Part II, Big Sea, Africa—Standee Summary and Analysis

Langston's ship, the S.S. Malone, sails up and down the coast of Africa, taking on passengers, and letting people off. When the sailors have a chance to go ashore, and some money to spend, they go off and get drunk and find prostitutes, complaining that there are only local African girls available. As the trip continues, the sailors get wilder and wilder. Whenever they do not like the food the cook makes, they throw it in the sea, dishes and all, and as a result, food and dish supplies dwindle. Once the ship is in Africa, the crew has hardly any work to do, because they all hire Africans as servants for very low wages. Each of the sailors buys a pet monkey, so there is a huge...