As hides are worth in Boston twelve and a half cents a pound, and
the captain's commission was two per cent, he determined not to give
them up; and sent on board for a pair of top-gallant studding-sail
halyards, and requested some one of the crew to go to the top, and
come down by the halyards. The older sailors said the boys, who were
light and active, ought to go, while the boys thought that strength
and experience were necessary. Seeing the dilemma, and feeling
myself to be near the medium of these requisites, I offered my
services, and went up, with one man to tend the rope, and prepared for
the descent.
We found a stake fastened strongly into the ground, and apparently
capable of holding my weight, to which we made one end of the halyards
well fast, and taking the coil, threw it over the brink. The end, we
saw, just reached to a landing-place, from which the descent to the
beach was easy. Having nothing on but shirt, trowsers, and hat, the
common sea-rig of warm weather, I had no stripping to do, and began my
descent, by taking hold of the rope in each hand, and slipping down,
sometimes with hands and feet round the rope, and sometimes breasting
off with one hand and foot against the precipice, and holding on to
the rope with the other.
Pages:
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358