The cat had nine lashes because superstition had it that a flogging by a trinity of trinties would be more sacred. The whip consisted of a handle made of rope about 3 1/2 inches thick in circumference & about 18 inches in length. At the end are fastened 9 tails made of log line with at least 3 knots on each tail. "Flogged around the fleet", a man was lashed in a long boat & rowed to each ship in the harbor where he'd receive 6 lashes per ship as all hands witnessed. The cat was aways put in a red bag to disquise the bloodstains & when the "cat's out of the bag" the victum sometimes was made to lay over a gun & marry the gunner's daughter & if lucky & no blood was drawn the you had "goose without gravy". Sometimes if one fell asleep on watch they'd be hung in a net from the bowspirit's end & given a beer, a loaf of bread & a knife. He stayed there till he either starved to death or cut himself loose into the sea. Barry