Regimentation through the gunnery exercises and the acts of mustering and cleaning established and reinforced a person's place within the ship. These practices support Foucault's belief that the late eighteenth century saw a new discipline of the body, rendering it docile and compliant through rigorous training, while simultaneously shaping the body to meet the heavy demand of the state's use of it. Increased regimentation and control over people’s movement and roles ought to lead to greater uniformity in action. With a greater level of uniformity, the officers established an order aboard ship that supported their authority. Order could be reinforced by granting shore leave and allowing leisure activity, such as dances. Liberal rations of tobacco and food could also achieve the same effect. They all allowed seamen to vent their frustrations or distracted them from their hardships afloat.

Language was also important in creating order among the seamen and marines. Reward and punishment were heralded by words of praise or condemnation. Language could be the form in which punishment or reward occurred. Greg Dening's analysis of Mr. Bligh's inappropriate use of language in disciplining the officers and crew of HMS Bounty demonstrates the fine line officers trod between exercising absolute authority and considering the ship's company's sensibilities. Religious sermons could underscore authority aboard ship and further the sense of esprit de corps established through regimented activity and shared belief. Research in maritime history has not paid attention to the power of religion or the everyday use of language to establish authority's order in the navy. This chapter will also explore the role of religion and everyday language in creating order aboard ship.

The Admiralty's expectations for each of these activities were contained in the Regulations and Instructions. In this chapter, we will find further evidence of the tensions between the Admiralty's effort to control what took place aboard ships and the captains’ efforts to maintain order through their own methods.

Gunnery Exercise, Mustering and Acts of Cleaning

During the long eighteenth century the critical feature in ship-to-ship combat was the speed at which guns were fired, reloaded, and fired again. Aiming was secondary to rate of fire in the era's close actions. Division of labour and constant practice were necessary to obtain a high rate of fire. Ideally, every man received training in all activities necessary to operate the gun.