In The Meantime, Several Vessels Were Coming Down,
Outward Bound; Among Which, A Fine, Large Ship, With Yards Squared,
Fair
Wind and fair tide, passed us like a race-horse, the men
running out upon her yards to rig out
The studding-sail booms.
Toward sundown the wind came off in flaws, sometimes blowing
very stiff, so that the pilot took in the royals, and then it
died away; when, in order to get us in before the tide became
too strong, the royals were set again. As this kept us running
up and down the rigging all the time, one hand was sent aloft at
each mast-head, to stand-by to loose and furl the sails, at the
moment of the order. I took my place at the fore, and loosed
and furled the royal five times between Rainsford Island and the
Castle. At one tack we ran so near to Rainsford Island, that,
looking down from the royal yard, the island, with its hospital
buildings, nice gravelled walks, and green plats, seemed to lie
directly under our yard-arms. So close is the channel to some of
these islands, that we ran the end of our flying-jib-boom over
one of the out-works of the fortifications on George's Island;
and had an opportunity of seeing the advantages of that point as
a fortified place; for, in working up the channel, we presented
a fair stem and stern, for raking, from the batteries, three or
four times. One gun might have knocked us to pieces.
We had all set our hearts upon getting up to town before night
and going ashore, but the tide beginning to run strong against us,
and the wind, what there was of it, being ahead, we made but little
by weather-bowing the tide, and the pilot gave orders to cock-bill
the anchor and overhaul the chain. Making two long stretches,
which brought us into the roads, under the lee of the castle,
he clewed up the topsails, and let go the anchor; and for the
first time since leaving San Diego, - one hundred and thirty-five
days - our anchor was upon bottom. In half an hour more, we were
lying snugly, with all sails furled, safe in Boston harbor;
our long voyage ended; the well-known scene about us; the dome
of the State House fading in the western sky; the lights of the
city starting into sight, as the darkness came on; and at nine
o'clock the clangor of the bells, ringing their accustomed peals;
among which the Boston boys tried to distinguish the well-known
tone of the Old South.
We had just done furling the sails, when a beautiful little
pleasure-boat luffed up into the wind, under our quarter, and the
junior partner of the firm to which our ship belonged, jumped on
board. I saw him from the mizen topsail yard, and knew him well.
He shook the captain by the hand, and went down into the cabin,
and in a few moments came up and inquired of the mate for me.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 283 of 324
Words from 148068 to 148585
of 170236
