He Came Very Near Being Blown Or Shaken From
The Yard, Several Times, But He Was A True Sailor, Every Finger
A Fish-Hook.
Having made the sail snug, he prepared to send the
yard down, which was a long and difficult job;
For, frequently,
he was obliged to stop and hold on with all his might, for several
minutes, the ship pitching so as to make it impossible to do
anything else at that height. The yard at length came down
safe, and after it, the fore and mizen royal-yards were sent
down. All hands were then sent aloft, and for an hour or two
we were hard at work, making the booms well fast; unreeving the
studding-sail and royal and skysail gear; getting rolling-ropes
on the yards; setting up the weather breast-backstays; and making
other preparations for a storm. It was a fine night for a gale;
just cool and bracing enough for quick work, without being cold,
and as bright as day. It was sport to have a gale in such weather
as this. Yet it blew like a hurricane. The wind seemed to come
with a spite, an edge to it, which threatened to scrape us off
the yards. The mere force of the wind was greater than I had
ever seen it before; but darkness, cold, and wet are the worst
parts of a storm to a sailor.
Having got on deck again, we looked round to see what time of
night it was, and whose watch. In a few minutes the man at the
wheel struck four bells, and we found that the other watch was out,
and our own half out. Accordingly, the starboard watch went below,
and left the ship to us for a couple of hours, yet with orders to
stand by for a call.
Hardly had they got below, before away went the fore-topmast staysail,
blown to ribbons. This was a small sail, which we could manage in
the watch, so that we were not obliged to call up the other watch.
We laid out upon the bowsprit, where we were under water half the
time, and took in the fragments of the sail, and as she must have
some head sail on her, prepared to bend another staysail. We got
the new one out, into the nettings; seized on the tack, sheets,
and halyards, and the hanks; manned the halyards, cut adrift the
frapping lines, and hoisted away; but before it was half way up
the stay, it was blown all to pieces. 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. But this was too much after
sail; and order was given to furl the spanker. The brails were
hauled up, and all the light hands in the starboard watch sent
out on the gaff to pass the gaskets; but they could do nothing
with it. The second mate swore at them for a parcel of "sogers,"
and sent up a couple of the best men; but they could do no better,
and the gaff was lowered down.
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