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As at present arranged, if a vessel has a list, or, in non-nautical language, has tipped over on one side, only the boats upon the lower side can be dropped, for they must be swung clear of the vessel to be lowered from the davits. So there is a problem which it is the duty of marine designers to solve.
"The facts seem to prove this; but you will say that it is so much the worse for the facts," replied the captain, laughing at the earnestness of the non-nautical gentlemen; and even the ladies understood the matter well enough to be interested in the dispute. "The affirmative side of the question must prove its position," suggested the doctor.
Then the commander hurriedly excused himself, and the passengers saw no more of him that day. But his short scientific lecture achieved a double result. It rescued him from a request which he could not possibly grant, and reassured Lady Tozer. To the non-nautical mind it is the unknown that is fearful.
Professor Hamblin was walking up and down in the waist, a very pretty type of the squall itself, when the initial stroke of the tempest came upon the Josephine. His "stove-pipe" hat, as non-nautical as anything could be, which he persisted in wearing, was tipped from his head, and borne over the rail into the sea.
This ingenious process, which, however, like many other good old customs, has fallen into disuse, must be explained to the non-nautical reader.
The remarks of Mr. Brooke, which were not a little assisted by the tempting nature of the viands, and no small degree of hunger, had the effect, and the trays were all cleared out in consequence. While I was in this river I was capsized by a bore. This, I must explain to my non-nautical readers, is a huge rolling wave, which is as upright as a wall, and travels almost as fast as a locomotive.
"No, no!" replied Shuffles, impatiently, as he put out the other oar, and assisted his companion, when the boat was in danger of catching the wind on her beam. "I will get sail on her in a few moments." In the lull of the blast, the young commander overhauled the sail, and corrected the non-nautical reefing of his companion. "Now, mind your eye!" shouted Shuffles, as he grasped the halyards.
This ingenious process, which, however, like many other good old customs, has fallen into disuse, must be explained to the non-nautical reader.
Outside them, two miles again to the rear, the Leviathan, Good Hope, Powerful and Terrible, the fastest ships in the Fleet, were to take their station to keep off stragglers. For the benefit of the non-nautical reader, it will be as well to explain here the two principal formations in which modern fleets go into action.
We had now the usual indications of approaching the land. In fact, I had made it, by my reckoning, a fortnight before. The non-nautical reader must understand, that the young gentlemen are required to send into the captain daily, a day's work, that is, an abstract of the course of the ship for the last twenty-four hours, the distance run, and her whereabouts exactly.
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