150 
HINTS TO TRAVELLERS. 
stand up, or sit on the gunwale. When about to round-to, remember 
that you cannot carry the same canvas on a wind that you can before it. 
If caught in a squall, put down the helm at once, ease the sheet, and if 
the squall is a bad one, lower the sail while it is still shaking. When 
approaching a danger, such as a rock, do not stand on if you are in 
doubt about weathering it, but go about in time, and have an oar ready 
to help the boat round if she appears likely to miss stays. Never carry 
too much sail, as there is considerable danger in doing so, and a boat will 
often sail faster with a reef taken in, than she will when unduly pressed. 
If necessary to take in a reef when sailing on a wind , do not luff, but 
check the sheet, lower the sail sufficiently to shift the tack, gather the 
sheet aft so that the men may take in the reef without leaning over the 
gunwale, shift the sheet, hoist the sail, while the sheet is slack, and 
do not haul the sheet aft until the men are again in their places. 
Bowing .—This can only be acquired by practice, and though the 
traveller will seldom be called on to take an oar himself, circumstances 
may arise when he may have to do so, and we would, therefore, advise him 
to learn how to handle an oar before leaving England. Under ordinary 
circumstances, rowing on a river is sufficiently simple, and calls for no 
special instructions. The case, however, is very different when a river 
bar has to be crossed, or a landing made on a beach where a surf is 
breaking, and in either case it will be well to remember the following 
hints. On approaching the shore, a surf when seen from seaward never 
looks so bad as it really is. Where possible, a landing should not be 
attempted until opposite a village where the natives will be ready to 
assist the moment the boat touches the beach. When the surf is heavy, 
the boat should be backed in, pulling a few strokes to meet each heavy 
sea, and then backing in again until the shore is reached. The great 
thing to avoid is, letting the boat get broadside to the sea, as she will 
then capsize; a steer-oar should always be used, as a rudder is of little 
use in a surf, when backing in. 
In crossing a bar , if there is a good, strong, fair wind, it will generally 
be best to cross under sail; but if the wind is light or variable, this should 
never be attempted. When rowing, the crew should be cautioned to 
keep their oars out of the water when the sea breaks round the boat, and 
to commence rowing again as quickly as possible afterwards. As even in 
the most experienced hands a boat wi 11 often be swamped on a bad bar, 
