Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/23

 He asked me how long I had been at sea, where I was born and brought up, whether I had a father and mother  living, and how I would like to sail with him in that  man-of-war brig. I told him that was just what I  wanted. Calling in at an office near the gate, he wrote and gave me a paper, telling me that if I could get my  mother to sign it, I could go. After a great deal of coaxing and many promises I persuaded her to sign the  paper. I went on board the brig the next morning, and we sailed in the afternoon.

When a few days at sea, the purser ordered me to sign the ship’s articles. I refused. Then, being ordered to sign them by the captain, I made my mark, as I was  unable to write at the time. We had on board Commodore Woolseley, Captain Shubrick, and Captain Stringham. We visited the West India Islands and touched at some of the southern ports. On our return we encountered a very heavy gale off Hatteras, and lost  two of our bow guns overboard. As I was lashing a hen-coop forward, the brig shipped a heavy sea, and I  was washed out overboard through one port, and back,  by chance, through another.

On our arrival at Norfolk we were transferred on board the receiving-ship Java. The frigate Brandywine  was being fitted out for the Mediterranean station, and we were told that we must re-enter the service and go  on board of her, or be discharged. All hands took their discharge. Mine read as follows: "This is to certify that Charlie Erskine, coxswain, is regularly discharged from the sea service of the United States and  from the U. S. ship Java." [Signed] E. B. Boutwell, Lieutenant, March, 1837.