Mistah Jones,
finding I did not presume upon his condescension, gradually
unbent and furnished me with many interesting facts about the
officers. Captain Slocum, he said, was "de debbil hisself, so
jess yew keeps yer lamps trim' fer him, sonny, taint helthy ter
rile him." The first officer, or the mate as he is always called
PAR EXCELLENCE, was an older man than the captain, but a good
seaman, a good whaleman, and a gentleman. Which combination I
found to be a fact, although hard to believe possible at the
time. The second mate was a Portuguese about forty years of
age, with a face like one of Vandyke's cavaliers, but as I now
learned, a perfect fiend when angered. He also was a first-
class whaleman, but an indifferent seaman. The third mate was
nothing much but bad temper--not much sailor, nor much whaler,
generally in hot water with the skipper, who hated him because
he was an "owner's man." "An de fourf mate," wound up the
narrator, straightening his huge bulk, "am de bes' man in de
ship, and de bigges'. Dey aint no whalemen in Noo Bedford
caynt teach ME nuffin, en ef it comes ter man-handlin'; w'y I
jes' pick 'em two't a time 'n crack 'em togerrer like so, see!"
and he smote the palms of his great paws against each other,
while I nodded complete assent.
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