"Raise Tacks And
Sheets!" Says The Captain; "Tacks And Sheets!" Is Passed Forward,
And The Fore Tack And Main Sheet Are Let Go.
The next thing is to
haul taught for a swing.
The weather cross-jack braces and the lee
main braces are each belayed together upon two pins, and ready to
be let go; and the opposite braces hauled taught. "Main topsail
haul!" shouts the captain; the braces are let go; and if he has
taken his time well, the yards swing round like a top; but if he
is too late, or too soon, it is like drawing teeth. The after
yards are then braced up and belayed, the main sheet hauled aft,
the spanker eased over to leeward, and the men from the braces
stand by the head yards. "Let go and haul!" says the captain;
the second mate lets go the weather fore braces, and the men haul
in to leeward. The mate, on the forecastle, looks out for the
head yards. "Well, the fore topsail yard!" "Top-gallant yard's
well!" "Royal yard too much! Haul into windward! So! well that!"
"Well all!" Then the starboard watch board the main tack, and the
larboard watch lay forward and board the fore tack and haul down
the jib sheet, clapping a tackle upon it, if it blows very fresh.
The after yards are then trimmed, the captain generally looking
out for them himself. "Well the cross-jack yard!" "Small pull the
main top-gallant yard!" "Well that!" "Well the mizen top-gallant
yard!" "Cross-jack yards all well!" "Well all aft!" "Haul taught
to windward!" Everything being now trimmed and in order, each man
coils up the rigging at his own station, and the order is given - "Go
below the watch!"
During the last twenty-four hours of the passage, we beat off and
on the land, making a tack about once in four hours, so that I
had a sufficient opportunity to observe the working of the ship;
and certainly, it took no more men to brace about this ship's
lower yards, which were more than fifty feet square, than it did
those of the Pilgrim, which were not much more than half the size;
so much depends upon the manner in which the braces run, and the
state of the blocks; and Captain Wilson, of the Ayacucho, who was
afterwards a passenger with us, upon a trip to windward, said he
had no doubt that our ship worked two men lighter than his brig.
Friday, Sept. 11th. This morning, at four o'clock, went below,
San Pedro point being about two leagues ahead, and the ship going
on under studding-sails. In about an hour we were waked up by the
hauling of the chain about decks, and in a few minutes "All hands
ahoy!" was called; and we were all at work, hauling in and making
up the studding-sails, overhauling the chain forward, and getting
the anchors ready. "The Pilgrim is there at anchor," said some
one, as we were running about decks; and taking a moment's look
over the rail, I saw my old friend, deeply laden, lying at anchor
inside of the kelp.
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