Having crept into an almost empty apple barrel trying to find an apple, Jim Hawkins overhears Long John Silver telling one of the crew that he had been quartermaster on the ship of the pirate Flint.
I had no idea what a quartermaster's duties would have been on a sailing ship in those days.

quar[ter[mas[ter 7kwCrt4!r mas#t!r8
n.

1 Mil. an officer whose duty it is to provide troops with quarters, clothing, equipment, etc.
2 Naut. a petty officer or mate trained to steer a ship, perform navigational duties, etc.

2 Naut. a petty officer or mate trained to steer a ship, perform navigational duties, etc.

The same as it is today.

Dear Faldage: I can imagine Long John Silver having been in charge of heaving the log,and timing it. I can imagine his being in charge of taking depth soundings. But would he have known how to use quadrant to determine ship's position?
He talks as if he could not, otherwise he would have been able to find the Treasure Island himself, and navigate back to England, which he says he could not.

I don't think pirates were quite as strict as the navy in their terminology. On the other hand, perhaps RLS didn't know all that much about the matter, either. And on the third hand, remember the Polynesians didn't even *have quadrants, yet they found theirselves around pretty good.

in charge of heaving the log
Angua cursed her graphic imagination again

Angua cursed her graphic imagination again

Ha! Furry funny!

..And then there's this:

Verse 1
There were rats, rats, big as blooming cats,
In the stores, in the stores.
There were rats, rats, big as blooming cats,
In the quartermaster's stores.
My eyes are dim, I cannot see,
I have not got my specs with me,
I have not got my specs with me.

This is one of those songs with an infinite number of verses. Take your pick from the list below, or make up your own!

Mice . . . running through the rice.
Snakes . . . as big as garden rakes.
Beans . . . as big as submarines.
Gravy . . . enough to float the navy.
Cakes . . . that give us tummy aches.
Eggs . . . with scaly chicken legs.
Butter . . . running in the gutter.
Lard . . . they sell it by the yard.
Bread . . . with great big lumps like lead.
Cheese . . . that makes you want to sneeze.
Soot . . . they grow it by the foot.
Goats . . . eating all the oats
Bees . . . with little knobby knees.
Owls . . . shredding paper towels.
Apes . . . eating all the grapes.
Turtles . . . wearing rubber girdles.
Bear . . . with curlers in its hair.
Buffalos . . . with hair between their toes.
Foxes . . . stuffed in little boxes.
Coke . . . enough to make you choke.
Pepsi . . . that gives you apoplexy.
Flies . . . swarming ‘round the pies.
Fishes . . . sitting in the dishes.
Moths . . . eating through the cloths
Scouts . . . eating brussel sprouts.