MAKING OUR EASTING DOWN 24 
scientific paintings and watch the sea-birds flying round 
the ship. Then back to the bridge, and woe betide him 
if he falls on the way, for then it all has to be done over 
again. 
Pennell, who sleeps under the chart table on the bridge, 
is also fed and inquires anxiously whether there are any 
stars showing. If there are he is up immediately to get an 
observation, and then retires below to work it out and to 
tabulate the endless masses of figures which go to make 
up the results of his magnetic observations—dip, horizon- 
tal force and total force of the magnetic needle. 
A squall strikes the ship. Two blasts of the whistle 
fetches the watch out, and “Stand by topsail halyards,”’ 
“In inner jib,’’ sends one hand to one halyard, the mid- 
shipman of the watch to the other, and the rest on to 
foc’stle and to the jib downhaul. Down comes the jib and 
the man standing by the fore topsail halyard, which is on 
the weather side of the galley, is drenched by the crests of 
two big seas which come over the rail. 
But he has little time to worry about things like this, 
for the wind is increasing and “Let go topsail halyards”’ 
comes through the megaphone from the bridge, and he 
wants all his wits to let go the halyard from the belaying- 
pins and jump clear of the rope tearing through the block 
as the topsail yard comes sliding down the mast. 
““Clew up’”’ is the next order, and then ‘All hands 
furl fore and main upper topsails,” and up we go out on to 
the yard. Luckily the dawn is just turning the sea grey 
and the ratlines begin to show up in relief. It is far harder 
for the first and middle watches, who have to goaloft in 
complete darkness. Once on the yard you are flattened 
against it by the wind. The order to take in sail always 
fetches Pennell out of his chart-house to come and take a 
hand. 
The two sodden sails safely furled—luckily they are 
small ones—the men reach the deck to find that the wind 
has shifted a little farther aft and they are to brace round. 
This finished, it is broad daylight, and the men set to work 
to coil up preparatory to washing decks—not that this 
