"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned... a man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company"

This quote by Samuel Johnson is an amusing comparison between the life of a sailor and the life of a detainee in prison. Johnson is suggesting that the life of a sailor is so hard and hazardous that it is unworthy the danger, and that a prisoner in prison has a much better life. He implies that a sailor is essentially in a jail, with the added danger of drowning, which a prisoner in jail has more room, much better food, and better company. Johnson's quote is a tip of the harsh realities of life at sea, and the risks that sailors face. It likewise acts as a warning to those who may be lured to use up a life at sea, as it is not as glamorous as it might appear. Johnson's quote is a tip that life at sea is not for everybody, and that it is very important to think about the risks before taking on such a hazardous task.