The East India Vade-Mecum, Volume 1 (of 2): or, complete guide to gentlemen intended for the civil, military, or naval service of the East India Company.Williamson, Thomas
History
The East India Vade-Mecum, Volume 1 (of 2): or, complete guide to gentlemen intended for the civil, military, or naval service of the East India Company.
Williamson, Thomas
India -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
The captain occupies, in general, a cabin called the ‘state-room,’
situated under the fore part of the poop, on the starboard side, with a
glass door towards the quarter-deck: its dimensions, as well of those of
all the cabins already described, vary according to the ship’s tonnage,
but may be taken at about 15 or 16 feet square: the space including it,
and the larboard side under the same parallel, is called the ‘cuddy;’
while all behind is designated the ‘round-house;’ and has a row of glass
windows in the stern part, with two doors opening into the
‘stern-gallery:’ a flight of steps, rather confined to be sure, serves
as a communication, by means of the starboard quarter-gallery, with the
great-cabin. These steps, under which is a privy, are particularly
convenient to ladies, who usually have the starboard side of the
great-cabin allotted to their accommodation. When the passengers are
very numerous, especially when many families are on board, the
round-house is partitioned off into three or more cabins; the larboard
quarter-gallery, on the upper deck, having also a privy. In such case,
the dinner table is laid in the cuddy, instead of the round-house; but,
as it is rarely spacious enough to allow the whole to sit down at the
same time, the company are, commonly, divided into two parties,
succeeding each other every day alternately.
The sums paid for cabins entirely depend upon the demand, their size,
the ship’s destination, and the circumstances of the person selling his
accommodations. The several portions of the round-house and great-cabin,
both of which are considered the captain’s property, of course are paid
for in proportion to their respective dimensions: it may, however, be
taken as some guide, that, outward bound, a slip, including one window,
may produce from £200. to £300.; and that the several mates’ cabins may
be averaged at from £3. to £5. for every square foot of the enclosed
area. Homeward bound, on account of the number of children and servants
shipped with a family, the rates are yet higher: I have known, more than
once, the whole of a great cabin let for £2,500.!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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