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.
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