This produced a reply, and another fierce answer; and the words flew, fists were doubled up, and things looked threateningly. ``I'm master of this ship.'' ``Yes, sir, and I'm mate of her, and know my place! My place is forward, and yours is aft.'' ``My place is where I choose! I command the whole ship, and you are mate only so long as I choose!'' ``Say the word, Captain Thompson, and I'm done! I can do a man's work aboard! I didn't come through the cabin windows! If I'm not mate, I can be man,'' &c., &c. This was all fun for us, who stood by, winking at each other, and enjoying the contest between the higher powers. The captain took the mate aft; and they had a long talk, which ended in the mate's returning to his duty. The captain had broken through a custom, which is a part of the common law of a ship, and without reason, for he knew that his mate was a sailor, and needed no help from him; and the mate was excusable for being angry. Yet, in strict law, he was wrong, and the captain right. Whatever the captain does is right, ipso facto, and any opposition to it is wrong on board ship; and every officer and man knows this when he signs the ship's articles. It is a part of the contract. Yet there has grown up in merchant vessels a series of customs, which have become a well-understood system, and have somewhat the force of prescriptive law. To be sure, all power is in the captain, and the officers hold their authority only during his will, and the men are liable to be called upon for any service; yet, by breaking in upon these usages, many difficulties have occurred on board ship, and even come into courts of justice, which are perfectly unintelligible to any one not acquainted with the universal nature and force of these customs. Many a provocation has been offered, and a system of petty oppression pursued towards men, the force and meaning of which would appear as nothing to strangers, and doubtless do appear so to many ``'long-shore'' juries and judges.