An interesting (and somewhat humourous) piece of American nautical history.
The Old Navy imposed an extremely strict (but typical) code of discipline in its day that relied on flogging, confinement in irons, and the threat of capital punishment. The most trivial offences and even the slightest hesitation in obeying an order merited up to a dozen lashes with a colt or cat o' nine tails, which were handed out quite freely.
A list of some offences punished on American navy ships, 1848-49:
Beating coloured man 12 lashes with cats
Circulating false reports 12 lashes with cats
Cursing sentry on post 12 lashes with cats
Doubling grog tub 12 lashes with colt
Drunkenness and mutinous conduct 12 lashes with cats
Endangering ship with fire 12 lashes with cats
Fighting 12 lashes with colt
Letting block fall from aloft 12 lashes with cats
Scandalous conduct 12 lashes with cats
Smuggling cigars from ship to shore 12 lashes with cats
Stealing liquor from spirit room 12 lashes with cats
Taking indecent liberties with boy in hammock 12 lashes with cats
Throwing belaying pin at boatswain's mate 12 lashes with cats
Profane language 11 lashes with cats
Skulking 9 lashes with cats
Selling clothes 9 lashes with cats
Swindling 9 lashes with cats
Filthiness 8 lashes with cats
Halooing on gun deck 8 lashes with cats
Having another's shirt 8 lashes with colt
Kicking man on quarter deck 8 lashes with cats
Missing muster 8 lashes with cats
Smoking after 10 P.M. 8 lashes with colt
Throwing soapsuds in the eyes of captain of afterguard 6 lashes with colt
I don't normally node about military history, but the article referenced below made me laugh and piqued my curiosity.
REFERENCES:
Social Reform in the United States Navy, 1798-1862, via "Life on a U.S. man-of-war", The Strand (a University of Toronto student paper), Vol. 43, No. 12, Mar. 21, 2001.
Veit, Chuck. "Naval Discipline in the Old Navy". http://www.navyandmarine.org/ondeck/1800navaldiscipline.htm