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"We must send down the main-top-sail yard, sir. The band is working loose and the lee lift is half-stranded. Shall I strike it, sir?" "Strike nothing; lash it. If I had sky-sail poles, I'd sway them up now." "Sir! in God's name! sir?" "Well." "The anchors are working, sir. Shall I get them inboard?" "Strike nothing, and stir nothing, but lash everything.
Greenly soon appeared, and was made acquainted with the intention of the Druid, as well as with the purport of the last signals. By this time, the rent main-top-sail was mended, and the captain suggested it should be set again, close-reefed, as before, and that the main-sail should be taken in. This would lessen the Plantagenet's way, which ship was sensibly drawing ahead of her consorts.
The latter was set, close-reefed, as the ship came to the wind on the larboard tack, and by the time every thing was braced up and hauled aft, on that tack, the main-top-sail was ready to be sheeted home, anew.
All sail being set, he now cast loose the life-line, reserved for swaying him to the main royal-mast head; and in a few moments they were hoisting him thither, when, while but two-thirds of the way aloft, and while peering ahead through the horizontal vacancy between the main-top-sail and top-gallant-sail, he raised a gull-like cry in the air, "There she blows! there she blows!
To our surprise, instead of returning the fire, or standing away from us, she rounded to and backed her main-top-sail till we ran alongside. "There is something odd here," remarked Van Graoul; "I cannot make it out." "Nor I," said Fairburn. "There is some treachery, I fear." "What brig is that?" I asked, through the speaking-trumpet.
She came down to us, backed her main-top-sail, and the two vessels stood "head on," bowing and curvetting at each other like a couple of war-horses reined in by their riders. It was the first vessel that I had seen near, and I was surprised to find how much she rolled and pitched in so quiet a sea.
At this moment, the state of the game was as follows: The Dawn was lying-to, with her fore-course up, main-sail furled, main-top-sail aback, and top-gallant yards on the caps, jib and spanker both set.
At length we reduced the canvass to the fore-top-mast stay-sail, and main-top-sail, the latter double-reefed. The puffs, however, began to come gale-fashion, and I foresaw we should get it presently in a style that would require good looking to. The ship soon drove within the extremity of the head-land, the lead giving us forty fathoms of water.
It appears that, although not many leagues distant from Nelson's squadron, the fleet did not experience a gale which blew with uncommon violence on the 21st, and in which, after losing her three top-masts, the Vanguard lost her fore-mast and sprung her bowsprit; while the Orion and Alexander lost each a main-top-sail, and it was with difficulty they reached the Bay of St.
We could not get down our topmast, but let all stand, because she scudded before the sea very well, and we knew that the topmast being aloft, the ship was the wholesomer, and made better way through the sea, seeing we had sea-room. When the storm was over, we set foresail and mainsail, and brought the ship to. Then we set the mizzen, main-top-sail, and the fore-top-sail.
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