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"Brail up the foresail. Be smart, lads! Aloft with you and furl the foretopsail, or it will be blown out of the bolt-ropes!" The mainsail was quickly got down. The black crew were pulling and hauling at the brails of the headsails, when a fierce blast struck the vessel. She heeled over to it.
He persevered, put matters right, and was climbing down to the deck when, through the foresail, he heard voices discussing none other than himself. Mrs. Haxton and von Kerber had strolled, forward, and were leaning over the side of the ship, never dreaming that the man they were talking of was within a few feet of them above their heads, though hidden by the sail.
Rigging all let go, and washing about decks; topsail yards down upon the caps, and sails flapping and beating against the masts; and starboard watch hauling out the reef-tackles of the main topsail. Our watch haul out the fore, and lay aloft and put two reefs into it, and reef the foresail, and race with the starboard watch, to see which will mast-head its topsail first.
And, being completely dominated by this spirit of impatience, it was a vexation to him to find that he would be unable to weather the island without making a board to the southward, for as he stood there at the tiller the whole island or at least as much of it as showed above the horizon loomed out as a misty grey blot against the star-lit heavens clear of the luff of his foresail.
"Bound in and get down to the stern. Now, Frank, you're next. Oh, do go on. Jimmy, give him a lift from behind. I'll steer this time." She hauled on the foresail halyard, got the sail up and made the rope fast. Then she sprang to the stern, squeezed past Miss Rutherford and took the tiller. "Shove her off, Jimmy, wade in a bit and push her head round.
We must not, however, allow the ship to run further to leeward than we can help; so clew up the foresail, lads; we will let her scud under bare poles until daylight. Then we will see what can be done to mend matters. Now take your grog, men; and when you have clewed up and furled the foresail, go below. You, too, Chips. I have had a little rest, and can doubtless hold out until the morning.
"Will you and Mr. Gage assist at the sheet?" "Ay, ay, sir! This is heavy work. I hope she'll carry that foresail." "She must carry it, or carry it away," added Terrill. "We are falling off badly." "So we are; it ought to be done," answered the boatswain, as he began to overhaul the sheets. It was with the greatest difficulty that any one could stand up on deck.
A very hard gale at South-West by West, and West-South-West, with heavy squalls attended with Showers of rain, and a large hollow sea, without the least intermission the whole of this 24 Hours. We continued under our Courses from Noon until 7 P.M., when we handed the Mainsail, and lay too under the Foresail with the head to the Southward.
The rais put the boat under her foresail only, in order that in case she struck, it might be with as little force as possible. Shortly after, it being about an hour before sunset, the rais put to shore to inquire of the people of the country as to the condition of the river ahead. The country we saw this day, on both sides of the river, is a level plain; only one hill was visible.
From the same repository were extracted three waterproof coats, which, when put on by the canoemen, the tails thrust below deck, and the aprons drawn over them and belted round their waists, protected their persons almost completely from water. "Now, Nigel," said the hermit, "unship the mast, reeve the halyard of this foresail through the top and then re-ship it.
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