I never care if we are left to our own exertions; but how is it possible for a ship's company to do their best, when they cannot hear the boatswain's pipe?
However, God be thanked, nevertheless, and make better Christians of us all! As for that carpenter, he is mad.
Just before we weathered the point, he told me that it was just the same 27,600 and odd years ago.

I do believe that on his death-bed (and he was not far from a very hard one yesterday), he will tell us how he died so many thousand years ago, of the same complaint.

And that gunner of ours is a fool.

Would you believe it, Mr Simple, he went crying about the decks, 'O my poor guns, what will become of them if they break loose ?' He appeared to consider it of no consequence if the ship and ship's company were all lost, provided that his guns were safely landed on the beach.
"'Mr Dispart,' said I, at last, 'allow me to observe, in the most delicate way in the world, that you're a d----d old fool.' You see, Mr Simple, it's the duty of an officer to generalise, and be attentive to parts, only in consideration of the safety of the whole.

I look after my anchors and cables, as I do after the rigging; not that I care for any of them in particular, but because the safety of a ship depends upon her being well found.