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Updated: June 5, 2025
"Stand by the mainsail halyards!" said Terrill, through his speaking trumpet. "Man the jib halyards and downhaul!" "All ready, sir," replied the second lieutenant, forward; for all hands were still at their stations, in anticipation of the emergency. "All ready, sir," added the fourth lieutenant, whose place was on the quarter-deck.
Breakfast over, the sail-trimmers, under the boatswain, were sent round the decks to inspect and acquaint themselves thoroughly with the running rigging of the galleon, some of which was rove and led in a fashion different from that in vogue in English ships of the time, in order that they might know exactly where to lay their hands upon any required halliard, sheet, tack, brail, or downhaul in the darkest night; and while this was being done the guns' crew, under Barker, the gunner, carefully overhauled all the ordnance, great and small, and satisfied themselves that every piece was ready for immediate service.
It was blowing now, and it was all that I and two others could do to get in the slack of the downhaul, while the others lowered away at the peak and throat, and we had our hands full to get a couple of turns round the wet sail.
The hands "walked away" with the downhaul, and the jib was on the bowsprit in an instant. "Lay out and stow the jib!" added the officer. "Mind your eye there! The squall is upon us!" The roar of the squall heard at first miles away swept along over the ocean, carrying a tempest of foam and spray before it, and came down upon the Josephine.
Waiting for a good opportunity, the halyards were manned and the yard hoisted fairly up to the block; but when the mate came to shake the catspaw out of the downhaul, and we began to boom-end the sail, it shook the ship to her centre.
The Crozier Party tell a good story of Bowers, who on their return journey with their recovered tent fitted what he called a 'tent downhaul' and secured it round his sleeping-bag and himself. If the tent went again, he determined to go with it. Our lecture programme has been renewed. Last night Simpson gave a capital lecture on general meteorology.
In that comparatively brief period he had contrived not only to learn the name and function of every bit of running rigging in the ship, but also to lay his hand unerringly upon any required halyard, brace, sheet, downhaul, clewline, or other item of gear in the darkest night; he was as active and almost as handy aloft as the smartest A.B. in the ship; and he proved to be a born helmsman, standing his "trick" at the wheel from the very first, and leaving a straighter wake behind him than any of the other men, even when the ship was scudding before a heavy following sea.
The peak dropped instantly, a great belly of loose canvas floated broad upon the water; and since, pull as I liked, I could not budge the downhaul, that was the extent of what I could accomplish. For the rest, the Hispaniola must trust to luck, like myself.
The energetic motions of the men on the disabled vessel could be dimly seen through the mist and rain. "Hoist the jib, Terrill," said Captain Kendall. "We will run up to the wreck, and ascertain what the trouble is." "Man the jib halyards! Stand by the jib sheet!" added Terrill. "All ready, sir!" "Let go the downhaul! Hoist away!" continued the first lieutenant. "Port the helm!"
There was some sea on, and the boom was off and the gaff was slamming. One of those Benton boys was at the wheel, and before I knew what he was doing, the other was out on the gaff with the end of the new downhaul, trying to reeve it through its block. The one who was steering watched him, and got as white as cheese.
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