ring, and the fore-tackle to a strop made fast to the ring, and lashed half-way up the upper stock; pass a hawser over the cat-head stopper-cleat, through the anchor ring, and make its end fast round the cat-head. Hook the yard burton under the cat-head inside the hawser to the cable, about three fathoms from the ring; ease the anchor down by the hawser; let it hang with the ring awash and unhook the cat. (The use of the hawser is to avoid the difficulty there would be in overhauling the cat aft.) Haul taut all the gear, easing away the hawser, and paying out cable, bearing in mind that the more the anchor is slacked away under the yards, the more equally will the runners operate. Keep the bight of the chain up with the burton, and the upper stock with the fore-tackle. If the drift is long, put another tackle from the cat-head on the cable, so as to relieve the burton, and let the anchor go aft freely; when up, the main tackle—and if not, the fore-stay-will bring the fluke in on the bill board.

In very long ships, the yards must necessarily be braced very much in, and, consequently, the pee of the anchor will bind very much against the side in going aft, bringing severe strain on the yards; and when it is remembered that their principal duty is to carry sail, and that injury may be done them whilst lifting weights, without their exhibiting any present symptoms of distress, it seems unwise to employ them for purposes which can be better effected with other means. At all events, when lower yards are struck, there is no alternative, and the davit, as already described, is brought into operation.

TO STOW THE WAIST ANCHOR WITH THE DAVITS.

Rig both davits, one a little before the place where the stock stows, and the other at where the fluke stows. Use the catfall and cat-block (taken from the opposite side) for the foremost one, and the usual fish gear for the after one. When the anchor is up to the hawse hole, hook, haul taut and belay the cat-head cat and stick out cable; hook the after cat to the anchor ring, and the fore yard burton to the cable as before; pay out chain; lower the anchor well down, so as to overhaul plenty of cat, and then hoist the anchor right up to the foremost davit, and fish it with the other one. This is only one more

davit to rig than usual, and can be done whilst shortening in cable. In fact, the only difference of time between stowing a bower and waist anchor in this way is that which elapses whilst hooking the second cat; for, although the length of haul on the after cat is greater than that on the main one, we lose none in handling the stock tackle. Five minutes' difference would be a liberal allowance, and yet how often is the sheet anchor grudged from the imaginary difficulty about stowing it!

STRIKING LOWER YARDS AND TOPMASTS.

And

The old custom whilst riding out a gale, was to strike topmasts, keeping the lower yards up, seeing that not only do the yards hold less wind when pointed aloft than when square below, but that in the event of parting, sail might be made. one ship did succeed in getting off a lee shore under these very circumstances. The heels of the topmasts were hung by hawsers in addition to the top tackles, and the topsails were set close reefed over reefed courses.

In lifting to take the fids out, topmen will not start the rigging lanyards if they can avoid it, because in sending masts and yards up afterwards, they like to find the rigging all ready taut for them to run the moment the fid is in. The rigging is generally much shrunk from wet whilst the mast is struck; and unless the lanyards are actually overhauled, the strain on top blocks and cap bolts is excessive, and accidents are frequent in consequence. Topsail lifts, buntlines, and reef tackles must also be lighted up; and before lowering the masts, the backstays and halyards must be hung taut from the top. Indeed, to make a good run with the masts in going up, all this gear should be hauled up above their usual nips and stopt. Of course, when striking, if rolling heavily the rigging must be very carefully eased; the lower yard should either be braced up or lowered out of the way, and sail tackle put on the mast head, or the buntlines racked to haul down with, so as to take advantage of a lull for unfidding and lowering rapidly.

If the yards are to be struck whilst rolling, cross the yard tackles to opposite sides of the deck, and check the after main braces whilst lifting the slip out. When the masts and yards are down, haul the stays taut with jiggers, and pull them up

E E

through their nips and hang them there. Rack the clue garnets under the yards.

When the lower or flying jib booms are left out after striking lower yards and topmasts, or pointing yards to the wind, it looks more like negligence than design.

In sending up lower yards and topmasts, have jiggers on stays and backstays ready for setting up. If there is a fight for an inch for fidding, either something is fast, or there are not hands enough on the dumb sheave tackle, or the heel is wooded in being pulled aslant by the live one; therefore, divide the men at once, slack the live tackle a little, and then one long pull together will toss the mast up. Top sail lifts are generally the cause of a heavy pull. The nip is short in the sister-block, and unless the lift be hauled through and hung outside the block, it will give trouble. It is the same with top-gallant rigging; haul it up a few inches through the nips, hang it there, stop it taut into the topmast rigging from the cross tree, and then stop the bights taut up and down the topmast rigging; thus the rigging will not only be well overhauled, but the unsightliness of loose gear at the mast head will be avoided. In sending top-gallant masts up, the men must be warned to cut the stops on the bights only, as they go aloft.

Tricing the after main braces up, overhauling the sheets of courses, and letting the bunt of courses fall (of course refurling) before sending the lower yards up, lighten work. The bunt of a large main sail will, after heavy rain, contain more than half a ton of water.

See that the heels of the booms are fast, for if not, and the yards tilt, they will slip overboard and wring the irons.

CHAP. XXIV.

HANDLING THE SHIP.

IN the government of the peopled deck there is scope for administrative talent of the highest order. To be prompt with the right command, judicious in the selection of sufficient means (and no more), in the control of reserves, in the anticipation of

the next move, and contrivance that the present command have some reference to the future, in the adaptation of resources to various circumstances, all this cannot be learned in any other school than one "under canvass," or by any other pupil than a cordial lover of his profession.

The military art may, in a great measure, be reduced to rules. It is almost a certainty that an order will produce certain results. The commander moves his pieces with nearly the precision of a chess-player. He literally can say to a man "Do this, and he doeth it." At the note of a bugle, columns form line, consolidate in masses, or deploy into fractions; a battle is declined, or an inevitable disaster is converted by successful generalship into an honourable retreat.

But the seaman is dependent on two uncompromising agents; and, however he may accommodate his circumstances to their movements, over them he has no positive control. Britannia may rule the waves in song, but, as the sea-sick dominie observed," She can not rule them straight."

Tides, seas, and winds will rise and fall, and wait for no man. The seaman must take them as they come, and be ready with his resources; and even after his best exertions, his gain or loss is in their power. A shift of wind threw three of thirteen ships out of the brunt of the battle of the Nile. The " Culloden," commanded by an officer whom Nelson had named "the Nonpareil," grounded on a sunken rock. Fogs and calms obscured the signals and retarded the movements of Howe. A gale scattered the hard won trophies of Trafalgar, and prevented the entire destruction of the enemy; and it was in the full conviction of the impossibility of adhering rigidly to fixed rules, that the genius of Nelson threw himself so trustfully on the bravery of his men and the undirected ability of his captains.

These observations are not made with the intention of drawing an invidious comparison, but to magnify our own profession in the estimation of young sea officers; so that they may take a large estimate of the qualifications for command. If the wooden walls be made up of " Hearts of Oak," the "thin Red line" is composed of materials as precious; and soldiers and sailors can entertain no rivalry that is not of a friendly and honourable character.

It is true that steam may place his forces more at the disposal

of the naval Commander-in-Chief than formerly, but bearings may get hot, shells may drop into the best masked engine-room, and machinery of the most perfect description may fail at the hour of need; and without meaning to maintain the infallibility of sailoring, it is not very certain that coal whips will altogether outlive tacks and sheets.

It has been observed by an officer, whose high scientific attainments place him beyond the suspicion of disparaging theoretic knowledge, that however informed, taught, and improved by book-learning naval officers may be, they are aware that seamanship is the most essential part of their education; that it can only be learnt afloat and by practice; that it needs certain qualities of head, eye, character, and constitution, not easily or quickly acquired; but therefore proportionately valuable. Neither the differential calculus nor dynamical study will enable an officer to manage his ship in a gale of wind, or an action. He must neither overlook nor undervalue plain duties, while studying mathematics and philosophy.

COILING ROPES.

The most wonderful of all orders that may be found in the old standard routine watch bill orders, is that of "coil up ropes at 3.30 A.M. Holystone decks at 4." How it operated, those who sailing in the line, or in doubtful weather, have spent many dark and anxious hours with their power of action thus straitened, and who have often been alphabetically noticed at daybreak for being out of station, can best say. Nor are we without positive examples of the fatal consequences of such practices. I have always had stools made with grating tops, on which the working ropes were coiled abaft their belaying places. The fore-topsail brace on top of the fore-brace, main topsail buntline on top of its clueline. Top-gallant clueline on top of its sheet, and so on: and thus the officer of the watch could touch a rope without hesitation; moreover the perpetual coiling up and flemishing down was altogether avoided.

CASTING.

When there is plenty of sea room, and the wind is fair, it is best to cast under the head sails: and to make sail when before the wind.