United States or Tajikistan ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
I accomplished successfully the feat of going aloft; and one memorable day, assisted the riggers in "bending sails," and received an ill-natured rebuke from a crusty old tar, for my stupidity in failing to understand him when he told me to "pass the gasket" while furling the fore-topsail. Instead of passing the gasket around the yard, I gravely handed him a marlinspike!
"Well, you're both a damn long way out of it!" Tom chipped in, pretty warm. "I wasn't asleep; an' the sail did bloomin' well hit me." "Don't you be impertinent, young feller," said Jaskett. I joined in again. "There's another thing, Stubbins," I said. "The gasket Tom was hanging by, was on the after side of the yard. That looks as if the sail might have flapped it over?
"I carn't say I was, Sir," said Tom, doubtfully. I could see that he had not gripped the Second Mate's meaning. "But you were!" said the Second, with some impatience. "It was blowing adrift, and I sent you up to shove a gasket round it." "Blowin' adrift, Sir?" said Tom, dully. "Yes! blowing adrift. Don't I speak plainly?" The dullness went from Tom's face, suddenly.
But he did not find the men he sought, until the last curtain was thrown back. There sat Gasket and McTurpin opposite Ensenada Rose. She looked up impudently as Adrian entered. Into the gambler's visage sprang a quick surprise and fear. Instantly he blew out the lamp. A pistol spoke savagely almost in Adrian's face. He staggered, clasping one hand to his head.
The cuddy breakfast was fairly under way, and a great clattering of cups and saucers, knives and forks, and the hum of lively conversation, accompanied by sundry savoury odours, came floating up through the open skylights, when the chief mate's eye happened to be attracted toward a gasket, streaming loose like an Irish pennant from the fore topgallant yard, and he sang out to one of the ordinary seamen to jump aloft and put it right.
A. To pack the piston, take sixty common-sized white or untarred rope-yarns, and with them plait a gasket or flat rope as close and firm as possible, tapering for eighteen inches at each end, and long enough to go round the piston, and overlapped for that length; coil this rope the thin way as hard as possible, and beat it with a sledge hammer until its breadth answers the place; put it in and beat it down with a wooden drift and a hand mallet, pour some melted tallow all around, then pack in a layer of white oakum half an inch thick, so that the whole packing may have the depth of five to six inches, depending on the size of the engine; finally, screw down the junk ring.
Spear sat at one of the tables, toying with a pile of chips and stroking his chin reflectively as he surveyed three cards. "Give me two. Hello, there, Adrian. Good Lord! what's up?" "Have you seen McTurpin or his friend, Ned Gasket?" He tried to speak quietly. A miner at another table leaned forward. "Try the stalls, pard," he whispered, while his left eyelid descended meaningly.
In half a minute we were both on the Gleam's deck, the crews of the boats that had her in tow lying on their oars. "You are the commander of this force?" said the Spaniard. "I am," said old Gasket, who had figged himself out in full puff, after the manner of the ancients, as if he had been going to church, instead of to fight; and who the hell are you?"
"On the contrary, my lord, I do admire her, and I'm a connoisseur in ships," returned the young girl. "Indeed!" "Yes. I have played all my life on my father's ships. He should have made me a sailor, for I dare say, at a push, I could reef a sail or plait a gasket easily enough." "Do you say so, miss?" exclaimed John Mangles.
There we were all in a bunch, the dog, Mr and Mrs Mangrove, and Thomas Cringle, gentleman, such in appearance as I shall shortly describe them. Old Richard Gasket, Esq., first clambered up the side and made his bow to the Hon.
Word Of The Day