Having Lost Her Buoyancy By The Weight Of The
Water, She Dropped Heavily Into Every Sea That Struck Her, And By
The Time We Had Pulled Out Of The Surf Into Deep Water, She Was But
Just Afloat, And We Were Up To Our Knees.
By the help of a small
bucket and our hats, we bailed her out, got on board, hoisted the
Boats, eat our supper, changed our clothes, gave (as is usual) the
whole history of our day's adventures to those who had staid on
board, and having taken a night-smoke, turned-in. Thus ended
our second day's liberty on shore.
On Monday morning, as an offset to our day's sport, we were all
set to work "tarring down" the rigging. Some got girt-lines up
for riding down the stays and back-stays, and others tarred the
shrouds, lifts, etc., laying out on the yards, and coming down
the rigging. We overhauled our bags and took out our old tarry
trowsers and frocks, which we had used when we tarred down before,
and were all at work in the rigging by sunrise. After breakfast,
we had the satisfaction of seeing the Italian ship's boat go ashore,
filled with men, gaily dressed, as on the day before, and singing
their barcarollas. The Easter holydays are kept up on shore during
three days; and being a Catholic vessel, the Crew had the advantage
of them. For two successive days, while perched up in the rigging,
covered with tar and engaged in our disagreeable work, we saw these
fellows going ashore in the morning, and coming off again at night,
in high spirits.
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