io8 ALL AFLOAT 



and-after. The square sails made fast to wide- 

 spreading yards are the ones that take most 

 hauling. But setting the sails by no means 

 ends the work at them. Trimming is quite 

 as important. Every time there is the slightest 

 shift in the course or wind there ought to be a 

 corresponding shift of trim so as to catch every 

 breath the sail can hold. To effect this with 

 the triangular sails a sheet must be slacked 

 away or hauled more in ; while, in the case of 

 the square sails on the yards, a brace must be 

 attended to. 



Our Bluenose mate now thinks he can get 

 more work from his canvas. His voice rings 

 out : ' Weather cross jack brace ! ' which 

 means hauling the lowest and aftermost square 

 sail more to windward. ' Weather cross jack 

 brace ! ' sings out the timekeeper, whose duty 

 it is to rouse the watch as well as strike the 

 bells that mark the hours and halves. The 

 watch tramp off and lay on to the weather 

 brace, the A.B.'s (or able-bodied seamen) 

 leading and the O.S.'s (ordinary seamen) at 

 the tail. Some one slacks off the lee braces 

 and sings out ' Haul away ! ' Then the watch 

 proceed to haul, with weird, wild cries in minor 

 keys that rise and fall and rise again, like the 

 long-drawn soughing of the wind itself. Eh 



