The Maid of Sker · Chapter
Taming of the Savages explained
After a successful cruise, Davy returns to the Bellona and describes the process of turning landsmen into seamen.
What happens
After a successful cruise, Davy returns to the Bellona and describes the process of turning landsmen into seamen. He recounts the harsh but effective methods used to discipline new hands, including Hezekiah Perkins, who suffers from seasickness and delusions of being Jonah, and three wild 'savages' who are gradually civilized through cold baths, climbing rigging, and soap. Davy takes particular interest in a small boy he names Harry, whom he cleans and grooms, leading to Lieutenant Rodney Bluett taking the boy under his care to teach him reading, writing, and seamanship.
Themes in this chapter
Maritime Life and Adventure
The chapter details the transformation of landsmen into seamen through naval discipline, including seasickness remedies and rigging drills.
Morality and Hypocrisy
Davy reflects on the moral implications of his methods, showing compassion for Hezekiah despite his hypocrisy, and questions whether civilizing the savages might spoil them for their station.
Class Mobility and Ambition
The wild boy Harry is groomed and elevated from a savage state to a potential midshipman, illustrating themes of social transformation and ambition.
Characters to notice
- Davy Llewellyn
Davy advises Captain Bampfylde on taming the new hands, takes pity on Hezekiah, and personally grooms and cares for the wild boy Harry.
- Captain Drake Bampfylde
Captain Bampfylde shows strange interest in the savages and refuses to flog them without cause, preferring a more measured approach.
- Hezekiah Perkins
Hezekiah suffers severe seasickness, believes he is Jonah in the whale, and rages against his wife Hepzibah for not predicting his misfortunes.
- Captain Rodney Bluett
Rodney Bluett, the second lieutenant, takes the boy Harry under his special care, teaching him reading, writing, and other skills.
- Harry Savage
Harry is the small wild boy whom Davy soaps, grooms, and transforms into a clean, handsome child; he is later taken under Rodney Bluett's wing.
Key passages
“After a most successful cruise, we returned to our Bellona, and were received as behoves success, with ever so many rounds of cheers.”
After a very successful voyage, we came back to our ship the Bellona and were greeted with many cheers, as is fitting for success.
Davy describes the triumphant return to the Bellona after a successful cruise.
“Nothing could persuade him but that he was the prophet Jonah in the belly of the whale, and he took the stowage of our cables for the whale's intestines.”
He was convinced he was the prophet Jonah inside the whale, and he mistook the ship's cable storage for the whale's intestines.
Hezekiah's delusion during seasickness, believing he is Jonah.
“We soaped him most powerfully, even up to the skin of his eyelids, and he made no more objection than a Christian child might have offered.”
We soaped him thoroughly, even his eyelids, and he did not resist any more than a Christian child would have.
Davy describes the vigorous soaping of the wild boy Harry.
“Soap and discipline is my signal to the next generation; and nothing else can counteract all the heresies around us.”
Soap and discipline are my guiding principles for the next generation; nothing else can counter the wrong ideas around us.
Davy's philosophy on raising and civilizing the young.