Last month I took a tour of the "Star of India" in San Diego Harbor. I had walked passed it many times over the years and decided to take a look. I came across this hanging from the wall in the Captains Quarters.
I'm sure that more than one Captain over the years abused his authority and did things he wished that he hadn't.
In this photo of the Captain's Quarters you can see the framed saying on the wall.
Three books come to mind when talking about abusive Captains:
Mutany on the Bounty - Nordhoff and Hall
The Sea Wolf - Jack London
Two years Before the Mast - Richard Henry Dana, Jr.
Each one of these books have a section that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand erect because of the unrighteousness of the skipper.
Richard Henry Dana, Jr. was probably the most influential author as he actually sailed on a ship where abuses to the crew were apparent. He became a lawyer and was responsible for getting laws changed so that the Captains of the U.S. didn't have free rein to treat there crew with abuse.
The following was written by Dana about the good influence that a good Captain can have on his crew.
Click twice for easier reading.
In the same book, Dana also says the following:
No prudent mariner, however peaceably inclined,
would go to sea without his pistol and handcuffs.
