Midi-mates' Mess and Officers Cabins

After the Main Mess Deck there was a Midi-mates Mess and Officers' Cabins - here you could not stand but crouch or go on all fours as the roof was only 4 foot 6 inches high. The boys apprenticed to officers and servants and also looked after the the animals, slept in hammocks that did not hve to be rolled up. Midshipmen and the 12 Royal Navy Marines also slept here. The Royal Marines were the policemen so slept with rifle to hand and their quarters were very sparse. The entrances to the stores of food and water below this deck had to be guarded by them at all times too. The Officers here were: the ships surgeon, the Captain's Clerk, 2nd and 3rd Leutenants, and Gunner, some in private cabins. Some Officers had their own rooms with walled hammocks and shared the Mess Room on the next deck up with a roof of 4 foot 5" high, with the Officers and Gentlemen where there was a sideboard and a drop sided table.

Captains quarters

At the very back of the ship reserved for the Captain and in this expedition Joseph Banks the botanist, men on the our tour were stooping. This room was bright and airy. Also it had a small fireplace and good desk and many leather bound books and a very large table for maps etc. There was more on this tour to the top of the back of the ship where in fact the sheep, goats, chickens were housed. Also they were shown the steering wheel and its many ropes attached to the rudder and the navigation instuments . On the rear deck no ordinary crew were allowed, only officers. More Information about this floating working sailing ship/museum here. For a photograph of this ship under full sail see the Museum site here