Besides that she was now approaching a most perilous part of the ocean--which would have made it madness to intoxicate the sailors--her complete destitution of _grog_, even for ordinary consumption, was an obstacle altogether insuperable, even had the Captain felt disposed to indulge his man-of-war's-men by the most copious libations.
For several days previous to the advent of the holiday, frequent conferences were held on the gun-deck touching the melancholy prospects before the ship.
"Too bad--too bad!" cried a top-man, "Think of it, shipmates--a Fourth of July without grog!" "I'll hoist the Commodore's pennant at half-mast that day," sighed the signal-quarter-master.
"And I'll turn my best uniform jacket wrong side out, to keep company with the pennant, old Ensign," sympathetically responded an after-guard's-man.
"Ay, do!" cried a forecastle-man.

"I could almost pipe my eye to think on't." "No grog on de day dat tried men's souls!" blubbered Sunshine, the galley-cook.
"Who would be a _Jankee_ now ?" roared a Hollander of the fore-top, more Dutch than sour-crout.
"Is this the _riglar_ fruits of liberty ?" touchingly inquired an Irish waister of an old Spanish sheet-anchor-man.
You will generally observe that, of all Americans, your foreign-born citizens are the most patriotic--especially toward the Fourth of July.
But how could Captain Claret, the father of his crew, behold the grief of his ocean children with indifference?
He could not.

Three days before the anniversary--it still continuing very pleasant weather for these latitudes--it was publicly announced that free permission was given to the sailors to get up any sort of theatricals they desired, wherewith to honour the Fourth.
Now, some weeks prior to the Neversink's sailing from home--nearly three years before the time here spoken of--some of the seamen had clubbed together, and made up a considerable purse, for the purpose of purchasing a theatrical outfit having in view to diversify the monotony of lying in foreign harbours for weeks together, by an occasional display on the boards--though if ever there w-as a continual theatre in the world, playing by night and by day, and without intervals between the acts, a man-of-war is that theatre, and her planks are the _boards_ indeed.
The sailors who originated this scheme had served in other American frigates, where the privilege of having theatricals was allowed to the crew.

What was their chagrin, then, when, upon making an application to the Captain, in a Peruvian harbour, for permission to present the much-admired drama of "_The Ruffian Boy_," under the Captain's personal patronage, that dignitary assured them that there were already enough _ruffian boys_ on board, without conjuring up any more from the green-room.
The theatrical outfit, therefore, was stowed down in the bottom of the sailors' bags, who little anticipated _then_ that it would ever be dragged out while Captain Claret had the sway.
But immediately upon the announcement that the embargo was removed, vigorous preparations were at once commenced to celebrate the Fourth with unwonted spirit.

The half-deck was set apart for the theatre, and the signal-quarter-master was commanded to loan his flags to decorate it in the most patriotic style.
As the stage-struck portion of the crew had frequently during the cruise rehearsed portions of various plays, to while away the tedium of the night-watches, they needed no long time now to perfect themselves in their parts.
Accordingly, on the very next morning after the indulgence had been granted by the Captain, the following written placard, presenting a broadside of staring capitals, was found tacked against the main-mast on the gun-deck.