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Updated: June 22, 2025
Captain Truck nodded, and proceeded to look into the condition of his ground-tackle. It was a joyous but an anxious moment when the hand-spikes were first handled, and the slack of one of the chains began to come in. The ship had been upright several hours, and no one could tell how hard she would hang on the bottom.
It blew a howling gale that night, but the place was safe enough, with good ground-tackle. 'The whole affair was over; and after supper I thought hard about it all. 8 The Theory DAVIES leaned back and gave a deep sigh, as though he still felt the relief from some tension. I did the same, and felt the same relief.
"Unless he anchor, he will yet go into the white water, and be lost!" "So little does he think of that, that he is turning out his reefs," answered Hazard. "See! there is a hand aloft loosening his topsail and there goes up a whole mainsail, already!" Sure enough, Daggett appeared more disposed to trust to his canvass, than to his ground-tackle.
It was not a difficult task to snub so light a craft with ground-tackle of a quality better than common; and in less than ten minutes from the moment when Jasper went to the helm, the Scud was riding, head to sea, with the two cables stretched ahead in lines that resembled bars of iron.
But the depth of the water rendered this an anxious service, since there was the danger of dragging the ground-tackle home, as it is termed, on account of the angle at which it lay. At this moment, with the exception of difficulty last named, everything seemed propitious. The wind had gone done entirely, the southerly air having lasted but a short time, and no other succeeding it.
It was noticeable that whenever a fresh tug arrived alongside, little white clouds left her quarter-deck, and that tug suddenly sheered off to take a position in the parade astern. Abreast of Governor's Island, topgallant-halyards were let go, as were those of the jibs; but no cluing up or hauling down was done, nor were any men seen on her forecastle-deck getting ready lines or ground-tackle.
However, the Roads being reckoned as good as a harbour, the anchorage good, and our ground-tackle very strong, our men were unconcerned, and not in the least apprehensive of danger, but spent the time in rest and mirth, after the manner of the sea; but the eighth day, in the morning, the wind increased, and we had all hands at work to strike our topmasts, and make everything snug and close, that the ship might ride as easy as possible.
"Come, boys, it's clear that we're goin' to have a dirty night of it, an' I think we'd better look to our roofs an' make all snug. If our ground-tackle ain't better than that o' the tree which has just gone by the board, we shall have a poor look-out." There was much cause for the anxiety which the seaman expressed regarding the roofs of the houses.
"She ain't driftin' any this trip," said the man angrily, for the Carrie Pitman had an unsavory reputation for breaking her ground-tackle. "Then haow d'you make berths?" said Dan. "It's her best p'int o' sailin'. An' ef she's quit driftin', what in thunder are you doin' with a new jib-boom?" That shot went home. "Hey, you Portugoosy organ-grinder, take your monkey back to Gloucester.
"Well, lads," said Mr Stevenson, accosting the men, "what think you of this state of things? Will the good ship weather it?" "Nae fear o' her, sir," replied one confidently, "she's light and new; it'll tak' a heavy sea to sink her." "Ay," observed another, "and she's got little hold o' the water, good ground-tackle, and no top-hamper; she'll weather anything, sir."
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