170 DOGGED JACK.

water-ways, were washed and scrubbed and scraped
with brooms and canvas, and the decks were wet
and sanded all over, and then holy-stoned. The
holy-stone is a large, soft stone, smooth at the
bottom, with long ropes attached to each end, by
which the crew keep it sliding fore and aft over
the wet sanded decks. Smaller hand-stones, which
the sailors call prayer-books, are used to scrub in
among the crevices and narrow places, where the
large holy-stone will not go. For an hour or two
all were kept at this work, when the head pump
was manned, and all the sand washed off the deck
and sides. Then came swabs and squilgees, and
after the decks were dry, each one went to his
particular morning work.
 There were eight boats belonging to the "Egeria,"
each of which had a coxswain who lhad charge of
it, and was answerable for its cleanliness and order.
The rest of the cleaning was divided amongst the
crew, a couple of men having the brass work, which
had to be kept as bright as gold, and the rest having
each his particular job of work to do before break-
fast.
 Jack's work was then to scrape the kids (which
were wooden tubs out of which the sailors feed), and
as he scrubbed them this morning his heart failed
him a little, for the first mate was standing near,