448 WHALE-FISHERY. 



nishcd rapidly in the hold, and that the ship began 

 to rise again. In the space of four hours the water 

 had lowered to nearly four feet ; but the forebatch- 

 way pump then becoming useless, and tiie bailing 

 being less effectual, the water once more resumed 

 its superiority and gained upon us. 



Something, therefore, w as now to be done to stop, 

 if possible, the influx of the water. As the leak 

 could not be found in the inside, fbtke?ing^', as be- 

 ing the most common and ready means, was (as soon 

 as the floes w^ere sufficiently separate,) immediately 

 resorted to. But what was our astonishment to find, 

 when about to apply a sail to the quarter of the ship,, 

 the place where the water seemed to enter, that the 

 " after keel" was entirely detached from the timbers 

 to the distance of nearly tw'o feet, turned into an 

 horizontal position, and all the bolts draw^n ; while, 

 along with it, a large portion of one of the gcwhoar ci- 

 st rakes-f was torn from its place ! This singular po- 



* Fothenng, is a peculiar method of endeavouring to stop a 

 leak in the bottom of a ship while she is i^float. It is perform- 

 ed by drawing a sail, by means of ropes at the foiu- corners, 

 beneath the damaged or leaky part, then thrusting into it a 

 quantity of chopped rope-yarns, oakum, avooI, cotton, &c. ; or 

 by thrumbing the sail, that is, sewing long bunches of rope- 

 yarn all over it, before it is placed beneath the ship. These 

 materials being sucked into the leaky part, the flow of the 

 water into the ship is interrupted, or at least diminished. 



+ Garboard-slrake or saiid-iirake, is the first range of strakes 

 or planks laid upon a ship's bottom, next the keel, into which 

 it is rabitted below, and into the stem and stern-post at the ends. 



