_Authorities._--N. Boteler: "Six Dialogues." W. Bourne: "The Art of Shooting in Great Ordnance"; "Regiment for the Sea"; "Mariner's Guide." Sir W. Monson: "Naval Tracts." Sir Jonas Moore. R. Norton: "The Gunner." John Roberts: "Complete Cannoneer." CHAPTER XVIII THE SHIP'S COMPANY Captain--Master--Lieutenant--Warrant officers--Duties and privileges By comparing Sir Richard Hawkins' "Observations" and Sir W. Monson's "Tracts" with Nicolas Boteler's "Dialogical Discourses," we find that the duties of ship's officers changed hardly at all from the time of the Armada to the death of James I. Indeed they changed hardly at all until the coming of the steamship. In modern sailing ships the duties of some of the supernumeraries are almost exactly as they were three centuries ago. The captain was the supreme head of the ship, empowered to displace any inferior officer except the master (_Monson_). He was not always competent to navigate (_ibid._), but as a rule he had sufficient science to check the master's calculations. He was expected to choose his own lieutenant (_ibid._), to keep a muster-book, and a careful account of the petty officer's stores (_Monson_ and _Sir Richard Hawkins_), and to punish any offences committed by his subordinates. A lieutenant seems to have been unknown in ships of war until the early seventeenth century. He ranked above the master, and acted as the captain's proxy, or ambassador, "upon any occasion of Service" (_Monson_). In battle he commanded on the forecastle, and in the forward half of the ship. He was restrained from meddling with the master's duties, lest "Mischiefs and factions" should ensue. Boteler adds that a lieutenant ought not to be "too fierce in his Way at first ... but to carry himself with Moderation and Respect to the Master Gunner, Boatswain, and the other Officers." The master was the ship's navigator, responsible for the performance of "the ordinary Labours in the ship." He took the height of the sun or stars "with his Astrolabe, Backstaff or Jacob's-staff" (_Boteler_). He saw that the watches were kept at work, and had authority to punish misdemeanants (_Monson_). Before he could hope for employment he had to go before the authorities at Trinity House, to show his "sufficiency" in the sea arts (_Monson_). The pilot, or coaster, was junior to the master; but when he was bringing the vessel into port, or over sands, or out of danger, the master had no authority to interfere with him (_Monson_). He was sometimes a permanent official, acting as junior navigator when the ship was out of soundings (_Hawkins_), but more generally he was employed temporarily, as at present, to bring a ship into or out of port (_Monson_ and _Boteler_).