When We Belayed The Halyards,
There Was Nothing Left But The Bolt-Rope.
Now large eyes began to
show themselves in the foresail, and knowing that it must soon go,
the mate ordered us upon the yard to furl it.
Being unwilling to
call up the watch who had been on deck all night, he roused out the
carpenter, sailmaker, cook, steward, and other idlers, and,
with their help, we manned the foreyard, and after nearly half an
hour's struggle, mastered the sail, and got it well furled round
the yard. The force of the wind had never been greater than at
this moment. In going up the rigging, it seemed absolutely to pin
us down to the shrouds; and on the yard, there was no such thing
as turning a face to windward. Yet here was no driving sleet,
and darkness, and wet, and cold, as off Cape Horn; and instead of
a stiff oil-cloth suit, south-wester caps, and thick boots, we had
on hats, round jackets, duck trowsers, light shoes, and everything
light and easy. All these things make a great difference to a
sailor. When we got on deck, the man at the wheel struck eight
bells, (four o'clock in the morning,) and "All starbowlines,
ahoy!" brought the other watch up. But there was no going below
for us. The gale was now at its height, "blowing like scissors
and thumb-screws;" the captain was on deck; the ship, which was
light, rolling and pitching as though she would shake the long
sticks out of her; and the sail gaping open and splitting, in
every direction. The mizen topsail, which was a comparatively
new sail, and close-reefed, split, from head to foot, in the
bunt; the fore-topsail went, in one rent, from clew to earing,
and was blowing to tatters; one of the chain bobstays parted;
the spritsail-yard sprung in the slings; the martingale had slued
away off to leeward; and, owing to the long dry weather, the lee
rigging hung in large bights, at every lurch. One of the main
top-gallant shrouds had parted; and, to crown all, the galley had
got adrift, and gone over to leeward, and the anchor on the lee
bow had worked loose, and was thumping the side. Here was work
enough for all hands for half a day. Our gang laid out on the
mizen topsail yard, and after more than half an hour's hard work,
furled the sail, though it bellied out over our heads, and again,
by a slant of the wind, blew in under the yard, with a fearful
jerk, and almost threw us off from the foot-ropes.
Double gaskets were passed round the yards, rolling tackles and
other gear bowsed taught, and everything made as secure as could
be. Coming down, we found the rest of the crew just coming down
the fore rigging, having furled the tattered topsail, or, rather,
swathed it round the yard, which looked like a broken limb, bandaged.
There was no sail now on the ship but the spanker and the close-reefed
main topsail, which still held good.
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