332 WHALING AND FISHING. 



" The Yankees don't as a general thing deal in 

 botch-work," replied I. "I'll make the splice, and 

 if you can draw it, or if it is clumsy, or aj. . to fall 

 apart, I'll give up." 



He waited patiently till I was done ; then took 

 my "job " and tried to pull it to pieces. Failing 

 in this, as I knew he would, he declared himself 

 somewhat grudgingly to be content; and hence- 

 forth, with the exception of an occasional few 

 hours work aloft, Fred and I were employed on 

 the quarter-deck sewing "on sails ; a much more 

 pleasant task than swinging about on masts or 

 yards, exposed to the broiling sun. 



The barque was old. Her rigging was in a 

 wretched condition ; and after every gale all hands 

 were busied for two or three days in repairing 

 damages. Three times, in the course of our pas- 

 sage, a topsail came thundering down on the cap, 

 with men upon it. Twice Fred and I were on the 

 falling yard, having been sent aloft to make some 

 repairs ; and each time we had what landsmen 

 would call a narrow escape. There was not on 

 board sufficient rigging to reeve new halyards, and 

 so the old had to be spliced only to part again. 



Once, when reefing, in a gale, the lift, a rope 

 which maintains the yard in its horizontal posi- 

 tion, and on which the man at the earing depends 

 for support, gave way. I happened to be r.t the 

 earing. Had it not been for Fred's quick 

 grasp of my hair, I should have dropped into the 

 water., 



