"now, gentlemen, sweeping a ship’s deck at sea is a piece of household work which in all times but raging gales is regularly attended to every evening; it has been known to be done in the case of ships actually foundering at the time. such, gentlemen, is the inflexibility of sea-usages and the instinctive love of neatness in seamen; some of whom would not willingly drown without first washing their faces. but in all vessels this broom business is the prescriptive province of the boys, if boys there be aboard. besides, it was the stronger men in the town-ho that had been divided into gangs, taking turns at the pumps; and being the most athletic seaman of them all, steelkilt had been regularly assigned captain of one of the gangs; consequently he should have been freed from any trivial business not connected with truly nautical duties, such being the case with his comrades. i mention all these particulars so that you may understand exactly how this affair stood between the two men.