As the Purser's steward so conspicuously2 figured at the unsuccessful auction3 of my jacket, it reminds me of how important a personage that official is on board of all men-of-war. He is the right-hand man and confidential4 deputy and clerk of the Purser, who intrusts to him all his accounts with the crew, while, in most cases, he himself, snug5 and comfortable in his state-room, glances over a file of newspapers instead of overhauling6 his ledgers7.
Of all the non-combatants of a man-of-war, the Purser, perhaps, stands foremost in importance. Though he is but a member of the gun-room mess, yet usage seems to assign him a conventional station somewhat above that of his equals in navy rank—the Chaplain, Surgeon, and Professor. Moreover, he is frequently to be seen in close conversation with the Commodore, who, in the Neversink, was more than once known to be slightly jocular with our Purser. Upon several occasions, also, he was called into the Commodore's cabin, and remained closeted there for several minutes together. Nor do I remember that there ever happened a cabinet meeting of the ward-room barons8, the Lieutenants9, in the Commodore's cabin, but the Purser made one of the party. Doubtless the important fact of the Purser having under his charge all the financial affairs of a man-of-war, imparts to him the great importance he enjoys. Indeed, we find in every government—monarchies and republics alike—that the personage at the head of the finances invariably occupies a commanding position. Thus, in point of station, the Secretary of the Treasury11 of the United States is deemed superior to the other heads of departments. Also, in England, the real office held by the great Premier12 himself is—as every one knows—that of First Lord of the Treasury.
Now, under this high functionary13 of state, the official known as the Purser's Steward was head clerk of the frigate14's fiscal15 affairs. Upon the berth-deck he had a regular counting-room, full of ledgers, journals, and day-books. His desk was as much littered with papers as any Pearl Street merchant's, and much time was devoted16 to his accounts. For hours together you would see him, through the window of his subterranean17 office, writing by the light of his perpetual lamp.
Ex-officio, the Purser's Steward of most ships is a sort of postmaster, and his office the post-office. When the letter-bags for the squadron—almost as large as those of the United States mail—arrived on board the Neversink, it was the Purser's Steward that sat at his little window on the berth-deck and handed you your letter or paper—if any there were to your address. Some disappointed applicants18 among the sailors would offer to buy the epistles of their more fortunate shipmates, while yet the seal was unbroken—maintaining that the sole and confidential reading of a fond, long, domestic letter from any man's home, was far better than no letter at all.
In the vicinity of the office of the Purser's Steward are the principal store-rooms of the Purser, where large quantities of goods of every description are to be found. On board of those ships where goods are permitted to be served out to the crew for the purpose of selling them ashore19, to raise money, more business is transacted20 at the office of a Purser's Steward in one Liberty-day morning than all the dry goods shops in a considerable village would transact21 in a week.
Once a month, with undeviating regularity22, this official has his hands more than usually full. For, once a month, certain printed bills, called Mess-bills, are circulated among the crew, and whatever you may want from the Purser—be it tobacco, soap, duck, dungaree, needles, thread, knives, belts, calico, ribbon, pipes, paper, pens, hats, ink, shoes, socks, or whatever it may be—down it goes on the mess-bill, which, being the next day returned to the office of the Steward, the "slops," as they are called, are served out to the men and charged to their accounts.
Lucky is it for man-of-war's-men that the outrageous23 impositions to which, but a very few years ago, they were subjected from the abuses in this department of the service, and the unscrupulous cupidity24 of many of the pursers—lucky is it for them that now these things are in a great degree done away. The Pursers, instead of being at liberty to make almost what they pleased from the sale of their wares25, are now paid by regular stipends26 laid down by law.
Under the exploded system, the profits of some of these officers were almost incredible. In one cruise up the Mediterranean27, the Purser of an American line-of-battle ship was, on good authority, said to have cleared the sum of $50,000. Upon that he quitted the service, and retired28 into the country. Shortly after, his three daughters—not very lovely—married extremely well.
The ideas that sailors entertain of Pursers is expressed in a rather inelegant but expressive29 saying of theirs: "The Purser is a conjurer; he can make a dead man chew tobacco"—insinuating that the accounts of a dead man are sometimes subjected to post-mortem charges. Among sailors, also, Pursers commonly go by the name of nip-cheeses.
No wonder that on board of the old frigate Java, upon her return from a cruise extending over a period of more than four years, one thousand dollars paid off eighty of her crew, though the aggregate30 wages of the eighty for the voyage must have amounted to about sixty thousand dollars. Even under the present system, the Purser of a line-of-battle ship, for instance, is far better paid than any other officer, short of Captain or Commodore. While the Lieutenant10 commonly receives but eighteen hundred dollars, the Surgeon of the fleet but fifteen hundred, the Chaplain twelve hundred, the Purser of a line-of-battle ship receives thirty-five hundred dollars. In considering his salary, however, his responsibilities are not to be over-looked; they are by no means insignificant31.
There are Pursers in the Navy whom the sailors exempt32 from the insinuations above mentioned, nor, as a class, are they so obnoxious33 to them now as formerly34; for one, the florid old Purser of the Neversink—never coming into disciplinary contact with the seamen35, and being withal a jovial36 and apparently37 good-hearted gentleman—was something of a favourite with many of the crew.
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1
steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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2
conspicuously
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| ad.明显地，惹人注目地 | |
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3
auction
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| n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖 | |
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4
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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5
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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6
overhauling
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| n.大修；拆修；卸修；翻修v.彻底检查( overhaul的现在分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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7
ledgers
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| n.分类账( ledger的名词复数 ) | |
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8
barons
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| 男爵( baron的名词复数 )； 巨头； 大王； 大亨 | |
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9
lieutenants
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| n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员 | |
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10
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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11
treasury
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| n.宝库；国库，金库；文库 | |
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12
premier
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| adj.首要的；n.总理，首相 | |
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13
functionary
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| n.官员；公职人员 | |
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14
frigate
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| n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰 | |
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15
fiscal
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| adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的 | |
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16
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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17
subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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18
applicants
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| 申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 ) | |
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19
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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20
transacted
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| v.办理（业务等）( transact的过去式和过去分词 )；交易，谈判 | |
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21
transact
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| v.处理；做交易；谈判 | |
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22
regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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23
outrageous
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| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
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24
cupidity
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| n.贪心，贪财 | |
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25
wares
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| n. 货物, 商品 | |
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26
stipends
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| n.（尤指牧师的）薪俸( stipend的名词复数 ) | |
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27
Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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28
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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29
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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30
aggregate
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| adj.总计的，集合的；n.总数；v.合计；集合 | |
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31
insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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32
exempt
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| adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者 | |
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33
obnoxious
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| adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的 | |
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34
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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35
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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36
jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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37
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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