The Head-Pump Was Then Rigged,
And The Decks Washed Down By The Second And Third Mates; The Chief
Mate Walking The Quarter-Deck And Keeping A General Supervision,
But Not Deigning To Touch A Bucket Or A Brush.
Inside and out,
fore and aft, upper deck and between decks, steerage and forecastle,
rail, bulwarks, and water-ways, were washed, scrubbed and scraped
with brooms and canvas, and the decks were wet and sanded all
over, and then holystoned.
The holystone is a large, soft stone,
smooth on the bottom, with long ropes attached to each end, by which
the crew keep it sliding fore and aft, over the wet, sanded decks.
Smaller hand-stones, which the sailors call "prayer-books," are used
to scrub in among the crevices and narrow places, where the large
holystone will not go. An hour or two, we were kept at this work,
when the head-pump was manned, and all the sand washed off the
decks and sides. Then came swabs and squilgees; and after the
decks were dry, each one went to his particular morning job.
There were five boats belonging to the ship, - launch, pinnace,
jolly-boat, larboard quarter-boat, and gig, - each of which had a
coxswain, who had charge of it, and was answerable for the order
and cleanness of it. The rest of the cleaning was divided among
the crew; one having the brass and composition work about the capstan;
another the bell, which was of brass, and kept as bright as a
gilt button; a third, the harness-cask; another, the man-rope
stanchions; others, the steps of the forecastle and hatchways,
which were hauled up and holystoned. Each of these jobs must
be finished before breakfast; and, in the meantime, the rest
of the crew filled the scuttle-butt, and the cook scraped his
kids (wooden tubs out of which the sailors eat) and polished the
hoops, and placed them before the galley, to await inspection.
When the decks were dry, the lord paramount made his appearance
on the quarter-deck, and took a few turns, when eight bells
were struck, and all hands went to breakfast. Half an hour
was allowed for breakfast, when all hands were called again;
the kids, pots, bread-bags, etc., stowed away; and, this morning,
preparations were made for getting under weigh. We paid out on the
chain by which we swung; hove in on the other; catted the anchor;
and hove short on the first. This work was done in shorter time
than was usual on board the brig; for though everything was more
than twice as large and heavy, the cat-block being as much as a
man could lift, and the chain as large as three of the Pilgrim's,
yet there was a plenty of room to move about in, more discipline
and system, more men, and more good will. Every one seemed ambitious
to do his best: officers and men knew their duty, and all went well.
As soon as she was hove short, the mate, on the forecastle, gave the
order to loose the sails, and, in an instant, every one sprung into
the rigging, up the shrouds, and out on the yards, scrambling by one
another, - the first up the best fellow, - cast off the yard-arm gaskets
and bunt gaskets, and one man remained on each yard, holding the bunt
jigger with a turn round the tye, all ready to let go, while the rest
laid down to man the sheets and halyards.
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