Doctor at Sea

said. ‘They gets them big New Zealand boats through here easy enough. Look at all them bright lads we’ve got to help us.’
    I saw a chilly knot of longshoremen waiting to receive our ropes as we came into the lock: sad, damp Englishmen, their coat collars up to their sodden caps.
    ‘That one there’s been on the job for years,’ Easter said. ‘We calls him Knuckle’ Arry.’
    He pointed to a depressed-looking man with a long moustache standing still and holding a rope fender over the end of the jetty.
    ‘That’s an odd name. What’s his knuckles got to do with it?’
    ‘The knuckle’s what he’s standing on. Now you wait.’ As the Lotus drew near the stonework the pilot shouted from the bridge:’ Keep her off the knuckle,’ Arry!’ The man touched his cap, and solemnly manipulated his fender to save our paint. He then resumed his immobility in the thick rain.
    We passed the knuckle, the locks, the entrance to the dock; the tugs dragged us slowly down to our waiting berth; more men in caps and old overcoats secured our ropes to the quay; the ensign came down from the gaff and was rehoisted, in compliance with custom, on the stern jack-staff.
    ‘Lower away gangway!’ Hornbeam shouted from the bridge.
    The Lotus leant contentedly against the dock and, after three months all but five days, we were home.

    *

    There was a wonderful end-of-term spirit aboard. Everyone was packing up and behaving with the recklessness of men for whom there are no longer any consequences.
    We were paying-off, the morning after our arrival. Mr Cozens and his colleagues came aboard and treated us with cordial superiority, and we looked on them with good-humoured contempt. Cozens himself questioned me closely about the exit of Captain Hogg.
    ‘Very good, Doctor,’ he said. ‘I think you did entirely the correct thing. Our Sunflower is due at Teneriffe in three weeks’ time and she will bring him home. We have your successor for next trip - a Dr Gallyman. Do you know him?’
    ‘I’m sorry, I don’t.’
    Cozens sighed. ’I’m afraid he is a little on the old side,’ he said. ‘Retired from practice some years ago. I believe there was some trouble with the medical authorities, too...Still we must hope for the best. It’s so difficult getting doctors for these ships just now.’
    Apart from the office staff, the ship filled with taxi-drivers, luggage carters, laundrymen, dry cleaners, marine tailors, and haircutters, all of them pressing their services on the ship’s company before it dispersed. I shut the door of my cabin, looked despairingly at the empty cases and my curiously augmented possessions, and wondered how I was going to pack. I started with the volumes of War and Peace. I hadn’t got beyond the first page, but I had killed one hundred and thirty-two cockroaches with them. I was hesitantly fitting them into a case when Easter came in.
    ‘Letter for you, Doctor.’
    It was only the second one I had received since leaving Liverpool. It too was from the laundry.

    ‘Dear Sir (it said), Further to ours of November 28th. I have to inform you that your laundry has been sold to defray expenses of the wash. The sum received was 6s. 3d., which is 2s. 9d. less than your account. We would appreciate your settling this deficit at your earliest convenience .’

    Sadly I put the letter into my pocket.
    ‘Getting the loot packed, Doctor? 5 Easter asked.
    ‘I only wish I could.’
    ‘The Customs is pretty hot down here,’ he went on.’ Not like some ports I could mention. Get away with murder, you used to. So long as you bought your tickets for the police ball.’
    ‘What police ball?’
    ‘I remember once the old arm of the law putting his head round our cabin door and saying, “I’m sure as you gentlemen would like to come to the police ball.” Well, I knew the ropes, see, so I says, “Not ‘arf we wouldn’t. We’ve been thinking about it all voyage.” So he hands over tickets at a dollar a time - but you mustn’t take ‘em, like. I looks at mine and says,’ “Ho, constable, I regrets but what I have a previous engagement.” So he collects all the tickets back and flogs ‘em again in the next cabin. Mind you, he keeps the five bob.’
    ‘Well, I hardly think it worth while my making the investment. Apart from the junk I got at Teneriffe I’ve only some corned beef and a pair of nylons.’
    ‘That’s the ticket, Doctor! Girls round our way will do anything for a tin of corned beef. Show