"All ready forward?" asked the captain. "Aye, aye,
sir; all ready," answered the mate. "Let go!" "All gone, sir;" and the
iron cable grated over the windlass and through the hawse-hole, and
the little vessel's head swinging off from the wind under the force of
her backed head sails, brought the strain upon the slip-rope. "Let
go aft!" Instantly all was gone, and we were under weigh. As soon as
she was well off from the wind, we filled away the head yards,
braced all up sharp, set the foresail and trysail, and left our
anchorage well astern, giving the point a good berth. "Nye's off too,"
said the captain to the mate; and looking astern we could just see the
little hermaphrodite brig under sail standing after us.
It now began to blow fresh; the rain fell fast, and it grew very
black; but the captain would not take in sail until we were well clear
of the point. As soon as we left this on our quarter, and were
standing out to sea, the order was given, and we sprang aloft,
double reefed each topsail, furled the foresail, and double reefed the
trysail, and were soon under easy sail. In these cases of slipping for
south-easters, there is nothing to be done, after you have got clear
of the coast, but to lie-to under easy sail, and wait for the gale
to be over, which seldom lasts more than two days, and is often over
in twelve hours; but the wind never comes back to the southward
until there has a good deal of rain fallen.
Pages:
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115