Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 23, 2025
Well, I suppose it is a joy so long as it remains a beauty, but d'ye see it's got to remain, and that's the job. "Yet, mates, if there is a thing of beauty that should be a joy to every heart, it is a full-rigged ship, clothed in white, asleep in the light of the moon, on a pale and silent breast of ocean that waves in splendour under the planet over the flying jib-boom end.
"Squirt away, Neb, and let us see what you can do!" The engine made a movement, just as the French began to run out on their bowsprit, and, by the time six or eight were on the heel of the jib-boom, they were met by the hissing hot stream, which took them en echelon, as it might be, fairly raking the whole line. The effect was instantaneous.
This he handed to Leslie; and as the time was now drawing well on towards noon, the two men betook themselves to the forecastle the sun being over the jib-boom end and proceeded to take the meridian altitude of the luminary. This done, "eight bells" was struck, the watch called, and Leslie and the mate returned aft to work out their calculations.
Indeed there appeared to be an opposing tide until we drew in between the high rocky sides of the channel, when suddenly the ship was hurried onwards with such rapidity that to prevent our being swept past a cove on the right it was necessary to close with its outer point, towards which a merciless eddy flung the ship's head so rapidly, that before the thrown-aback sails checked her way, her jib-boom was almost over the rocks.* During the few awful moments that succeeded, a breathless silence prevailed; and naught was heard but the din of waters that foamed in fury around, as if impatient to engulf us in their giddy whirl.
Then they would burn it to the ground, put him on board the Ailie, up with the jib-boom sail, and away to the Tower of London. At the words "Tower of London," Ben cried "Tumble up there!" which was the signal for three such ringing cheers as only British tars are capable of. Three? To be exact only two and a half, for the third stopped in the middle, as if the lid had suddenly been put on.
We were standing aft, and, fortunately for us, near one of the masts, when through the darkness we saw the sloping sides of a great South Sea wave coming at the fore part of the ship, but sideways. 'The rigging! shouted the officer of the watch, and as we both clung to the ropes the wave broke on our bows, smashed the jib-boom, and swept the decks from stem to stern."
"Thompson," said I to the master, "I think we can manage, in our present commanding position, to get foul of him, so as to knock away his jib-boom and fore topmast, and then she can't escape. We have good way on her."
So close was she that her long slender jib-boom, with the swelling jibs soaring high among the stars, was already over my head, the phosphorescent boil and smother from the plunge of her keen bows already foamed to the gunwale of the longboat.
In the evening no sign of the weather taking off, but every appearance of the storm increasing, prepared for a proper gale of wind; secured all the sails with spare gaskets; good rolling tackles upon the yards; squared the booms; saw the boats all made fast; new lashed the guns; double breeched the lower deckers; saw that the carpenters had the tarpawlings and battens all ready for hatchways; got the top-gallant-mast down upon the deck; jib-boom and sprit-sail-yard fore and aft; in fact every thing we could think of to make a snug ship.
I hastened aft to where Smellie stood grasping the maintopmast backstay, and was greeted by him with the characteristic remark of: "What a fellow he must be, and what nerve he must have! Fancy a man running out of that river and through the fog under studding-sails." Then, turning to the helmsman, he said: "Now we have him fairly, I think. Up with your helm, my man, and steer for his jib-boom end.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking