I told him that if he got in the habit of looking down at the water below whenever he ascended the shrouds, instead of its only making his head swim, as he now complained, it would inevitably result in his entire self being forced to do so! However, he said he could not possibly help it, and really I don't believe he could.
Some people are so constituted.
The upshot was that the skipper, noticing his inefficiency in the work of the ship, made him his cabin boy, in place of the lad who had hitherto occupied that enviable position, and whom he now sent forward amongst the other hands in the fo'c's'le.
But the change did not bring any amelioration to poor Tom's lot.

It was "like going from the frying-pan into the fire;" for, now, my unfortunate chum, being immediately under the control of the skipper, who was a surly, ill-tempered brute at bottom, he paid him out for his laziness in "shirking work," as he termed the constitutional nervousness that he was powerless to fight against--Tom coming in for "more kicks than halfpence" by his promotion to the cabin, and having "purser's allowance" of all the beatings going, when the skipper was in one of his tantrums.
I got into a serious row with the brute for taking Tom's part one day.
In his passion, the skipper knocked me down with his favourite handspike, giving me a cut across my temple, the scar of which I'll carry to my grave.

My interference, however, saved Tom and myself any further ill-treatment, as I bled so much from the blow he gave me and was insensible so long, that the men thought the skipper had killed me.
They accordingly remonstrated so forcibly with him on the subject that he promised to let us both alone for the future, at least so far as the handspike was concerned.
Fortunately, however, we were not much longer at the mercy of the brute's temper; for, the morning after this, we reached Beachy Head, anchoring there to await the ebb tide down Channel, and the wind chopping round to the north-eastwards, made it fair for us all the way, enabling us to fetch Plymouth within three days.
Here, no sooner had the brig weathered Drake Island, anchoring inside the Cattwater, where all merchant vessels go to discharge their cargoes, than the skipper at once gave us notice to quit, almost without warning.
"Be off now, you lazy lubbers," he cried, motioning us down into the _Saucy Sall's_ solitary boat, which had been got over the side, and which, with Jorrocks in charge of it, was waiting to take us ashore.
"I'm glad to get rid of such idle hands; and you may thank your stars I've let you off so cheaply for your cheek in stowing yourselves away aboard my brig! You may think yourselves lucky I don't give you in charge, and get you put in gaol for it!" "You daren't," shouted back Tom, defiantly, as soon as he was safely down in the stern-sheets of the dinghy.

"If you wanted to give us in charge, you ought to have done so in Newcastle, instead of making us work there for you like niggers.

I've a great mind to have you up before the magistrates for your ill-treatment!" This appeared to shut up the skipper very effectively, for he didn't offer a word in reply; and, presently, Jorrocks landed us at the jetty stairs, close inside the Cattwater.
Our old friend seemed quite sorry to part with us; and, knowing our destitute condition, he kindly presented us with the sum of five shillings, which he said was a joint subscription from all hands, who had "parted freely" when they learnt that we were about to be turned adrift from the brig, but which I believe mainly came out of his own pocket.
"Good-bye, my lads," were his last words.