Fascinating to find that what was taken for granted has so many different nuances!

I had always taken CW's line to be based on two premises, firstly that it would be difficult, at most times, to make life comfortable for any passengers on board a ship of the line designed primarily for waging war. CW seems to have thought this especially so for women, and it is hard on the poor man to try him by today's standards, but that may prove him to have slight chauvinistic tendencies! We tend to use the word lightly these days and CW falls well short of "a smug irrational belief in the superiority of one's own race, party, sex, etc." he just reflects the view that women ought to be protected, perhaps. Secondly, he may well have forseen dangers in the smooth running of his command if young ladies are regularly exercising by taking a turn around the quarter deck whilst the "lusty lads look on" and speculate how long exactly they have been at sea! If the second he keeps it quiet, but I can not imagine him not taking it into account.