Work of sailors

I just recently read a book entitled "Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe".  This book did an excellent job of discussing the working conditions of the men on the ships.  The conditions that the men aboard Magellan's fleet can be generalized to be the working conditions of most sailors of that time.

The book discusses how many times the men would have to go days and weeks with very little food.  The food that was brought with often went bad very quickly.  Being hungry no doubt meant that men were crabby and on edge, which makes for a difficult situation.  Co-workers fighting with each other makes for a miserable existence.  When ships would drop anchor, the first thing that they would do on land is to search for food or trade for food.  Getting their hands on exotic fruits or fresh meat meant that they would live for a while longer.

Another thing that made their working conditions terrible were the punishments that the men often faced.  If the workers would get out of line they would have to face the consequences.  Some of the more minor consequences involved being tied to a pole for days at a time.  The most extreme punishments involved torture and death.  Having to fear a master tyrant makes for a terribly frightening work environment.