And It was an established custom of
the navy that the ship was not properly
paid off until the pennant was struck
by the cook. Thia operation he was ex
pected to perform as the last officer of
the ship, ar.d until he had done It no
officer could consider himself discharg
ed or at liberty to leave the port. Thin
rule held good though every seaman
had left the ship, and sometimes the
| cook himself, tn a fit of ahsentmlnded
ness, went off without carrying out the
task, and had to be routed out again
before the incensed officers could leave
for their homes. There will be seamen
i r!:vm today who Lave he-anl the phrase,
j * Every man to his station. and the
: cook to the foresheet,'’ and the lands
! man who bn* read Marryat win al
I ways connect the man of the ga»ey
! with the famous phrase, ‘Son of a sea
! cook.”
! In addition to the ship's cook, of
) course, there were, ns now, the mess
j cooks, men who were appointed hv the
i seamen themselves to be presidents of
; the messes for the week, and who had
] to receive the provisions for the mess
j from the purser at the daily Issuing of
i victuals and who liad to hand these on
i to the ship's cook in good time. As
1 compensation for his trouble the mess
I cook drew a cook's, or double, portion
of grog, and 1 e deserved it, for his du
ties were arduous and his critics se
vere.
