INTRODUCTION. 



ii 



<^^Pall the capstan — unship the bars—lay aloft top-men — 

 lower-yarcl-men in the rigging," were the successive orders, 

 and at once, the masts appeared like living pyramids of nimbly 

 moving seamen. 



Aloft lower-yard-men," and they followed to their stations. 

 ^' Close in, you Sirs, close in." The men w^ere now seen in 

 the tops, under them, and near the yards, ready to spring for- 

 ward at the next word, which they seemed eager to anticipate, 

 for it was necessary to repeat the admonition, ^^to keep close 

 in," to prevent them from immediately gaining the ends of 

 the various yards. The orders were now given in the full tone 

 of command. 



''Trice up — layout — loose away." In a second, the stud- 

 ding sail booms rose ; the sail-loosers were hanging over the 

 yards, untying the cords which secured the sails in their posi- 

 tions, and the next moment all was still — ^not a finger moved. 



'' Stand by — are you ready there fore and aft ?" " All ready, 

 Sir," replied a midshipman from each of the tops. 



" Let fall — sheet home and hoist away the topsails — cheerly 

 with the main, cheerly." At the word, all the canvass, which 

 heretofore had been concealed by being neatly folded on the 

 yards, fell at the same instant into beautiful festoons, and the 

 men briskly descended to the deck. The next moment the 

 topsails were hoisting, and the fifes playing ''The girls we 

 left behind us," as the crew marched along the deck with the 

 haulyards, keeping time to the music. 



"Tramp the deck boys, tramp the deck," cried the second 

 lieutenant in an encouraging tone, and the time w^as marked 

 louder than ever. 



"High enough with the mizen — belay the mizen topsail 

 haulyards," cried the fifth lieutenant. "Belay the mizen top- 

 sail haulyards," echoed a midshipman in a youthful key, and 

 the boatswain's mate piped, belay ! 



"Belay the fore-topsail haulyards — high enough with the 

 main — belay the main topsail haulyards," succeeded pretty 

 rapidly, attended by the same echoing and piping as before. 



Again the capstan bars were placed, or rather "shipped," 



