A Royal Navy Bosun's Club, a 'Start' or 'Persuader', For Press Gang Duty, Or For the Discipline of Lazy Sailors, With Two Leaden Ends Covered in Naval Cord Knotting

It is a full length stick known as a Bosun's club, cosh or persuader, with two weighted ends, of differing weights, both lead, pear shaped knobs, fully covered in naval 'Turk's head' knotting, called needle hitching. The cane is flexible wood. The lighter lead weighted end was designed to injure the recipoient of the blow, but nothing too harmful, the heavier was to knock unconscious or worse A most fascinating piece, and thus reveals the type of situations that it's owner would have had to face both while on press gang shore patrol, and in boarding party conflicts at sea. It could also be mighty handy in the darkened, sinister back streets of all the likely ports travelled by Royal Naval matelots in the Victorian era, such as Canton, Marseilles New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, Port au Prince, Montego Bay, Kingstown, and not least London and Liverpool etc. Press Gang – words to the song As I walked out on London Street A press gang there I chanced to meet They asked me if I'd join the fleet On board of a man-o-war, boys Come brother shipmates tell to me What kind of treatment they give you That I may know before I go On board of a man-o-war, boys When I got there to my surprise All they had told me was shocking lies There was a row and a bloody old row On board of a man-o-war, boys The first thing they done they took me in hand They lashed me with a 'tar of a strand' They flogged me till I could not stand On board of a man-o-war, boys Now I was married and me wife's name was Grace 'Twas she that led me to shocking disgrace It's oft I'd curse her ugly face On board of a man-o-war, boys When next I get may foot on shore To see them London girls once more I'll never go to sea no more On board of a man-o-war, boys