The Adventures of Roderick Random

Salmagundy Supper Preparation

Mr. Morgan, descending from the role of accuser, returns to his culinary duties. Ordering the boy to bring a piece of salt beef from the brine, he prepares the salmagundy by cutting off a slice and mixing it with an equal quantity of onions. After seasoning with pepper and salt and bringing the dish to consistence with oil and vinegar, he tastes it and assures his companions it is the best salmagundy he has ever made. The narrator does honor to this preparation, though no sooner has he swallowed a mouthful than he thinks his entrails are scorched and endeavors to allay the heat with a deluge of small-beer.

Hammock Entry Difficulty

After supper and Morgan’s consumption of a couple of pipes and several cans of flip, yawning admonishes the narrator that it is time to repair by sleep the injury he has suffered from want of rest the preceding night. Their hammocks immediately unlash and the narrator beholds his messmates spring with great agility into their respective nests. Though initially reluctant to trust himself in a narrow bag suspended above the ground, the narrator eventually allows himself to be persuaded. Taking a leap to get in, he throws himself quite over with such violence that had he not luckily got hold of Thompson’s hammock, he would have pitched upon his head on the other side and in all likelihood fractured his skull.

Morning Boatswain Summons

The narrator remains awake with apprehension until the morning watch when sleep finally overpowers him, but he is soon awakened by a loud and shrill noise followed by a dreadful summons from a hoarse voice. One of the quartermasters passing by with a lantern informs him that the noise was occasioned by the boatswain’s mates who called up the larboard watch. He is told to lay his account with such an interruption every morning at the same hour. Being now more assured of his safety, the narrator undresses himself again to rest and sleeps until eight o’clock.