FALL FROM THE FORETOPSAIL YARD. 63 



topsail yard, the men in the forecastle were startled 

 by the fall of a heavy body on deck, directly over 

 their heads. A rush was made for the ladder, and on 

 getting on deck, a youngster, who belonged to New 

 Bedford, was found prostrate, without sense or 

 motion. By the orders of the first officer, who 

 thought him dead, he was immediate!}^ carried into 

 the cabin. The watch on the yard were instructed 

 to la}' down from aloft. On carrying the sufterer 

 into the cabin, it was found that his heart beat ; 

 he was bled, and in the course of a few hours he 

 regained consciousness, and continued gradually to 

 mend, until, after the lapse of a few weeks, he 

 was perfectly recovered, without, apparently, any 

 serious eflect from his fall, except the increase of an 

 already craving appetite, and corresponding augmen- 

 tation in length and breadth of person. His fall may 

 be attributed to a superabundance of heavy clothing, 

 beside a coarse, heavy pair of boots, united making 

 him clumsy and unwieldy aloft. Although, from his 

 account, it would appear that, at the time of the 

 accident, he was very nearly, or quite, asleep, as he 

 retained no remembrance of their havino; occasion 

 to reef the topsail, and no recollection of having 

 been on the yard, or any other circumstance con- 

 nected with his fall, the only reason that we can 

 assign for the slight injuries he sustained, is the sup- 

 position that in his descent his fall was broken by 

 his striking against the foretop, the mainstay, and a 

 barricade of spars that were lashed forward. I think 

 you will agree with me that he required some 

 easing down, when I state that he fell from the 

 weather yard-arm, close by the bunt, at least forty- 



