A seaman's employment. 355 



at 4, set close-reefed foretopsail and foresail ; at 7, 

 made all sail ; at 3 P. M., furled the light sails, and 

 double-reefed the foretopsail ; at 7 P. M., shook the 

 reefs out, and set the flying-jib and maintopgallant- 

 sail ; at 10, furled the light sails and double-reefed 

 the foretopsail, and at midnight double-reefed the 

 main topsail. 



Plere was work enough for three days, and hard 

 work, as any one may discover, who doubts the fact, 

 by, like me, participating in it ; but handling, reef- 

 ing, and steering, are by no means all the employ- 

 ments of the seamen when afloat. Everything being 

 ke2:)t taut, the strain on the rigging, in heavy weather, 

 is tremendous, so that some little thing or other always 

 needs repair; and in fine weather the sailor is sent 

 with his marlinespike, slush, and tar-bucket, into the 

 rigging, where he not unusually stays a whole watch, 

 busily employed in putting a seizing here, or seizing 

 on a ratline there, repairing the service, or other 

 chafing gear. These, with other duties of a like 

 description, keep a merchantman's crew continually 

 on the move ; but where there are so many, as with 

 us, the labors are performed without making the task 

 irksome to any. 



Wishing, in doubling the Cape, to near the land, 

 so as to take advantage of the westerly current 

 (which here is said to run with a speed of four knots 

 hourly), we done all we could to hang on ; but the 

 wind forbade us arriving at this desired position ; and 

 as we drifted considerably to the southward, we were 

 two degrees from Table Mountain on the 21st, when, 

 with a fair wind and plenty of it, a clear sky and 

 smooth sea, without let or hindrance, we passed into 



