This full-page illustration and the next appear on facing pages of Life. They represent the "big stormy mate" whose profanity the young narrator admires so much. MT's text gives no hint who he's swearing at, but as the artist who drew these illustrations knew, the mate would always have been white and the crew black. This illustration preserves the narrative's tone: the crew seem to enjoy the mate's bluster as much as the reader.
The Barrett Collection, UVA PS1314_A1_1883c