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Java XML
and JSON
Document Processing for Java SE
—
Second Edition
—
Jef f Friesen
Java XML and JSON
Document Processing for Java SE
Second Edition
Jeff Friesen
Java XML and JSON: Document Processing for Java SE
Jeff Friesen
Dauphin, MB, Canada
Introduction�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������xvii
v
Table of Contents
vi
Table of Contents
vii
Table of Contents
viii
Table of Contents
ix
Table of Contents
Index��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 519
x
About the Author
Jeff Friesen is a freelance teacher and software developer
with an emphasis on Java. In addition to authoring Java I/O,
NIO and NIO.2 (Apress), Java Threads and the Concurrency
Utilities (Apress), and the first edition of this book, Jeff has
written numerous articles on Java and other technologies
(such as Android) for JavaWorld (JavaWorld.com), informIT
(InformIT.com), Java.net, SitePoint (SitePoint.com),
and other web sites. Jeff can be contacted via his web site
at JavaJeff.ca or via his LinkedIn (LinkedIn.com) profile
(www.linkedin.com/in/javajeff).
xi
About the Technical Reviewer
Massimo Nardone has more than 24 years of experiences
in Security, web/mobile development, Cloud, and IT
architecture. His true IT passions are Security and Android.
He has been programming and teaching how to program
with Android, Perl, PHP, Java, VB, Python, C/C++, and
MySQL for more than 20 years.
He holds a Master of Science degree in Computing
Science from the University of Salerno, Italy.
He has worked as a Project Manager, Software Engineer,
Research Engineer, Chief Security Architect, Information
Security Manager, PCI/SCADA Auditor, and Senior Lead IT Security/Cloud/SCADA
Architect for many years.
His technical skills include Security, Android, Cloud, Java, MySQL, Drupal, Cobol,
Perl, web and mobile development, MongoDB, D3, Joomla, Couchbase, C/C++, WebGL,
Python, Pro Rails, Django CMS, Jekyll, Scratch, etc.
He worked as visiting lecturer and supervisor for exercises at the Networking
Laboratory of the Helsinki University of Technology (Aalto University). He holds four
international patents (PKI, SIP, SAML, and Proxy areas).
He currently works as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Cargotec Oyj,
and he is member of ISACA Finland Chapter Board.
Massimo has been reviewing more than 45 IT books for different publishing
companies, and he is the coauthor of Pro Android Games (Apress, 2015), Pro JPA 2 in
Java EE 8 (APress 2018), and Beginning EJB in Java EE 8 (Apress, 2018).
xiii
Acknowledgments
I thank Apress Acquisition Editor Jonathan Gennick and the Apress Editorial Board for
giving me the opportunity to create this second edition. I also thank Editor Jill Balzano
for guiding me through the book development process. Finally, I thank my technical
reviewer and copy editor for catching mistakes and making the book look great.
xv
Introduction
XML and (the more popular) JSON let you organize data in textual formats. This book
introduces you to these technologies along with Java APIs for integrating them into your
Java code. This book introduces you to XML and JSON as of Java 11.
Chapter 1 introduces XML, where you learn about basic language features (such
as the XML declaration, elements and attributes, and namespaces). You also learn
about well-formed XML documents and how to validate them via the Document Type
Definition and XML Schema grammar languages.
Chapter 2 focuses on Java’s SAX API for parsing XML documents. You learn how to
obtain a SAX 2 parser; you then tour XMLReader methods along with handler and entity
resolver interfaces. Finally, you explore a demonstration of this API and learn how to
create a custom entity resolver.
Chapter 3 addresses Java’s DOM API for parsing and creating XML documents. After
discovering the various nodes that form a DOM document tree, you explore the DOM
API, where you learn how to obtain a DOM parser/document builder and how to parse
and create XML documents. You then explore the Java DOM APIs related to the Load
and Save, and Traversal and Range specifications.
Chapter 4 places the spotlight on Java’s StAX API for parsing and creating XML
documents. You learn how to use StAX to parse XML documents with stream-based and
event-based readers and to create XML documents with stream-based and event-based
writers.
Moving on, Chapter 5 presents Java’s XPath API for simplifying access to a DOM
tree’s nodes. You receive a primer on the XPath language, learning about location path
expressions and general expressions. You also explore advanced features starting with
namespace contexts.
Chapter 6 completes my coverage of XML by targetting Java’s XSLT API. You learn
about transformer factories and transformers, and much more. You also go beyond the
XSLT 1.0 and XPath 1.0 APIs supported by Java.
xvii
Introduction
Chapter 7 switches gears to JSON. You receive an introduction to JSON, take a tour of
its syntax, explore a demonstration of JSON in a JavaScript context (because Java doesn’t
yet officially support JSON), and learn how to validate JSON objects in the context of
JSON Schema.
You’ll need to work with third-party libraries to parse and create JSON
documents. Chapter 8 introduces you to the mJson library. After learning how
to obtain and use mJson, you explore the Json class, which is the entry point for
working with mJSon.
Google has released an even more powerful library for parsing and creating JSON
documents. The Gson library is the focus of Chapter 9. In this chapter, you learn how
to parse JSON objects through deserialization, how to create JSON objects through
serialization, and much more.
Chapter 10 focuses on the JsonPath API for performing XPath-like operations on
JSON documents.
Chapter 11 introduces you to Jackson, a popular suite of APIs for parsing and
creating JSON documents.
Chapter 12 introduces you to JSON-P, an Oracle API that was planned for inclusion in
Java SE, but was made available to Java EE instead.
Each chapter ends with assorted exercises that are designed to help you master the
content. Along with long answers and true/false questions, you are often confronted
with programming exercises. Appendix A provides the answers and solutions.
Thanks for purchasing this book. I hope you find it helpful in understanding XML
and JSON in a Java context.
Jeff Friesen (October 2018)
Note You can download this book’s source code by pointing your web browser to
www.apress.com/9781484243299 and clicking the Source Code tab followed
by the Download Now link.
xviii
PART I
Exploring XML
CHAPTER 1
Introducing XML
Applications commonly use XML documents to store and exchange data. XML defines
rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-
readable. Chapter 1 introduces XML, tours the XML language features, and discusses
well-formed and valid documents.
What Is XML?
XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a meta-language (a language used to describe
other languages) for defining vocabularies (custom markup languages), which is the key
to XML’s importance and popularity. XML-based vocabularies (such as XHTML) let you
describe documents in a meaningful way.
XML vocabulary documents are like HTML (see http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/HTML) documents in that they are text-based and consist of markup (encoded
descriptions of a document’s logical structure) and content (document text not
interpreted as markup). Markup is evidenced via tags (angle bracket–delimited syntactic
constructs), and each tag has a name. Furthermore, some tags have attributes (name/
value pairs).
Note XML and HTML are descendants of Standard Generalized Markup Language
(SGML), which is the original meta-language for creating vocabularies—XML is
essentially a restricted form of SGML, while HTML is an application of SGML. The
key difference between XML and HTML is that XML invites you to create your own
vocabularies with their own tags and rules, whereas HTML gives you a single
pre-created vocabulary with its own fixed set of tags and rules. XHTML and other
XML-based vocabularies are XML applications. XHTML was created to be a cleaner
implementation of HTML.
3
© Jeff Friesen 2019
J. Friesen, Java XML and JSON, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-4330-5_1
Chapter 1 Introducing XML
If you haven’t previously encountered XML, you might be surprised by its simplicity
and how closely its vocabularies resemble HTML. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist
to learn how to create an XML document. To prove this to yourself, check out Listing 1-1.
<recipe>
<title>
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
</title>
<ingredients>
<ingredient qty="2">
bread slice
</ingredient>
<ingredient>
cheese slice
</ingredient>
<ingredient qty="2">
margarine pat
</ingredient>
</ingredients>
<instructions>
Place frying pan on element and select medium heat.
For each bread slice, smear one pat of margarine on
one side of bread slice. Place cheese slice between
bread slices with margarine-smeared sides away from
the cheese. Place sandwich in frying pan with one
margarine-smeared side in contact with pan. Fry for
a couple of minutes and flip. Fry other side for a
minute and serve.
</instructions>
</recipe>
4
Chapter 1 Introducing XML
Listing 1-1 presents an XML document that describes a recipe for making a grilled
cheese sandwich. This document is reminiscent of an HTML document in that it consists
of tags, attributes, and content. However, that’s where the similarity ends. Instead of
presenting HTML tags such as <html>, <head>, <img>, and <p>, this informal recipe
language presents its own <recipe>, <ingredients>, and other tags.
Note Although Listing 1-1’s <title> and </title> tags are also found in
HTML, they differ from their HTML counterparts. Web browsers typically display
the content between these tags in their title bars or tab headers. In contrast, the
content between Listing 1-1’s <title> and </title> tags might be displayed as
a recipe header, spoken aloud, or presented in some other way, depending on the
application that parses this document.
X
ML Declaration
An XML document usually begins with the XML declaration, special markup telling an
XML parser that the document is XML. The absence of the XML declaration in Listing 1-1
reveals that this special markup isn’t mandatory. When the XML declaration is present,
nothing can appear before it.
The XML declaration minimally looks like <?xml version="1.0"?> in which the
nonoptional version attribute identifies the version of the XML specification to which
the document conforms. The initial version of this specification (1.0) was introduced in
1998 and is widely implemented.
5
Chapter 1 Introducing XML
Note The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which maintains XML, released
version 1.1 in 2004. This version mainly supports the use of line-ending characters
used on EBCDIC platforms (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EBCDIC)
and the use of scripts and characters that are absent from Unicode (see h ttp://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicode) 3.2. Unlike XML 1.0, XML 1.1 isn’t widely
implemented and should be used only when its unique features are needed.
XML supports Unicode, which means that XML documents consist entirely of
characters taken from the Unicode character set. The document’s characters are
encoded into bytes for storage or transmission, and the encoding is specified via the
XML declaration’s optional encoding attribute. One common encoding is UTF-8 (see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTF-8), which is a variable-length encoding of the
Unicode character set. UTF-8 is a strict superset of ASCII (see http://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/ASCII), which means that pure ASCII text files are also UTF-8 documents.
Note In the absence of the XML declaration or when the XML declaration’s
encoding attribute isn’t present, an XML parser typically looks for a special
character sequence at the start of a document to determine the document’s
encoding. This character sequence is known as the byte-order-mark (BOM) and
is created by an editor program (such as Microsoft Windows Notepad) when it
saves the document according to UTF-8 or some other encoding. For example,
the hexadecimal sequence EF BB BF signifies UTF-8 as the encoding. Similarly,
FE FF signifies UTF-16 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTF-16) big
endian, FF FE signifies UTF-16 little endian, 00 00 FE FF signifies UTF-32
(see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTF-32) big endian, and FF FE 00
00 signifies UTF-32 little endian. UTF-8 is assumed when no BOM is present.
If you’ll never use characters apart from the ASCII character set, you can probably
forget about the encoding attribute. However, when your native language isn’t English
or when you’re called to create XML documents that include non-ASCII characters, you
need to properly specify encoding. For example, when your document contains ASCII
plus characters from a non-English Western European language (such as ç, the cedilla
6
Chapter 1 Introducing XML
used in French, Portuguese, and other languages), you might want to choose ISO-8859-1
as the encoding attribute’s value—the document will probably have a smaller size when
encoded in this manner than when encoded with UTF-8. Listing 1-2 shows you the
resulting XML declaration.
The final attribute that can appear in the XML declaration is standalone. This
optional attribute, which is only relevant with DTDs (discussed later), determines
whether or not there are external markup declarations that affect the information passed
from an XML processor (a parser) to the application. Its value defaults to no, implying
that there are or may be such declarations. A yes value indicates that there are no such
declarations. For more information, check out “The standalone pseudo-attribute is only
relevant if a DTD is used” (www.xmlplease.com/xml/standalone/).
7
Chapter 1 Introducing XML
recipe
Figure 1-1. Listing 1-1’s tree structure is rooted in the recipe element
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<article title="The Rebirth of JavaFX" lang="en">
<abstract>
JavaFX 2 marks a significant milestone in the history
of JavaFX. Now that Sun Microsystems has passed the
torch to Oracle, JavaFX Script is gone and
JavaFX-oriented Java APIS (such as
8
Chapter 1 Introducing XML
<code>javafx.application.Application</code>) have
emerged for interacting with this technology. This
article introduces you to this refactored JavaFX,
where you learn about JavaFX 2 architecture and key
APIs.
</abstract>
<body>
</body>
</article>
This document’s root element is article, which contains abstract and body child
elements. The abstract element mixes content with a code element, which contains
content. In contrast, the body element is empty.
Note As with Listings 1-1 and 1-2, Listing 1-3 also contains whitespace (invisible
characters such as spaces, tabs, carriage returns, and line feeds). The XML
specification permits whitespace to be added to a document. Whitespace appearing
within content (such as spaces between words) is considered part of the content. In
contrast, the parser typically ignores whitespace appearing between an end tag and
the next start tag. Such whitespace isn’t considered part of the content.
An XML element’s start tag can contain one or more attributes. For example,
Listing 1-1’s <ingredient> tag has a qty (quantity) attribute, and Listing 1-3’s
<article> tag has title and lang attributes. Attributes provide additional details
about elements. For example, qty identifies the amount of an ingredient that can be
added, title identifies an article’s title, and lang identifies the language in which the
article is written (en for English). Attributes can be optional. For example, when qty
isn’t specified, a default value of 1 is assumed.
9
Chapter 1 Introducing XML
Consider <expression>6 < 4</expression>. You could replace the < with numeric
reference <, yielding <expression>6 < 4</expression>, or better yet with <,
yielding <expression>6 < 4</expression>. The second choice is clearer and easier to
remember.
10
Chapter 1 Introducing XML
11
Chapter 1 Introducing XML
N
amespaces
It’s common to create XML documents that combine features from different XML
languages. Namespaces are used to prevent name conflicts when elements and other
XML language features appear. Without namespaces, an XML parser couldn’t distinguish
between same-named elements or other language features that mean different things, for
example, two same-named title elements from two different languages.
Note Namespaces aren’t part of XML 1.0. They arrived about a year after
this specification was released. To ensure backward compatibility with XML 1.0,
namespaces take advantage of colon characters, which are legal characters in XML
names. Parsers that don’t recognize namespaces return names that include colons.
Note A namespace’s scope starts at the element where it’s declared and applies
to all of the element’s content unless overridden by another namespace declaration
with the same prefix name.
When prefix is specified, the prefix and a colon character are prepended to the name
of each element tag that belongs to that namespace—see Listing 1-5.
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<h:html xmlns:h="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
xmlns:r="http://www.javajeff.ca/">
<h:head>
<h:title>
12
Discovering Diverse Content Through
Random Scribd Documents
exceedingly well-formed person, and was scrupulously nice in regard
to his dress. He had captured one of the new uniforms served out
when he was promoted to his present rank, and it was a much
better fit than the officers usually obtained.
"Do you happen to know the drift of all these private conferences
which I observe, Scott?" asked Cantwell, raising his head so that he
could see through the eye-glass, which had slipped down upon his
nose.
"Yes, sir, I happen to know; and, as the matter concerns me more
nearly than any other fellow in the squadron, I don't object to telling
you; and I hope you will give me your sympathy and support,"
replied Scott, putting on a most lugubrious face.
"Indeed! I don't know that I quite comprehend you. I notice that all
the students carefully avoid me this afternoon. If I approach any two
or more of them engaged In conversation, they stop talking, or
separate, and look very mysterious. I had come to the conclusion
that I was to be the subject of some practical joke."
"O, no. It is no joke, I assure you. It is a conspiracy, find I am to be
the first victim. Beckwith, the first master, was even impudent
enough to invite me to take a part in the amputation of my own
nose! Did you ever hear anything so absurd?"
"Perhaps I should be better able to judge if I were informed in
regard to the nature of the conspiracy," suggested Cantwell, as he
readjusted his eye-glasses.
"I shall be happy to inform you. They intend to apply to the principal
to have the tenure of office in the ship changed," replied Scott, in a
very impressive manner, as though he were revealing a startling fact.
"The tenure of office!" repeated Cantwell, with a puzzled look.
"Yes. Beckwith was kind enough to explain to me what it meant. I
dare say you know, without any explanation, Mr. Cantwell."
"Of course I know the meaning of the phrase, but I don't understand
its application to the affairs of the squadron."
"Then you will excuse me for telling you." And Scott explained in full
the nature of the proposed changes. "This is a plan, you will
perceive, to cut me off."
"Indeed!"
"I have been a good boy, and learned my lessons this month; and,
under the present regulation, I should be the captain of the ship
next month. I think that is clear enough."
Cantwell arranged his glasses again, and looked earnestly into the
face of the joker; but he was as serious as though he had been at a
funeral.
"I was not aware that you stood so high on the record," added the
fourth master, more puzzled than before.
"Of course you are aware that you stand very high yourself," said
Scott.
"I know that I have not had a single imperfect lesson, or been
marked down on any exercise."
"Just so. Then the highest office lies between you and me," replied
Scott, rubbing his chin. "The conspiracy is against us. If you should
get in ahead of me, I never have any hard feelings. I am willing to
abide by the regulations, and take whatever place belongs to me,
even if it should be that of captain or first lieutenant. I never
complain of my lot when there is fair play."
"And so the students are trying to have the highest officers chosen
by ballot," mused Cantwell.
"That's so; and it's a plot against you and me—a conspiracy against
our rights; and we must oppose it with all our might."
"It seems to me a very strange movement, just before the first of
the month."
"You are right; and we must go to work. The conspirators have had
it all their own way so far. We can make it lively for them.—Well,
Laybold, what is it?" said Scott, as the student addressed
approached them.
"I am sent to notify you both of a meeting of all the students of the
squadron, at that flat rock on the top of the island," said the
messenger. "The fellows are going to appoint a committee to wait on
the principal, and ask for a change in the manner of giving out the
offices."
"We shall be there to vindicate our rights, and protest against this
conspiracy. How do you stand, Laybold?"
"I don't care much about it, any way," replied the messenger,
glancing at Cantwell.
"Then go against the change. This thing is got up to keep me from
being captain next month."
"You!" shouted Laybold. "You won't even be captain of a top! You
won't come within fifty of the cabin."
"So you say. But the highest office lies between Cantwell and me."
"That may be; but it's a long way from your side of the house,"
replied Laybold, as the party moved towards the highest part of the
island.
Cantwell was vexed and troubled, and he could not decide what
course to pursue.
CHAPTER II.
AN EXCITED MEETING OF OFFICERS AND SEAMEN.
Scott was one of the most popular students in the squadron. And it
is a lamentable fact, that mere "jokers" obtain a power and influence
in society which is denied to persons of infinitely greater dignity and
higher character. As Laybold declared, Scott had no personal interest
in the question under agitation, for, though he was a good seaman,
his scholarship was not above mediocrity. He lacked industry and
application; and it was not probable that he would ever win even the
lowest rank on the quarter-deck. But he had initiated what he
regarded as a stupendous joke, and he was determined to carry it
through. While the students were gathering at the flat rock, he
electioneered against the De Forrest plan, as it soon came to be
called. He declared over and over again, to the intense amusement
of the seamen, that the plan was a conspiracy against his individual
rights, and was intended to prevent him from being captain the next
month. Before the meeting at the rock was called to order he had
rallied quite a respectable party under his banner.
Every officer and every seaman of the fleet was present at the
meeting. The captain and the other officers sitting with the principal
had been summoned to the gathering; and those who were most
interested in the success of the effort were confident that the
measure would be adopted with little if any opposition. The meeting
was called to order by Lieutenant Ryder, the oldest officer of the
squadron.
"The first business of this meeting is the choice of a chairman," said
Ryder, taking position on the flat rock, around which the students
had collected. "Please to nominate."
As in assemblages of older people, the arrangements had been "cut
and dried" beforehand, and Beckwith had been appointed by the
"ring" to nominate De Forrest as chairman; but Scott, more intent
upon carrying out his joke than anything else, had stationed himself
close to the rock, and disturbed the arrangements of the ring.
"Cantwell!" shouted he, at the top of his lungs, before Beckwith,
who certainly was not a dexterous representative of the ring, could
open his mouth.
"Cantwell!" repeated Laybold.
"Cantwell!" cried a dozen others, almost choking with laughter.
"I nominate Lieutenant De Forrest as chairman of this meeting," said
the tardy Beckwith.
"Lieutenant De Forrest is nominated," continued the chairman,
anxious to only carry out the programme which had been arranged
by the officers.
"Mr. Chairman, I respectfully suggest that you are a little deaf in one
eye. Mr. Cantwell was nominated first."
"Cantwell! Cantwell!" shouted the supporters of Scott.
Ryder was perplexed. Common fairness required him to put the
question first upon the name of Cantwell; but he hesitated to do so.
It seemed absurd to make the student whom they desired to throw
out of the line of promotion the chairman of a meeting called for
that purpose. While he was in doubt, the opposition shouted,
indulging in hideous yells, cat-calls, and other demonstrations. It
was fun to them.
"Lieutenant De Forrest has been nominated for chairman," repeated
Ryder, when there was a lull in the confusion.
"Mr. Chairman, we go in for a fair thing," said Scott, in a loud but
good-natured tone. "Mr. Cantwell was nominated first."
"Mr. Chairman, I don't know of any rule which requires the presiding
officer to put any name first," interposed Beckwith. "If the meeting
is not satisfied with the one named by the chairman, it can be voted
down."
"But it looks more like a fair thing if the chairman puts the first name
mentioned," replied Scott. "If the meeting don't like it, it can be
voted down. If this thing is all cut and dried, I don't want anything
to do with it; and I invite all the fellows that are not in the ring to
step out and hold another meeting, where we can have fair play."
"Another meeting!" shouted at least twenty seamen, who, with
many others, seemed to regard the affair as a capital joke because it
was under the leadership of Scott, rather than because they could
see the point of it.
"No, no!" responded the officers. "Put Cantwell's name, Ryder."
"Mr. Cantwell is nominated," said the chairman; and the jokers were
delighted when they found they had carried their point; but Ryder
paused, and looked uneasily at the members of the ring.
"Vote for him," said Norwood. "Make him chairman, and that will
take the wind out of his sails. In the chair he can't oppose the plan,
and we can tell the principal, when we go to him, that Cantwell
presided over the meeting."
"Question!" shouted the officers.
"If it is your pleasure that Mr. Cantwell serve you as chairman of this
meeting, you will manifest it by saying,'Ay.'"
"Ay!" yelled nearly the whole crowd.
"Those opposed, 'No,'" continued the chairman.
"No!" replied a few, who did not understand the tactics of the ring.
"It is a vote," said Ryder, "and Mr. Cantwell is elected chairman of
this meeting."
"I move you that a committee of two, consisting of Lieutenant De
Forrest and Mr. Beckwith, be appointed to conduct him to the chair,"
shouted Scott.
"You hear the motion of Mr. Scott; those in favor will say, 'Ay;' those
opposed, 'No.' It is a vote," said the temporary chairman, disgusted
with the proceedings.
De Forrest and Beckwith conducted the obnoxious fourth master to
the chair, which was the flat rock. As Cantwell mounted the natural
rostrum, the jokers applauded lustily, and the ring felt that the
proceedings were already turned into a farce. Of course Cantwell
was more astonished than any one else to find his merits so highly
appreciated.
"Gentlemen, I thank you most heartily for the honor, unsought and
unexpected on my part, which you have conferred upon me," said
he, removing his cap. "I shall endeavor to preside impartially over
the deliberations of this meeting. The chair awaits any motion."
"Mr. Chairman," said De Forrest, who, after his defeat, had been
delegated by the officers to present the business to the meeting.
"Lieutenant De Forrest," replied Cantwell.
The originator of the plan for changing the "tenure of office" made
quite a lengthy speech, in which he set forth the advantages to be
derived from the adoption of the new method of filling the offices of
the highest grade. Of course he carefully abstained from any allusion
to the real objection to the present system, and would have done so
even if Cantwell had not been chosen chairman. His statement of
the plan was certainly a very clear one, and the subject was fully
understood by every student.
"And now, Mr. Chairman, having fully explained the plan, which has
been approved by a large number of the officers and seamen of the
squadron," continued De Forrest, "I move that a committee of three
be raised, to wait on the principal, and request him to make this
change in the manner of filling the office of commodore of the
squadron, and of captain, first, second, third, and fourth lieutenant
of each vessel."
"Mr. Chairman," said Beckwith, who had been selected to second the
motion, "I rise—"
"No, you don't," interposed Scott; "you haven't got up yet."
"I rise—"
"You were up before," persisted Scott; and a round of applause
followed the interruption.
"Mr. Chairman, I second the motion," said Beckwith, who, however,
was unable to make the little speech he had arranged in his mind
favoring the proposed change, for the laugh and the applause which
followed Scott's sally had sadly disconcerted him.
The chairman stated the motion, and the question upon its adoption
was fairly before the meeting. Several of the officers spoke in favor
of it, and even the commodore, the captain, and the first lieutenant
gave it the weight of their powerful influence. Two of the "short
jackets" also briefly addressed the meeting in favor of the plan; and
thus far the agitators had it all their own way.
"Question!" called some of the ring.
"Mr. Chairman!" shouted Scott, in a tone loud enough to be heard at
the farther side of the island, where the adults of the squadron were
enjoying the quiet beauty of the scene.
"Mr. Scott," replied the chairman, recognizing and bowing to the
joker.
"Question! question!" shouted some of the officers, who were
inclined to retaliate upon the joker by using his own tactics.
"Mr. Scott has the floor," interposed the chairman.
"Thank you, Mr. Chairman; but I'm not to be floored so easily. Every
fellow that knows me knows that I go in for fair play."
"That's so," cried the crowd of his supporters, with a round of
applause.
"And what I give to others I ask for myself," continued Scott. "I'm a
modest fellow." (Tumultuous applause.) "I'm a modest fellow, Mr.
Chairman, and it gores my soul to feel compelled to speak of my
own merit; but this whole thing is a conspiracy against my rights."
("Hear, hear.") "I have belonged to the ship about a year; I haven't
the purser's books in my trousers' pocket, and can't say to a day
how long, but about a year. I have faithfully discharged every duty,
and even done a great many things that were not required of me. I
have eaten my grub with untiring fidelity, except when I was seasick
at the beginning." (Applause.) "I have slept my eight hours out of
the twenty-four with exemplary diligence and punctuality; and even
done more than this, when the emergency seemed to require it,
without grumbling." (Applause.) "I have kept my watch below
without flinching." (Applause.) "I have worn my pea-jacket in cold
and heavy weather without deeming it a hardship." (Applause.) "I
have never objected to going on shore to see a city, or to take a
tramp in the country, or to go 'on a time' of any sort." (Applause.)
"Indeed, I have always been willing to make myself as comfortable
as the circumstances would permit. And I have tried to use every
fellow about right, the officers as well as the seamen. I have helped
the fellows spend their money, when they needed my assistance"
(applause), "for I don't like to be selfish about these things. When a
fellow had any cake, fruit, or other good thing, I have taken hold like
a man, and helped him eat it." ("That's so," shouted several.) "I
have always been willing to let any fellow get my lessons for me, or
do my share in holy-stoning the deck. When any petty officer, having
a soft thing in the way of duty, such as coxswain of a boat, on a long
pull, was sick, I have always been willing to take his place, and not
charge him anything, either." (Applause.) "It's my nature to be
unselfish; and I would do as much for the captain, or any other
officer, as for a seaman."
"Mr. Chairman, I rise to a point of order," interposed Beckwith.
"Will the gentleman state his point?"
"That the gentleman is not speaking to the question," snapped the
first master, who was determined, if possible, to get even with Scott.
"The speaker stated in the beginning that the proposed measure,
and the action of this meeting in connection therewith, were a
conspiracy against his rights; and the chair decides that he is in
order," said the chairman, with dignity.
"But, sir, must we listen to his biography?" demanded Beckwith.
"Mr. Chairman, it is as painful for me to rehearse my own virtues
before this large audience as it is for him to hear me; and the
sacrifice which I make in doing so ought to be appreciated by the
gentleman on the other side." (Applause.)
"I appeal from the decision of the chair," said Beckwith.
"First Master Beckwith appeals from the decision of the chair,"
continued Cantwell, who proceeded to state the point at issue, and,
taking advantage of the privilege of his position, gave his reasons at
length for ruling that Scott was in order.
Most of the seamen of the ship and of the consorts enjoyed the fun,
and wished Scott to go on. When the question of order was put, a
large majority sustained the decision of the chair. Cantwell began to
feel that he had a host of friends, and that the plot of the officers
would be defeated.
"Mr. Scott has the floor, and may proceed with his remarks," said he,
when the vote was declared.
"I trust I have shown conclusively that I am a good fellow,"
continued Scott. (Hearty applause.) "Now, to apply what I had said
when I was so ungenerously interrupted, if I am a good fellow, I
deserve to be the captain, or at least one of the lieutenants, of the
ship" (rapturous applause), "provided I get a greater number of
merit marks than any other fellow; of course I don't expect to wink
the marks out of sight. Not long since I made a little excursion
through Sweden with some friends of mine, without exactly running
away. The fact was, we couldn't find the ship, though we searched
diligently for her." (Applause, and cries of "Finkel.") "I hear 'Finkel.'
Finkel was there, and had a finger in the pie. Now, no one can tell
how many merits I got for that excursion, and for my struggles to
find the ship; nor how many I got for the glass of finkel I drank,
which, I grant, deranged my ideas. Then I was caught asleep on the
anchor watch, and neither you nor I know how many merit marks I
had for that. We are not permitted to examine the record books of
the instructors, and therefore we cannot know how high we are
marked for any recitation or exercise; but, Mr. Chairman, I got high
this month" (violent applause), "and therefore I ought to have a high
office. At any rate, Mr. Chairman, the highest office lies between you
and me; and I think all present, who have considered the matter, will
agree that it belongs to one of us" ("Hear, hear"), "and my modesty
does not permit me to indicate which one. And now, Mr. Chairman,
within three days of the end of the month, when the prize of a noble
ambition is almost within my grasp, comes this cruel conspiracy to
rob me of reward!"
Scott was trying to imitate Forrest, or some other great tragic actor
whom he had seen, in the last clause of his speech, and the
students were convulsed with laughter at his deep tones and wild
gestures. He continued a few moments longer in the same strain,
being frequently interrupted by applause and other demonstrations.
"And now, Mr. Chairman, I have done. If my shipmates will thus
sting me to death when I am almost at the pinnacle of a noble
ambition, I can only yield, as the noble Caesar did when he declared
that Brutus ate two slapjacks for his breakfast. I shall fall, not by my
own fault, but, like Caesar, by the madness of ambitious office-
seekers. But I shall fall free from the taint of dishonor—scot-free."
The orator wiped his brow with his coat sleeve, having left his
handkerchief in the pocket of his pea-jacket, while the applause of
the seamen rang through the island groves and over the silent sea.
De Forrest was angry when he saw that the proceedings of the
meeting were turned into a farce, and he made haste to reply to
Scott's effective speech. The only point he made was, that the last
speaker had no expectation of obtaining the lowest cabin office, or
even of being the coxswain of the fourth cutter, and therefore his
argument was simply ridiculous.
"I should like to ask the third lieutenant if I did not say that the
highest office lay between the chairman of the meeting and myself,"
demanded Scott.
"Yes, yes," shouted a score.
"He did; but he spoke of a conspiracy against his own rights," replied
De Forrest.
"What is the right of one student, Mr. Chairman, is the right of every
one," said Scott—a sentiment which was warmly applauded.
"Question!" shouted the jokers.
The ring, trusting that the impression produced before the meeting
by personal appeal had not been destroyed by the orator of the
opposition, permitted the vote to be taken on the main question;
and, indeed, Scott's party would not permit anything else to be
done. The chairman stated the motion again, which was the
appointment of a committee of three to request the principal to
adopt the plan of De Forrest.
"Those in favor of the motion will manifest it by saying, 'Ay,'" said
Cantwell.
"Ay!" replied the affirmative members of the meeting.
"Those opposed, 'No.'"
"No!" yelled the jokers, with all the power of their lungs.
It was impossible to determine which side had the majority; but as
the "noes" made the most noise, the chairman decided that it was
not a vote.
"I doubt the vote," shouted De Forrest, much excited.
"The vote is doubted," said the chairman. "Those in favor of the
motion will muster on the right of the chair; those opposed, on the
left."
Cantwell then appointed four tellers, two from each side. Two of
them, one for, and one against, the measure, were then directed to
count the number on each side.
"Form a line, and march between the tellers to be counted," added
the chairman.
The business was done fairly, for each party was watching the other.
The tellers on each side, after comparing their results, and finding
that they agreed, were ready to report.
"How many in the affirmative?" asked the chairman.
"Eighty-eight," replied one of the tellers.
"In the negative?"
"Eighty-one," replied one of the tellers for that side.
"Eighty-eight having voted in the affirmative, and eighty-one in the
negative, the motion is carried," said the chairman. "The next
business in order is the appointment of the committee. How shall
they be chosen?"
"By the chair," shouted Scott.
"Second the motion," added a student.
"It is moved and seconded that the committee be nominated by the
chair."
"Mr. Chairman, it does not seem to me to be exactly right that the
committee should be nominated by the chairman, who is opposed to
the plan," suggested Beckwith.
"The chairman has not yet indicated whether he is in favor or
opposed to the plan," said Cantwell, with a contemptuous curl of his
lips and nose. "He intends to be entirely impartial in the discharge of
his duty."
A shout of applause from the opposition followed this remark.
"The student who spoke against the plan mentioned the chairman in
the same category with himself."
"The chairman did not authorize him to do so," answered Cantwell.
"Question!" shouted the jokers.
"The question is called for, which is, that the chairman nominate the
committee."
The vote was taken and doubted. The count, by tellers, as before,
resulted in a tie; for several who had voted for the plan, moved by
the apparent impartiality of the chairman, broke loose from party
discipline, and voted with the other side.
"The chair votes in the affirmative, and the motion is carried," said
Cantwell, as soon as the tellers had reported. "The chair nominates
Lieutenants Judson and Norwood, and Mr. Scott. The question is
upon the confirming of the nomination of the chair."
"Mr. Chairman, Scott is opposed to the plan which this meeting has
voted to recommend," interposed De Forrest.
"The chair is aware of the fact, and for that reason nominated him,"
replied Cantwell. "The committee stand two in favor to one opposed
to the plan."
"How can one opposed to the plan, as Scott is, ask the principal to
adopt it?" demanded De Forrest.
"As I understood the matter, this committee is to represent this
meeting. Is it right that a committee unanimously in favor of the
plan should represent a meeting in which the plan was adopted by a
majority of only seven in a vote of one hundred and sixty-nine? Is it
intended the committee shall represent to the principal that this
meeting is unanimously in favor of the proposed change?"
"Certainly not."
"I have nominated a committee the majority of whom are in favor of
the measure. In my view this is all that parliamentary rule requires
of me. The question is upon confirming the nomination."
The question was taken, and the vote doubted again; but the
nomination was confirmed by a majority of two.
"Is there any further business to come before this meeting?" asked
the chairman.
"I move that the meeting be dissolved," said Scott.
The motion was put and carried. The students separated into little
squads, and of course nothing else was talked about the rest of the
day but the meeting. Scott, from a humble joker, found himself
suddenly transformed into a hero, and a person of no little influence
among the students. The ring were astonished and disconcerted at
the result of the meeting; and the victory they had gained was so
nearly a defeat that there were no rejoicings over it. De Forrest
could hardly tell whether his party was triumphant or not.
"What do you mean, Scott?" demanded Beckwith, when the
commodore had ordered all hands to be piped into the boats, and
the students were walking down to the shore.
"I told you I would do the right thing, and I've done it. Wasn't it a
fair thing—square and aboveboard?"
"It wasn't a fair thing to nominate Cantwell for chairman."
"If you didn't like him, why didn't you vote him down?" asked Scott.
"I think everything has been fairly done."
"Perhaps it was. Allow that it was. Why did you get up an opposition
to the plan?" demanded Beckwith, rather warmly.
"What do I care for the plan? You nobs in the cabin got up a ring,
and all you wanted of the steerage fellows was to give up their
rights. I have just as good a right to be a lieutenant next month as
you have, if my marks give me the place. It is only a game of the
ring to keep the best places among yourselves; that's all."
"Do you want Cantwell for your captain?" demanded Beckwith.
"I had just as lief have him captain as fourth master. He is over me
just the same. But I am not sure he is half so bad a fellow as you
make him out to be."
"I don't say he is bad, only that he is a conceited and disagreeable
fellow, and no seaman. We don't want a fellow of that sort over us."
"We in the steerage have him over us now, and shall have him, any
way you can fix it. He thinks pretty well of No. 1, I know, and so do
some of the rest of the cabin nobs. I'm not clear yet that he is no
seaman. I go for giving him the same chance that the rest of the
fellows have. Then, if he don't do his duty, and behave like a
gentleman, it will be time enough to do something."
"Then I'm to understand, Scott, that you have sold out to Cantwell."
"Did any of you cabin swells think you owned me?" laughed Scott.
"I saw you talking with Cantwell."
"Very likely Cantwell saw me talking with you. What does that
prove?" retorted Scott.
"But he's a very unpopular fellow. There isn't a fellow in the ship
that likes him."
"I don't, for one," added Scott, with refreshing candor.
"And yet you have got up this opposition, and nearly, if not quite,
defeated our plan. He ought to be very grateful to you."
"I don't think he ought to be thrown overboard, or deprived of his
rights, because he is not popular. When I saw that his brother
officers were down upon him, I was rather inclined to stand by him,
for, as I told you, I generally go in for the bottom dog. I believe in
fair play for every fellow, whether he is popular or not. I wouldn't
kick a dog because he didn't belong to anybody."
"You are on the committee, Scott."
"I have the honor; and I shall see that Cantwell has fair play before
the principal."
"You have done enough, Scott; why can't you keep still now, and let
the thing take its course?" added Beckwith, in an insinuating tone.
"And let Cantwell slip up, you mean?"
"What do you care for Cantwell? You don't like him any better than
any other fellow. If you will only keep still, the chairman of the
committee will simply represent to the principal that a majority of
the students desire the change," persisted Beckwith.
"And the next question he will ask will be, how the vote stood. If he
don't ask it, he isn't the fair man I have always taken him to be.
Besides, the chairman put me on that committee to represent the
opinions of the minority; and I'm going to do it."
"The opinions of the minority!" sneered Beckwith. "That is all bosh.
They haven't any opinions about it. You made your ridiculous speech
as a joke, and the minority took it up as a joke. They don't want
Cantwell to be captain any more than we do."
"That may be; but if they cut his nose off now, they may cut off
their own next month, just to make a soft thing for you nobs in the
cabin. Now, I want to tell you one thing, Becky—"
"Don't call me Becky; I'm not a girl," interposed the first master.
"I beg your pardon: Mr. Beckwith."
"I don't ask you to call me mister when off duty, either. You wanted
to tell me one thing."
"I'm not anxious to tell you anything; but, if I were Cantwell, I
should rather hope that the principal would grant the request, and
make the change."
"Do you think he could ever be elected to any office?"
"Perhaps not under ordinary circumstances; but if you cabin nobs
will only persecute him a little, only try to keep him out of his rights
by De Forrest's plan, he can be elected captain the very next month.
You see we fellows throw seventy-two votes in the steerage, and
forty-five is a majority of the whole ship's company. If any fourth-
rate politician on shore can only get himself persecuted, he can be
elected to Congress, for sympathy will do more than merit."
"You needn't tell me that the fellows in the steerage are going to
elect Cantwell to any office. He couldn't be chosen fourth lieutenant,
to say nothing of captain," protested Beckwith. "I believe you have
lost your wits, Scott."
"Perhaps I have; but you haven't found them. If you get the plan
adopted, we will try it on a little."
"What do you mean by that?"
"If De Forrest's plan is adopted, either Cantwell or I will be elected
captain."
"You! You would not even be a candidate under the new rule."
"Say Cantwell, then."
"It is absurd! There is hardly a fellow in the ship that does not hate
him, except you."
"I don't hate him, or any other fellow. But go ahead; there will be
fun and a lively time," said Scott, as they separated to take their
places in the boats.
The students and others embarked, and, as the instructors were
now with them, nothing more was said about the proposed changes.
The squadron of sixteen boats pulled out from the island, and,
forming in order, rowed to the several vessels which were anchored
a couple of miles distant. As soon as the boys were on board, the
exciting topic was renewed. After supper Scott was notified of a
meeting of the committee in the after cabin: but the regulations of
the ship did not permit him to go there, being only a seaman. Scott,
of course, did not appear, though, attempting to enter the cabin, he
was ordered by the principal to go forward. He obeyed, and was
satisfied that the rest of the committee intended to ignore him, or
they would not appoint a meeting where he could not attend.
In the cabin, at eight bells, the majority of the committee met.
Norwood was not in favor of acting without Scott; but De Forrest
and Beckwith advised them to do so. It was not proper for officers to
meet in the steerage; and they had accommodated the majority. It
was decided to wait upon the principal forthwith, and Scott was duly
notified of the intention. The joker, when the messenger gave him
the second notice, was engaged at an impromptu indignation
meeting, in which he was informing his audience that a meeting of
the committee had been called in the cabin, where he could not
attend. He considered it an indignity to him, and to the cause of
which he was the representative and the champion. After consulting
Cantwell, he decided not to wait upon the principal with the rest of
the committee. After certain explanations which Scott made, and
certain schemes of future action which he suggested, the fourth
master was entirely satisfied with the proposition.
The majority of the committee waited upon the principal in the main
cabin, and fully stated the proposed changes in the "tenure of
office," in the ship and in the two consorts.
"You represent a meeting of all the officers and seamen of the
squadron—do you?" asked Mr. Lowington.
"Yes, sir; all the officers and all the seamen of each vessel were
present," replied Judson, the chairman of the committee.
"Was the vote by which you were appointed unanimous?"
"No, sir; it was not."
"What was the vote?"
"Eighty-eight to eighty-one."
"A majority of only seven."
"But the minority were really in favor of the plan, as we ascertained
before the meeting," explained Judson, who then related the
particulars of the gathering, giving the details of Scott's speech, at
which the principal was much amused.
"The students voted against the plan just to carry out the joke,"
added Norwood. "Scott was appointed on this committee, and was
notified, but he does not appear."
"I think I understand the matter," replied Mr. Lowington. "I will
consider the plan on its own merits, though substantially the same
system has occupied my attention several times before, and I am
not wholly unprepared for it. I will give you my decision on the first
day of the month."
The committee retired, satisfied with the result of the interview, and
hopeful that the plan would be adopted.
CHAPTER III.
FINLAND AND THE AGITATORS.
The day which followed the excited meeting of officers and seamen
on the island was Sunday, and the agitation of the subject which
disturbed the ship's company in a measure ceased. The religious
services were held on shore, in the shade of a pleasant grove, and
the Bible classes gathered in favored spots chosen by the teachers.
After these exercises were finished in the afternoon, a couple of
hours were spent upon the island. Little groups gathered together to
walk, or to engage in conversation, while single ones, here and
there, enjoyed their own thoughts. Cantwell and Scott seated
themselves on a rock near the water, and seemed to be talking
together very earnestly. On such occasions the brilliant student
usually remained alone, not because he was brilliant, but because
his shipmates were inclined to shun his companionship. He was
really grateful to Scott for the signal service he had rendered him the
day before, not in defeating the new plan, for that had not yet been
accomplished, but in preventing him from being wholly ignored, and
for making him chairman of the meeting. He had sought the present
interview himself.
"Of course these proceedings were all directed against me," said
Cantwell, after the subject had been introduced.
"No doubt of it," replied Scott, candidly.
"I don't know why my shipmates should be so prejudiced against
me."
"Don't you?" asked the joker, rather incredulously.
"I do not; I certainly have not injured them."
"You won't get mad if I tell you—will you?"
"No; surely not," protested Cantwell.
"I'll tell you, then."
"I shall be much obliged to you, if you will."
"I don't know; I'm afraid you won't be," laughed Scott.
"I am sincere; and whatever you say, I shall believe you intend to do
me a kindness."
"That's so. The fellows are prejudiced against you because you are
selfish, conceited, overbearing, and tyrannical," said Scott, squarely.
"You don't mean all that; you only repeat what you have heard
others say."
"I do repeat what I have heard others say, and I'm bound to add
that I believe it myself. When you give an order, you do it just as
though you were a superior being; as though you were everybody,
and I were nobody—that's so."
"I was not aware of it."
"Then you put on airs, even in the cabin, and with your superior. You
go in for the breast of the chickens, and drown your coffee with the
last gill of milk in the ship."
Cantwell bit his lips, and seemed to be very much annoyed.
"Then you think you know everything, and other fellows nothing.
You are willing to give your own opinion, but you won't hear that of
others," continued Scott, as bluntly as the case seemed to require.
"Go on; but of course you don't expect me to acknowledge all these
charges," replied Cantwell, with one of his most savage sneers.
"Do as you like about that; I was only telling you why the fellows are
prejudiced against you. You talk and act superciliously to your ship
mates, and they don't like that sort of thing. I don't, for one."
"I am sorry you don't."
"Do you like a fellow that treats you with contempt?"
"Of course not; but that's what my shipmates do to me."
"In self-defence, perhaps, they do. I suppose every fellow has his
faults, except me. I don't know that I have any," replied Scott, with
one of his telling smiles.
"You don't?"
"No; do you suppose you have any, Mr. Cantwell?"
"I suppose so; but not so many as most of my shipmates, I know."
"Exactly so; you admit the little things, so as to deny the big ones."
"I know I am a better scholar than any other student in the cabin.
They all know this, or they would not have raised this breeze."
"Better let others find that out before you discover it yourself. One
thing more: the officers say you are no seaman, and they don't want
a fellow in command of the ship who don't know his duty. No officer
likes to have one above him who knows less than he does about
seamanship."
"I don't suppose I know as much about a ship as those students
who have been on board two or three years; but I think I am
competent to perform my duty, at least with the advice of the
principal, in any position."
"I have told you all I know about it."
"And some things that you don't know," added Cantwell, who could
not believe that he was such a person as the joker had described.
"Just as you please about that."
"But I wish you to understand that I think you have been very fair
and candid; and I am very much obliged to you for your plain
speech, however disagreeable it may be to me."
"You are welcome to it," laughed Scott.
"Now, do you think the principal will make the change asked for by
the committee?"
"I don't know; but I hope he will."
"You hope so!"
"Yes; and if he does, we will show those cabin nobs that 'fair play is
a jewel,'" answered Scott, significantly.
The conversation continued until the students were piped into the
boats.
The next morning exercises in seamanship were in order throughout
the squadron, for the principal was aware that this element of the
course had received but little attention during the month. Every
officer and seaman in each vessel was required to perform his duty
in getting under way, in making and furling sail, and coming to
anchor. Evolutions in reefing, tacking, wearing, scudding, laying to,
bending sails, and sending down topmasts, were performed, and
each student marked according to his merit. In addition to this, each
student was separately examined in problems in seamanship; and
his knowledge of the standing and running rigging of a ship, bark,
brig, hermaphrodite brig, schooner, and sloop, was tested. This
examination was very carefully conducted, and the same questions
were put to every boy. The crew were all sent below at the
beginning, and four were called up at a time, so that no one could
know in advance what the questions were to be. Only the simpler
problems were required to be answered at this trial.
The principal, the boatswain, carpenter, and sail-maker, all of whom
were thorough practical seamen, were the examiners.
Mr. Lowington and Peaks, the boatswain, were on each side of the
mainmast, the carpenter at the foremast, and the sail-maker at the
mizzenmast, though each was obliged to take his pupil to the
different parts of the ship in the course of the examination. The
questions were such as these:—
"Point out the main-topmast stay, the main-topmast back-stay, the
weather main clew-garnet, the fore-sheet and fore-tack, with the
wind on the port beam.
"What is a pendant, a lift, a horse, a gasket, a jewel-block?
"How would you take in a topsail, wind fresh?
"How would you furl a royal?
"How would you reef a topsail?
"How would you turn out the reefs of a topsail?
"If two vessels are approaching each other, one by the wind, the
other going free, what is the rule for each?
"Make a square knot, a timber hitch, a bowling knot, a clove hitch, a
short splice."
For the last requirement two bits of rope were given to each
student, who was directed to bring in his work to the examiner, with
a card on which his name was written attached to it. The knots and
hitches were made with a whale line on a handspike. The other
questions were answered orally, or by pointing out the part of the
rigging indicated. There were twenty questions in the list, and the
promptness, as well as the accuracy, of the answers or the work was
to be considered in marking the value of them. If a student was
obliged to try two or three times before he could make a square
knot, or a clove hitch, he was marked lower. If he did what he was
required without hesitation, he had five for each question; if not, he
was marked lower, for seamen have no time to deliberate. Though
the examination was a very simple and easy one, no student
obtained above ninety, and several were below fifty. Most of the
officers had over seventy. Captain Lincoln had ninety, and Cantwell
only fifty-two, though none of them knew the results till the first of
the next month. The addition of these marks to the merit roll for the
month made some important changes in the relative standing of the
students.
"What do you say now?" inquired Scott, when he met Beckwith,
after supper.
"I say just the same that I have always said," replied the first
master.
"Do you still desire to have the higher officers chosen by ballot?"
"Certainly I do."
"But the fellows all say that Cantwell can't well be captain or first
lieutenant when to-day's marks are added in."
"No matter for that; I still think that it is better to vote for the
captain and lieutenants."
"Just as you like; but I think you miss it."
"I don't believe I do," answered the first master, walking away.
The results of the examination were not known to the students; but
they were speculated over and guessed at very freely. It was
generally admitted that Cantwell's chances for either of the first two
offices, were lost for the next month; but it was certain that, if he
were not thrown off the track, he would be captain in two or three
months, when he had brought up his seamanship to the proper
standard. Indeed, the agitation had already roused the obnoxious
officer to a realizing sense of his own deficiency, and stimulated him
to make an earnest effort to acquire the needed knowledge. From
that time he used all his spare hours in studying the nautical books
in the library. For hours he pored over the large diagrams of a ship,
in which the spars, sails, and rigging were explained. The old
boatswain appeared to be his best friend, so much were they
together; for Peaks delighted to instruct a willing pupil.
On the last day of the month the squadron sailed for Åbo, in Finland.
During the week the vessels had remained among the islands; they
had been working gradually to the eastward, till it was only a short
run to this port. The town is on the Aurajoki River, about three miles
from the Gulf of Bothnia. The squadron came to anchor off the
mouth of the river, near the village of Boxholm. The steamers and
small vessels go up to the town, but large craft are obliged to
discharge their cargoes at this place. On a hill which commands the
entrance to the river there is a fort, which is also a prison—an
ancient structure with the ruins of a watch-tower, which has stood
for centuries. Many of the houses on the shore were painted red,—
as in the country towns of New England fifty years ago,—and were
occupied by fishermen and laborers. The students, who had been in
the solitudes of nature for a week, and had hardly seen a living
creature, or anything connected with civilized life, were interested in
observing every indication of civilization in the vicinity. For the time,
even the exciting topic of the change in the "tenure of office" was
dropped. Scott, who had been quietly at work ever since the
meeting at the picnic, suspended his labors, and made queer
comments upon the old castle, the boats, and the people around the
ship. Though there was actually a village in sight, it did not entirely
remove the impression from the minds of many of the students that
they were almost "out of the world," for the oppressive fact that
they were in sixty and a half degrees of north latitude was not
entirely removed by the fort, the village, and the people.
"All hands, attend lecture!" shouted the boatswain, as his shrill pipe
rang through the ship, and was repeated in the two consorts.
"Lecture!" exclaimed Scott. "That's too bad! What does the professor
think we are made of? We have been patient and long-suffering in
the matter of lectures, and I didn't suppose we were to be dosed
with any more till we got to Russia."
"We are in Russia now," replied Laybold.
"Not much, if my soundings are correct. Finland isn't Russia, any
more than the Dominion of Canada is Great Britain. It is subject to
Russia, but the people here make their own laws, or at least have a
finger in the pie, which they don't under the nose of the Czar. Do
you see that big fish, Laybold?"
"What fish?" asked the other.
"Why, that one near the shore. He is over five feet long."
Scott pointed at a man who had just taken a small boy on his back,
and was wading out to a boat, with a man on each side of him.
"I don't see any fish," added Laybold, straining his eyes as he gazed
earnestly in the direction indicated by his companion.
"Don't you? Then you are a little blind in one of your ears. There he
goes towards the boat."
"What is it?" asked several others.
"A big fish," replied Scott, demurely.
"I see some men, but no fish," said Laybold.
"There, he has stopped by the boat."
"That isn't a fish; it's a man."
"I tell you it is a fish. Do you think I don't know a fish when I see
one."
"Nonsense!" shouted the others. "It's a man."
"I say he is a fish. Don't you see that he has a Finn on his back, and
Finns each side of him?" returned Scott.
"You get out!" shouted Jones. "A fellow that will deliberately make a
pun isn't fit to live in polite society."
"Then I'm finished for polite society," added Scott; "though I don't
see how you know anything about it, for you never were there, or
your manners belie you. By the way, did you know that our
government had sent over to this country for a fortune-teller, or seer
—one of those fellows they used to have in Scotland?"
"What for?" asked Laybold.
"They want to make him secretary of the treasury."
"Why so?" inquired Jones.
"Because they need a financier; for the fellow would certainly be
one. There, do you see that French conjunction on the shore? Hear
him bark."
"That is a dog," protested Laybold.
"What of it? Isn't it afin que? Well, those are strange people,"
continued Scott, shaking his head.
"What's the matter with them?"
"Matter? Did you oversee the 'finny tribe' walking about on shore
before?"
"You are a monster, Scott," laughed Jones.
"Yes, a sea-monster; and if I were monarch of all I surveyed, I
should have plenty of Finns. Do you suppose those women have any
nephews and nieces?" asked Scott, still gazing at the group of men,
women, and children, who had gathered on the beach to see the
squadron.
"Of course they have."
"Then we must go on shore and be introduced to them."
"But we can't speak Finnish."
"In that case we shall be obliged to finish speaking."
"But why should we be introduced to the 'women with nephews and
nieces?'"
"Because it is eminently proper and right that American young
gentlemen should be acquainted with finance. The boats are
coming, and I am like that shed on the beach."
"I don't see it."
"Yes—Finnish shed. Come, tumble down the hatchway," said Scott,
as he led the way to the steerage.
Mr. Mapps, the instructor in geography and history, was already at
his post, which post was the foremast of the ship, whereon was
hung a large map of Finland, drawn by himself on the back side of
another map, with black paint and a marking brush; for he had not
been able to find a printed one on a large scale. The students from
the consorts soon appeared, and a few raps with the professor's
pointer procured silence.
"Where are we now, young gentlemen?" he began.
"Here, sir," responded Scott.
"A little more definitely, if you please."
"Eastern hemisphere, sir," added Scott.
"Excellent; but couldn't you venture to come a little nearer to the
point."
"Near Åbo, in Finland," said another student.
"Right; but the little ring which you see over the A in the printed
name of the town makes the pronunciation as though it were written
O-bo. The proper style of the country is the Grand Duchy of Finland;
and in his relations to it, the Czar of Russia has been called the
Emperor Grand Duke. The Finnish name of the country is Suomema,
which means 'the region of lakes.' You see, by a glance at the map,
—which is rather rudely drawn,—that this is the character of the
country, even to a greater degree than in Norway and Sweden. It
has the Gulf of Bothnia on the west, and the Gulf of Finland on the
south, with Finmark, a province of Norway, on the north, and Russia
proper on the east."
"But where is Lapland?" asked a student.
"Lapland is a region which belongs to Russia and Norway, and part
of it is included in Finland. The name is not applied to a political
division, but to the country of a particular people. Finland has about
one hundred and forty thousand square miles of territory; about the
size of Montana Territory, more than half as large as Texas, or
eighteen times as large as Massachusetts. Its population is about the
same as this last state—in round numbers, one million four hundred
thousand. A large portion of the country is a desolate region. In the
southern part; the soil is good, and in former times Finland was the
granary of Sweden; but its agriculture has since declined. Vast
forests cover a considerable portion of its territory, and the lumber
from them is the principal source of wealth to the people, who are
also largely engaged in the fisheries. There are some extensive
cotton and iron manufactures. All the principal towns are on the
coast, except Tavastehus; but the largest place, Helsingfor, has only
sixteen thousand inhabitants.
"Not much is known of the early history of Finland; but the country
was governed in tribes by chiefs, or kings. They took to the water
very naturally, and became pirates, harassing the Swedes to such a
degree, that Eric, their king, sent an expedition to Finland in the
twelfth century, where he established Swedish colonies, and
introduced Christianity. One of the colonies was planted here in Åbo,
where the first Christian church in the country was built. From this
time the Swedes and Finns blended, and the history of Finland was
merged in that of Sweden. Birger Jarl built Tavastehus, and
confirmed the conquest. But Russia coveted this desolate region,
and first conquered Wyborg, its most eastern province, and the
Finns fought with Sweden in the various wars with her powerful
neighbor. The people suffered terribly from these wars, and from
famine. From 1692 to 1696, sixty thousand perished from famine in
the province of Åbo alone. In the wars of Charles XII., thousands of
Finns were sacrificed, and five regiments of them were killed or
captured during the march into the Ukraine, and in the battle of
Pultowa. After this battle, in 1709, in which Charles XII. was totally
defeated, the Russians invaded the whole of Finland, and held it
until 1721, when, with the exception of Wyborg, it was restored to
Sweden.
"In 1741 the Swedes made an attempt to recover what they had
lost, but utterly failed. Again, in 1788, Gustavus III., commanding
the Swedish army in person, tried to regain the ancient province of
Wyborg; but a conspiracy at home compelled him to return, and the
favorable opportunity was lost. In 1790 the king renewed the attack
by sea, and his fleet of thirty-eight vessels was blockaded at Wyborg
by a Russian squadron of fifty-one ships. The Swedes cut their way
out of the trap, but with the loss of fifteen ships. The fleet, reduced
by these heavy losses, was again attacked by the Russians in
overwhelming force; but the result was a glorious victory for the
Swedes, in which their enemy lost fifty-three vessels and four
thousand men. This event ended the war for the time, and a treaty
honorable to the Swedes was signed. In 1808 Finland was again
invaded by the Russians, without even the formality of a declaration
of war. The Swedes were unprepared for the contest, and slowly
retired to the north, fighting several battles, and gaining some
unimportant victories, but were completely overwhelmed in the
battle of Orawais. By the treaty which followed, all of Finland and
the Aland Islands were ceded to Russia.
"By a special grant of Alexander I., graciously renewed by his
successors, Finland retains her ancient constitution, which provides
for a national parliament. The right to legislate and impose taxes
upon the people is nominally in this body, but is really exercised by a
senate appointed by the Emperor Grand Duke. The executive power
is in the hands of a governor general, who represents the sovereign.
The people still retain their national customs and language, and
when you go on shore this afternoon, you will find very little that is
Russian. The money is in marks and pennies, with the decimal
system; and Russian paper is not current in Finland. A mark is worth
about twenty cents of our money, and four of them make one ruble,
the gold value of which is eighty cents. The currency of Russia in
actual circulation is all paper, so that the value of the ruble is
reduced about twenty per cent. Finland also has a paper currency,
which is of depreciated value, as is the case in all countries where
gold and silver are not in actual use."
The professor finished his lecture, and the students were about to
separate, when the stroke of the bell called them to order again, and
Mr. Lowington stepped upon the platform. The officers and seamen
were all attention in an instant, for it was expected that he would
say something upon the exciting subject which had been so
thoroughly discussed in all the vessels of the squadron.
"Young gentlemen," the principal began, "I have something to say to
you concerning the application which has been made to me to make
certain of the offices of the squadron elective. I have not the
slightest objection to the plan, if the elections can be fairly and
honorably conducted. I have considered the plan in substance,
which has been presented to me several times, and I like it, though
in its practical workings I think that grave objections will be
developed. By the present plan, one with very little experience and
very little seamanship may reach the highest offices, especially, as
will sometimes happen, when the nautical branch of the institution
receives less attention in any one month than the scholastic. By the
plan you propose, you may elect the least worthy of the officers to
the rank of captain. Votes may be bought and sold, and
electioneering excitements carried to excess. The plan in use has
worked very well, and I am not aware that any injustice has ever
been worked by it. It has always happened that the best and most
reliable students have attained the highest places; though I must
acknowledge that it may not always happen so. For a change, I am
willing to try your plan."
A demonstration of applause greeted this announcement, but it
came mainly from the officers.
"But I wish to say, that though I have considered substantially the
same plan several times, I should not now introduce it if you had not
asked for it. The present is certainly the fairest plan, for it places all
upon an absolute equality, and under it every officer is indebted
entirely to his own merit for his position, and not at all to the favor
of his instructors or his friends among the ship's company. A change,
therefore, is more properly inaugurated by you than by me.
"I am informed by the committee that the vote was not unanimous,
and one member of the committee did not choose to appear with
the delegation."
"He was notified of the meeting of the committee," said De Forrest.
"I was notified," replied Scott; "but the meeting of the committee
was held in the after cabin, which I am not permitted to enter."
The opposition applauded till the snap of the bell silenced them.
"This does not look exactly like fair play, especially as Scott is
supposed to represent the opposition to the change."
"He was notified of the time when the committee would wait upon
you, sir, in the main cabin, but he declined to attend," answered De
Forrest.
"If there was a preliminary meeting of the committee, he ought not
to have been excluded from it," added Mr. Lowington. "Your
proceedings must be revised, and the opposition must be heard."
"Mr. Lowington, as a member of the committee, I withdraw all
opposition," interposed Scott.
"I do not know that you are authorized to do so," replied the
principal; "but I am very glad to see this spirit of accommodation on
your part."
"I don't think the new plan is so fair as the old one; but I wish to
have a fair trial of it. The new method was got up by the nobs in the
cabin—"
"The what?" inquired the principal, with a smile.
"The nobs, sir."
"If by an accident, or by any extra exertion on your part, you were
elected to an office in the cabin, would you be a nob?"
"Yes, sir."
"Though you do not seem to use the word in an offensive sense, I
prefer some other form of expression. You say that the plan was
devised by the cabin officers."
"Yes, sir."
"But we consulted the seamen, and they agreed to the plan before
the meeting. It would have been a unanimous vote if Scott had not
got up an opposition just for the sake of a joke," said De Forrest,
rather bitterly.
"I opposed the thing in my own way, and I never agreed to it; but
we all consent to it now."
"Does any one object to it?" asked Mr. Lowington.
Cantwell looked at Scott, but the latter shook his head.
"If there is any objection, I desire to hear it now."
No one offered any objection.
"There being no opposition, with the understanding on my part that
unanimous consent is given to the plan, I will adopt it—"
Violent applause on the part of the officers and others interrupted
the principal, which was silenced by a stroke of the bell.
"I will adopt it with an amendment," added Mr. Lowington. "I will
explain the amendment. By the new plan, the offices of commodore,
captain, and lieutenant are made elective within certain limits. The
commodore must be elected from the three captains; the captain
must be chosen from the cabin officers of the vessel to which he
belongs. Now suppose, for example, that one of the lieutenants for
next month, relying upon his popularity among his shipmates for his
position the following month, neglects his studies; what check have
we upon him?"
There was no answer, for this case has not occurred to the agitators.
"Suppose the captain of this ship—but I grant in the beginning that
this is not a supposable case—should utterly fail in his duty so far as
study is concerned; you elect him captain or commodore, while the
present rule would send him back into the steerage. The
amendment I propose will correct this defect in your plan. It consists
of two sections," continued the principal, as he proceeded to read
from a paper in his hand. "1. No captain shall be eligible to the office
of commodore whose merit-rank is below No. 6 in the Young
America, or below No. 5 in the Josephine, or Tritonia. 2. No officer
shall be eligible to the office of captain or lieutenant whose merit-
rank is below No. 16 in the ship, or below No. 9 in the other vessels.
Are you satisfied with the amendment?"
"We are," replied the students.
"Then the merit-roll will be read and the elections take place to-
morrow, on the first day of the month," continued the principal. "We
will now go up to Åbo."
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