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.!
There being an essential difference in the comfort afforded by having either a cot or a fixed bed-place, it may be acceptable to my readers to be informed of some minutiæ attached to those conveniences respectively. A cot is an oblong case of canvas, having a deal frame at the bottom, with a canvas sacking well strained; the ends are furnished with small cords, called nettles, which pass round an iron thimble, or _grummet_; and those again are passed over two strong hooks, placed about seven feet asunder, fore and aft, whereby the cot is suspended. During the day time, a cot is commonly taken down, and disposed of in some part where it may, so far as the means allow, be out of the way: the best mode is to trice it up between the beams that support the superior deck. In this kind of bed, the motion of the ship is scarcely felt, unless she is acted upon by a very short, broken sea; the cot always preserving its level: hence, those who are much troubled with sea-sickness should always provide a swinging cot; taking care to hang it in such a place as may preclude the danger of its being bumped against the ship’s sides, or the bulk-head, (_i.e._ a boarded partition,) than which nothing can be more unpleasant. I have several times been canted completely out of my cot, owing to the want of space at its sides. In very bad weather, when the ship has rolled many streaks of her deck under water, the frame of my cot has been forcibly dashed against the beams: at such times, if the width of the space admits, it is proper to lengthen the nettles to their utmost: whereby such inconvenience may generally be obviated.