As Soon As Supper Was Over And The Kids
Cleared Away, And Each One Had Taken His Smoke, We Seated
Ourselves
on our chests round the lamp, which swung from a beam, and each one
went to work in his
Own way, some making hats, others trowsers,
others jackets, etc., etc.; and no one was idle. The boys who
could not sew well enough to make their own clothes, laid up grass
into sinnet for the men, who sewed for them in return. Several of
us clubbed together and bought a large piece of twilled cotton,
which we made into trowsers and jackets, and giving them several
coats of linseed oil, laid them by for Cape Horn. I also sewed
and covered a tarpaulin hat, thick and strong enough to sit down
upon, and made myself a complete suit of flannel under-clothing,
for bad weather. Those who had no south-wester caps, made them,
and several of the crew made themselves tarpaulin jackets and
trowsers, lined on the inside with flannel. Industry was the order
of the day, and every one did something for himself; for we knew
that as the season advanced, and we went further south, we should
have no evenings to work in.
Friday, December 25th. This day was Christmas; and as it rained
all day long, and there were no hides to take in, and nothing
especial to do, the captain gave us a holiday, (the first we had
had since leaving Boston,) and plum duff for dinner.
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