This was the first blow, that I had seen, which could really be
called a gale. We had reefed our topsails in the Gulf Stream, and I
thought it something serious, but an older sailor would have thought
nothing of it. As I had now become used to the vessel and to my
duty, I was of some service on a yard, and could knot my reef-point as
well as anybody. I obeyed the order to lay* aloft with the rest, and
found the reefing a very exciting scene; for one watch reefed the
fore-topsail, and the other the main, and every one did his utmost
to get his topsail hoisted first. We had a great advantage over the
larboard watch, because the chief mate never goes aloft, while our new
second mate used to jump into the rigging as soon as we began to
haul out the reef-tackle, and have the weather earing passed before
there was a man upon the yard. In this way we were almost always
able to raise the cry of "Haul out to leeward" before them, and having
knotted our points, would slide down the shrouds and back-stays, and
sing out at the topsail halyards to let it be known that we were ahead
of them. Reefing is the most exciting part of a sailor's duty.
Pages:
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48