Note 175 — CROSSING THE LINE.

Many readers may fancy this an exaggeration, and marvel that such a man should be accepted. The author recently left port on a large American ship bound on a long voyage, and next day it was discovered that there were four “able seamen” in the forecastle who knew no more of steering by compass than does an infant, and could not even name the yards and sails correctly. Like the rest of the crew, they had been signed and placed on board by a U.S. Shipping Commissioner, who had taken the usual precaution of first getting them drunk. The captain has the privilege of rejecting any incompetent seamen, but in this case the test questions were of no use because of the men being intoxicated. One of them looked quite intelligent, but next day when they became sober, their defects were discovered. It was then too late to get rid of them, and for several months the officers had to put up with stupidity and incapacity of the grossest character. Such cases are not rare, as shipping commissioners can usually mulct “greenhorns” of at least $10 as the price of getting them a ship.