breakfast.
[Proulx,
p. 100] There was change in shift about 6 PM, and everyone
could eat. Under bad weather, when the cook couldn’t build a fire,
biscuits made up most of the daily menu. Petty officers got a sardine
and a little meat or cheese each morning. Lunch on “fish-days” (Wed.,
Fri., Sat.) was either rice, cod, cheese, or vegetables. Other days,
called “flesh-days”, the meal included salt beef or pork. Vegetables
and rice were cooked in the broth left over from the boiled meat or fish.
Fresh meat was only available while in port. Live animals aboard
ship for the table were for the captain’s table. The sick were allowed
to have chicken and mutton. The supper meal included a biscuit, wine,
and 4 ounces of vegetables (peas, broad beans, or kidney beans).
Rations for the sick also included eggs, fresh meat,
rice, butter, plums, and sugar. [Proulx, p. 106]
These meals really didn’t provide enough calories for the seamen.
The lack of “fuel” probably contributed to their deep sleep when they got
a chance to go to bed. The rations mentioned above were for seamen
on the king’s vessels. [Proulx, p. 108] Vitamin
deficiencies (like A and C) were common. [Proulx, p. 109]
A large cauldron was used to prepare the crew’s
meal. The cook had to soak the meat for a while to remove the salt.
The sailors gathered in groups of 7, and each group got a common grog-tub,
mess bowl, cup and plate. Each man did get a spoon to himself.
Now one could eat alone or at a non-meal time. There was no table,
so that ate seated on the decks ... sometimes on a pile of planks or a
chest. Dishes were never cleaned well, and they were wrapped with
a greasy rag to stop them from tipping over. Utensils for the captain’s
table were much more involved ... with plates, cauldrons, pots, pans, silverware,
even pastry molds. [Proulx, p. 111]
ILLNESS
The most common disease was scurvy.
They thought at that time that it was due to a steady diet of salted foods.
To get better, a diet of fresh meat and vegetables was suggested.
Although the effects showed after 4-5 months at sea. Though the crossing
didn’t take that long, if a sailor didn’t get vitamin C in port, ...
Fever was also bad ... common, hot, malignant, or purple. Sometimes
it became epidemic and fatal. Though VIPs and officers had a better
diet, illness struck them too. [Proulx, p. 112]
Smallpox was a deadly threat and could kill
in a day. Food poisoning, though not as fatal, was also occuring.
Infections and lice were two other problems. Working in wet,
dirty clothes led to chills, fevers, and the spread of disease. Sickness
was felt in that it reduced the crew numbers. [Proulx, p.
113]
Perhaps 1/2 the vessels had surgeons.
Blood letting was a common “cure.” Surgeons
kept a variety of medicines (stimulants, narcotics, liniments, purgatives,
and gargles) and knew how to dress wounds. Some had medical books
with them. One sailor’s “home remedy” for fever prevention was to
drink some brandy with garlic in it ... in one gulp (but this smelled).
[Proulx,
p. 115-16]
RELIGION
A navy ordinance in 1681 stated a chaplain
be on board the king’s vessels; but the church couldn’t provide all captains
with a chaplain. [Proulx, p. 117] Even
though a chaplain might not be on board, morning and evening prayers (and
a refrain from swearing) were encouraged. When danger threatened,
religious beliefs shone through. Sometimes a vow was made if things
got really rough. On king’s vessels, the chaplain said mass and recited
the Angelus before meals. On Sundays and feast days, attendance at
mass and vespers was mandatory for the crew ... even those at their post
listened in. [Proulx, p. 118] Religious
services took place on the deck, so all could participate ... even soldiers
at their station. Those who didn’t attend services
were given 6 lashes. Funerals are rarely mentioned. The funerals
went fairly quickly, as the body was thrown in the sea. [Proulx,
p. 121]
DISCIPLINE
Desertions occured, especially when a man
got advance pay. [Proulx, p. 123] With
the 1681 naval law, sailors who jumped ship during fitting out had to make
the voyage without pay. Those who deserted in route were flogged.
Before 1689, deserters from the king’s vessels were executed; after that
they were condemned to the galleys for life. Some captains gave deserters
a ducking with a hoist attached to the end of a yard. A dry ducking
was when the fall was stopped before he hit the water. Sometimes a keel
hauling was done. The executor would drag the person under the boat
from one side to the other across the keel. Getting knocked out and
drowning was a certain possibility. Theft wasn’t really a problem
... what was there to steal. But provisions were kept under lock
and key. Sailors’ revolts usually took the form of refusal to work.
[Proulx,
p. 124]
FREE TIME
Some of the French settlers to Acadia
may have been treated to a baptism at sea. The biggest ceremony at
sea was the mandatory baptismal ceremony for all vessels and people crossing
over the Grand Banks for the first time. The individual would have
to report to a crew member who was disguised to look as boorish as possible.
He then had to sit on a pole over a barrel full of water and make an offering
of money to the crew. If he didn’t offer the money, they’d let him
drop into the barrel or soot him (if the weahter was bad). The money
collected went to buying brandy for the crew. Passengers didn’t seem
to appreciate the ceremony. Missionaries saw it as a mockery of baptism
and didn’t like it.
Another pastime was that the crew might fire
a round from their muskets at an ice floe. A feast day (such as Saint
Louis’ Day - Aug 25) meant a few cannon shots and a meal at the captain’s
table. [Proulx, p. 127] Officers might
listen to music, and some even played an instrument (ie.
harpsichord, bass, etc.). Sailors could also smoke a pipe, dance
on the quarterdeck, and sing. If they played cards, chess, or dice,
they couldn’t play for money. [Proulx, p. 128] |
Copyright © 1998 Tim Hebert