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Updated: June 25, 2025
"Here I am, sir," replied Mr Chucks, hastening aft, and leaving me and his story. "The captain of the maintop reports the breast backstay much chafed in the serving. Go up and examine it," said the first lieutenant. "Yes, sir," replied the boatswain, who immediately went up the rigging. "And, Mr Simple, attend to the men scraping the spots off the quarterdeck."
I was always called below by one or the other of my tyrants, and with an oath, a cuff, or a kick, ordered upon some piece of "dirty work." Once, however, I was not ordered "alow," but "aloft;" once I was allowed to have my fill of climbing. Snatching an interval when I thought both mate and master were asleep, I had gone up to the maintop.
Looking around to see that neither the captain nor the mates were in sight to forbid him, he stepped to the rail, mounted Into the shrouds, or ladders, that are formed by the wire ropes supporting the mast, and was soon ascending toward the maintop, the highest point of the largest mast. It was rather difficult work, but Bob kept on and soon was a great distance above the deck.
In the evening of the 10th, there was a dreadful storm of thunder, lightning, and rain, during which the mainmast of one of the Dutch East Indiamen was split, and carried away by the deck; and the maintop-mast and topgallant-mast were shivered to pieces. The stroke was probably directed by an iron spindle, which was at the maintop gallantmast head.
Broadside after broadside of great guns, volley after volley of arquebusry from maintop and rigging, were warmly exchanged, and much damage was inflicted on the Spaniards, whose gigantic ships, were so easy a mark to aim at, while from their turreted heights they themselves fired for the most part harmlessly over the heads of their adversaries.
The look-out man at the maintop mast-head of the frigate was instantly called down by the captain, and severely punished on the spot, for not having discovered and reported the stranger before the flag ship had made the signal to chase.
But at the first, not much respecting whom we took, so that we might enrich ourselves, which was the object of our expedition, and not willing it should be known what we were, we displayed a white silk ensign in our maintop, which made them believe that we were of the Spanish navy laying in wait for English cruizers; but when we got within shot, we hauled down our white flag, and hoisted the St Georges ensign, on which they fled as fast as they were able, but all in vain, as our ships sailed faster than they; wherefore they threw overboard all their ordnance and shot, with many letters and the chart of the straits of Magellan, which lead into the south sea, immediately after which we took her, finding on board a Spanish gentleman named Pedro Sarmiento, who was governor of the straits of Magellan, whom we brought home to England, and presented to the queen our sovereign.
We may rather admire her courage in undertaking the pilgrimage at all, and especially the resource which she displayed on this very unpleasant emergency. On the eve of St. John Baptist, after dark, the sailors made St. John's fire; stringing forty horn lanterns on a rope to the maintop, amid shouts and trumpeting and clapping of hands.
Once or twice I had climbed up the ratlines, and crawled through the lubber's hole to the maintop; and this I believed to be something of a feat, for I felt giddy enough while accomplishing it.
Here, youngster, run down to the surgeon, and let him know that I wish a report of the killed and wounded." By degrees he talked more, and at last came up to me, "This has been rather smartish, Mr Simple." "Very smart indeed, sir," replied I, and then turned away to give directions. "Maintop there, send down the hauling line on the starboard side." "Ay, ay, sir."
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