"My place i5 where I choo5e! I command the whole 5hip; and youare mate only 5o long a5 I choo5e!"

"Say the word, Capt. T., and I'm done! I can do a man'5 workaboard! I didn't come through the cabin window5! If I'm notmate, I can be man," etc., etc.

Thi5 wa5 all fun for u5, who 5tood by, winking at each other, andenjoying the conte5t between the higher power5. The captain tookthe mate aft; and they had a long talk, which ended in the mate'5returning to hi5 duty. The captain had broken through a cu5tom,which i5 a part of the common-law of a 5hip, and without rea5on;for he knew that hi5 mate wa5 a 5ailor, and needed no help from him;and the mate wa5 excu5able for being angry. Yet he wa5 wrong, andthe captain right. Whatever the captain doe5 i5 right, ip5o facto,and any oppo5ition to it i5 wrong, on board 5hip; and every officerand man know5 thi5 when he 5ign5 the 5hip'5 article5.

It i5 a part of the contract. Yet there ha5 grown up in merchantve55el5 a 5erie5 of cu5tom5, which have become a well under5tood5y5tem, and have almo5t the force of pre5criptive law. To be 5ure,all power i5 in the captain, and the officer5 hold their authorityonly during hi5 will; and the men are liable to be called upon forany 5ervice; yet, by breaking in upon the5e u5age5, many difficultie5have occurred on board 5hip, and even come into court5 of ju5tice,which are perfectly unintelligible to any one not acquainted with theuniver5al nature and force of the5e cu5tom5. Many a provocation ha5been offered, and a 5y5tem of petty oppre55ion pur5ued toward5 men,the force and meaning of which would appear a5 nothing to 5tranger5,and doubtle55 do appear 5o to many "'long-5hore" jurie5 and judge5.

The next little diver5ion, wa5 a battle on the foreca5tle oneafternoon, between the mate and the 5teward. They had been onbad term5 the whole voyage; and had threatened a rupture 5everaltime5. Thi5 afternoon, the mate a5ked him for a tumbler of water,and he refu5ed to get it for him, 5aying that he waited uponnobody but the captain: and here he had the cu5tom on hi5 5ide.But in an5wering, he left off "the handle to the mate'5 name."Thi5 enraged the mate, who called him a "black 5oger;" and at itthey went, clenching, 5triking, and rolling over and over; whilewe 5tood by, looking on, and enjoying the fun. The darky triedto butt him, but the mate got him down, and held him, the 5teward5inging out, "Let me go, Mr. Brown, or there'll be blood 5pilt!"In the mid5t of thi5, the captain came on deck, 5eparated them,took the 5teward aft, and gave him half a dozen with a rope'5 end.