The Adventures of Roderick Random

Jack Rattlin Recounts Oakum and Bowling’s Feud

A sentinel named Jack Rattlin revives the narrator and promises he will be transferred to HMS Thunder the next day to receive proper care. Upon learning the narrator’s connection to Lieutenant Bowling, Rattlin becomes friendly and shares a meal with him. Rattlin recounts the feud between Captain Oakum and Lieutenant Bowling: during a night watch, Bowling discovered three ships offshore and woke the sleeping captain, who flew into a rage and insulted him. They exchanged heated words, leading to a physical confrontation the next morning. When they met ashore for a duel, Bowling wounded Oakum severely and then fled, being subsequently listed as a deserter and losing all his pay.

Narrator Boards HMS Thunder, Faces Crew Mockery

The narrator and other pressed men are transferred to HMS Thunder at the Nore. After his handcuffs are removed, he is subjected to a barrage of sailors’ mockery as he climbs the gangplank, with remarks about his wounds being like uncaulked seams, his bloodied hair resembling red ropes, and his need for iron braces to keep his yards square.

Midshipman Abuses and Imprisons Narrator

On the middle deck, the narrator encounters the same midshipman who had mistreated him on the tender. When the midshipman demands to know who released the narrator from his chains, the narrator replies with barely concealed resentment. The midshipman beats him severely with a supple jack, then reports him to the commanding officer, resulting in the narrator’s immediate imprisonment in irons.

Narrator Exonerated, Midshipman Punished

Honest Jack Rattlin alerts the surgeon to the narrator’s situation, and Thompson is sent to dress his wounds. The narrator is brought before the first lieutenant for examination, where he recounts his abuse in detail. Jack Rattlin and others testify on his behalf, and the midshipman is proved guilty and punished with confinement in the bilboes.