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Updated: June 18, 2025
Twenty minutes later, we saw the ship back her main-top-sail, and, by means of the glasses, we plainly perceived the boat alongside of her. After some delay, the yawl was hoisted on the deck of the ship, and the latter filled her top-sail. I had some curiosity to ascertain what would come next.
Ned joined them instantly, for, following the shots, the rattle of sailing gear and the thud-thud of boxes or boards on a deck echoed over the sea. "One of the ships is close in," Ned said. "Now we'll see if the owners are unloading missionaries here!" The vessel close in looked like an old-fashioned top-sail schooner; still there was an engine and a propeller.
"And we'll be taken out of her if you don't," Charley replied. Ole shot an anxious glance at his masts, another at the boat load of armed Greeks, and consented. The five men were in the bow of the boat a bad place when a craft is towing. I was watching the behavior of their boat as the great fisherman's staysail, far, far larger than the top-sail and used only in light breezes, was broken out.
The vessel was a kind of top-sail schooner, but with a hull there was no mistaking, the more by token that the tide was swinging her stern-on, and showing him a pair of windows picked out in red paint, with shutter-boards and brass hinges shining. "Mr. Rogers," he said, "I han't read the Sherborne Mercury lately, but is is the war over?" "No, nor likely to be." "But, Mr.
Her damages reduced themselves to the loss of the top-sail and the foretop-mast stay-sail a loss which it would be easy to repair. Not a drop of water had penetrated through the well-stanched seams of the hull and the deck. The pumps were perfectly free. In this respect there was nothing to fear. There was, then, this interminable hurricane, whose fury nothing seemed able to moderate.
However, Dick Sand commanded so well, and was so well obeyed, that after an hour's work the sail was fastened to its yard, the yard hoisted, and the top-sail properly set with two reefs. As to the foresail and the second jib, which had been furled before the tempest, those sails were set without a great deal of trouble, in spite of the force of the wind.
She was not a Malay vessel, being decidedly of European rig. She was only a small craft, of perhaps ten or fifteen tons, with one mast carrying a main-sail and stay-sail, in addition to the top-sail that had been hoisted as we approached. To us, however, she was a "ship." We were now about one hundred and fifty yards away, and I suddenly leapt to my feet and coo-eed several times.
O'Brien reported the rate of sailing to the master, marked it down on the log-board, and then returned. "So now, my boy, I'll come to an anchor on the top-sail halyard rack, and you may squeeze your thread-paper little carcass under my lee, and then I'll tell you all about it.
"Mr Bolton, brace up the mizzen top-sail! Hoist and swing the boats! Lower away!" In another moment three boats struck the water, and their respective crews tumbled tumultuously into them.
The True Briton stood out to sea, and we in for the land, having a very fresh gale at west, which split our fore top-sail in such a manner, that we were obliged to bring another to the yard. At six o'clock we tacked within four or five miles of the shore; and, as we judged, about five or six leagues to the east of Cape Aguilas.
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