An
opening was then made between two hides in the pile, and the back of
the outside hide of the book inserted. Two long, heavy spars, called
steeves, made of the strongest wood, and sharpened off like a wedge at
one end, were placed with their wedge ends into the inside of the hide
which was the centre of the book, and to the other end of each, straps
were fitted, into which large tackles were hooked, composed each of
two huge purchase blocks, one hooked to the strap on the end of the
steeve, and the other into a dog, fastened into one of the beams, as
far aft as it could be got. When this was arranged, and the ways
greased upon which the book was to slide, the falls of the tackles
were stretched forward, and all hands tallied on, and bowsed away
until the book was well entered; when these tackles were nippered,
straps and toggles clapped upon the falls, and two more luff tackles
hooked on, with dogs, in the same manner; and thus, by luff upon luff,
the power was multiplied, until into a pile in which one hide more
could not be crowded by hand, an hundred or an hundred and fifty were
often driven in by this complication of purchases.
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