It seemed seventeen months.
An "anchor watch" of sixteen men was set for the night, and most of us turned in early to enjoy the first good sleep for many weary days.
All hands were turned out at five o'clock.

We woke to find a big coal barge on either side of the ship.
After breakfast the order "turn to" was given.

"All hands coal ship, starboard watch on the starboard lighter, port watch on the port lighter." From seven o'clock in the morning till twelve o'clock that night, the crew of the "Yankee"-- aforetime lawyers, physicians, literary men, brokers, merchants, students, and clerks--men who had never done any harder work than play football, or row in a shell--coaled ship without any rest, other than the three half hours at meal times.

About the hardest, dirtiest work a man could do.
The navy style of coaling is different from that customary in the merchant service.

In the latter, the dirty work is done in the quickest, easiest way possible.