powder monkey

The powder monkeys, small boys of ten or eleven, brought up the first charges from the magazines.

There is now a new character which is Jim Henshaw, a young powder monkey.

All but one of these individuals (possibly a "powder monkey" not involved in heavy work) were strong, well-muscled men.

The bags were carried up tothe gun decks by the powder monkeys or boys.

At first he was a young man, a powder monkey or whatever they called it, in that sailing ship behind his right ear.

It was not unknown for girls to disguise themselves as boys and get a job as a powder monkey.

For a year Parsons participated in military drill and served as a "powder monkey" for the cannoneers.

"When he's a little older he can be our powder monkey," he said.

Or it could have been an accident by one of the powder monkeys trying to carry ammunition to the guns.

They would be followed by powder monkeys, boys whose job it was to take cartridges up to the guns, using wooden cylinders to carry them.