When I came on board, Mr Falcon, who, although acting captain, continued his duties as first lieutenant almost as punctually as before, asked how it was that I had allowed my men to get so tipsy. I assured him that I could not tell, that I had never allowed one to leave the watering-place, or to buy any liquor: the only thing that they had had to drink was a little cocoa-nut milk, which, as it was so very hot, I thought there could be no objection to. Mr Falcon smiled and said, "Mr Simple, I'm an old stager in the West Indies, and I'll let you into a secret. Do you know what `_sucking the monkey_' means?" "No, sir." "Well, then, I'll tell you; it is a term used, among seamen for drinking _rum_ out of _cocoa-nuts_, the milk having been poured out, and the liquor substituted. Now do you comprehend why your men are tipsy?" I stared with all my eyes, for it never would have entered into my head; and I then perceived why it was that the black woman would not give me the first cocoa-nuts which I selected. I told Mr Falcon of this circumstance, who replied, "Well, it was not your fault, only you must not forget it another time." It was my first watch that night, and Swinburne was quarter-master on deck. "Swinburne," said I, "you have often been in the Indies before, why did you not tell me that the men were `_sucking the monkey_,' when I thought that they were only drinking cocoa-nut milk?" Swinburne chuckled, and answered, "Why, Mr Simple, d'ye see, it didn't become me as a shipmate to peach. It's but seldom that a poor fellow has an opportunity of making himself a `little happy,' and it would not be fair to take away the chance. I suppose you'll never let them have cocoa-nut milk again?" "No, that I will not; but I cannot imagine what pleasure they can find in getting so tipsy." "It's merely because they are not allowed to be so, sir. That's the whole story in few words." "I think I could cure them, if I were permitted to try." "I should like to hear how you'd manage that, Mr Simple." "Why, I would oblige a man to drink off a half pint of liquor, and then put him by himself. I would not allow him companions to make merry with, so as to make a pleasure of intoxication. I would then wait until next morning when he was sober, and leave him alone with a racking headache until the evening, when I would give him another dose, and so on, forcing him to get drunk until he hated the smell of liquor." "Well, Mr Simple, it might do with some, but many of our chaps would require the dose you mention to be repeated pretty often before it would effect a cure; and what's more, they'd be very willing patients, and make no wry faces at their physic." "Well, that may be, but it would cure them at last. But tell me, Swinburne, were you ever in a hurricane?"