With this useful little article he now proceeded to take off the tops of the cases containing the boiled mutton, Cuffee and his assistant parcelling the same out under the captain's eye.
The cabin table had been set upon its legs again and the provisions placed upon it, when the men being ordered to file in, Captain Miles distributed a small portion of the meat with a couple of biscuits to each.

He advised them to eat slowly and moderately, saying that if they did otherwise they would feel very badly afterwards, on account of having gone so long without food.
Mr Marline and Jackson and myself were also rationed out in similar fashion, each and all of us, irrespective of position, being treated on an equality and Captain Miles himself only taking the same quantity that he gave us; then, when all had thus broken their fast, the men were dismissed and allowed to carry off away forward the greater portion of the provisions that had been got out for them, although with strict injunctions still to eat sparingly, at all events on this first day of their tasting any nourishment.

They were likewise told to be careful not to drink too much water, Jackson, who had charge of the cask, being ordered to use discretion.
"We are only thirteen all told now aft--a baker's dozen, men," said the captain, "and I wish to carry you home in good health with me to England; so, mind what you are after, for my sake if not for your own! We have weathered the gale, and stuck to the ship though bottom upwards, for nigh on three days, braving the perils of the deep in the way of sharks and such like; consequently I think it would be hard lines on me if I couldn't fetch you safe into port in the end." "You're a real good sort, Cap'en Miles, that's what you are!" cried Moggridge--acting as spokesman for the rest by general consent apparently, for the others gave a subdued sort of cheer that seemed to intimate their acquiescence in his remarks--"and I thinks as how we'd be no better nor brute beasts if we weren't to act as how you advises, eh, lads ?" "Aye, aye," chorused the rest affirmatively.
"That's all right then," said Captain Miles.

"You can see I don't want to stint you, for I've only given you these few supplies to carry you on until we can get to the ship's stores in the main hold.

You may go forward now, and I'd recommend you to get out all your duds and hang 'em out to dry as soon as you can, so as to have a shift bye and bye, and that'll do you as much good as the grub." The hands then retired from the cabin, leaving only the captain and Mr Marline and I there, Jackson going out into the waist too, in order to draw some water and serve it out by the captain's directions.
"Oh, Captain Miles!" I exclaimed when we were thus left together, "all my clothes are spoilt." "And oh, Master Tom!" he retorted, "how about my poor chronometers?
They've stopped and will never go again, I suppose, till they've been put in dry dock in London and had a thorough overhaul, salt water not agreeing with their constitutions as it does with some folk.