committed to me, subject of course to the spirit of Christ's teachings. These interests require that there should be good discipline in the ship, and therefore the mate does right to notice any disrespect that is shown him." A day or two after this, Peterson said to me at the wheel, "I've been thinking over what you said to me. I see that I was wrong, and it sha'n't happen again." For the remaining ten months of the voyage no one had a word of complaint against Peterson, and his influence over his shipmates was most excellent. In the evening after this occurrence, when the mate came aft at eight o'clock to relieve the second officer, we began talking about the affair. "There is one thing," said the mate, "that I haven't quite settled yet, and that is whether you can treat sailors well or not. At any rate, if a man is a Christian he had better not go on board of a ship as officer. I feel so mad sometimes I'd like to slaughter the whole watch." I replied, "It's a matter that I settled a long time ago. You cannot treat a sailor well without his taking some advantage of it. Inferiors will presume upon a kind disposition in their superiors, all the world over. It is human nature. I made up my mind to that in the very beginning. But there is another question. Is it best to treat sailors well, all things considered? As a matter of principle there can of course be but one answer:--Christ's teachings entirely settle that. A divine precept must be of universal application; there can be no exceptions, and if sea life were proved to be a sphere where Christ's commands could not be obeyed, it would also be condemned as an occupation no one could follow guiltlessly. As a question of policy there seem to be different opinions, though whatever is good principle must be good policy. I say most decidedly it is best; best for the ship, for the owners, for the officers, and of course best for the men themselves. It is very poor policy to make sailors the enemies of the ship. How many vessels have been set fire to by an enraged crew! How many spars and sails have been lost, because, just out of spite, a sailor neglected to report the first stage of an accident which he alone observed in a dark night! How many ships have remained in port for weeks after they were loaded, because they had so bad a reputation no one would go in them, and they only sail at last with a kidnapped crew! How much running gear has been cut, and how many sails ripped with sheath knives on the night of arrival at the port of destination, by men thus taking revenge for harsh usage! How many refusals of duty, mutinies, murders, and lawsuits have their beginning in a foul word or blow! Just sum these up and look at the other side. I am no apologist for those who let sailors do as they like. The results of inefficiency do not belong to our side of the account. But take this vessel for an example. We are not treated with the strict deference the sailor gives