640 HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



♦ 



Upon the sixth day — the 3d of August, the anniversary of 

 the day upon which Columbus sailed from Palos — the great work 

 took place of the change from " the fore-hold coil to that in the 

 wardroom, which are at least two hundred feet apart. This 

 occurred at eight o'clock in the morning; and, as the time was 

 known to all on board, there was even a larger crowd assembled 

 to witness it than I observed at any of the other changes. It 

 was considered a most critical time; and, although the opera- 

 tion turned out to be very simple, it was anticipated by some 

 with considerable uneasiness. The splice between the two coils 

 had been made some hours in advance, and men were stationed 

 all along the line of its course from the hold to the wardroom. 

 Mr. Everett and Mr. Woodhouse were both on hand ; the best 

 men had been picked out to pass up the bight, when the 

 last turn should be reached ; and one man, named Henry 

 Paine, a splicer, was specially appointed to walk forward with 

 the bight to the after or wardroom coil. As the last flake was 

 about to be paid out the ship was slowed down, and by the 

 time the last three or four turns came to be paid out she could 

 hardly be said to be moving through the water. The line came 

 up more slowly from the hold, until we were nearing the 

 bight, where it could not have been going out faster than half a 

 mile an hour. One more turn and the bight comes up. There 

 k not a sound to be heard from the crowd who are watching it 

 with eager and anxious faces from every point of view. No one 

 speaks, or has ventured to speak for the last minute, except the 

 engineers, and they have very little to say, for their orders are 

 conveyed in the most laconic style; and the quick 'ay, ay!' 

 of the men show that they understand the full value of time. 

 'Now, men,' says Mr. Everett, 'look out for the bight/ as 

 those in the hold hand it up to the men on the orlop deck, and 

 it is passed from hand to hand till it reaches the platform and 

 long passage which has been built upon the spar-deck for this 

 part of the work. Here the bight arrives at last, and Paine 



