bracing-to the topsail and upper yards, to present their leeches to the wind. Helm's-a-lee! Haul down the head sails; brace up the head-yards as she comes to the wind for the same purpose as at first, and also, when they are aback, that the lateral pressure on the bow may be increased. Keep the fore-tack down when you raise tacks and sheets, if not accustomed to do so on all occasions, and when the wind is fairly round on the other bow, haul the main-yard, and hoist the head sails.

(In a light breeze, or tacking against a heavy head sea, the head sails are hauled down and the lee fore-braces checked a little to ensure the fore-topsail taking aback).

Q.-How do you boxhaul* a ship?

A.-Put the helm down, light up the head-sheets, and slack the lee braces, to deaden her way. As she comes to the wind, raise tacks and sheets, and haul up the mainsail and the spanker. As soon as she comes head to the wind, and loses her head-way, square the after-yards, brace the head-yards sharp aback, and flatten in the head sheet. The helm being put down to bring her up will now pay her off, as she has stern-way on. As she goes off keep the after sails lifting, and square in the head-yards. As soon as the sails on the foremast give her head-way, shift the helm. When she gets the wind on the other quarter, haul down the jib, haul out the spanker, set the mainsail, and brace the after-yards sharp up. As she comes to on the other tack, brace up the head-yards, meet her with the helm, and set the jib.

Q.-How would you weart a ship?

A.-Haul the mainsail up, brail the mizzen in, luff the ship up until the weather leeches of the topsails shake; then hard a-weather the helm, and brace the after-yards in and keep the sails shaking as she pays off, so that they may be well canted for the other tack by the time the wind is on the quarter. When the wind is abaft the beam raise the fore-tack, and shift the head sheets over as soon as they are becalmed. The head-yards being nearly becalmed, run them square; and all the weather braces being slacked off roundly as the ship comes-to, gather in the main and cross-jack braces while the head-yards are being braced and fore-tack got down. In wearing under small sail in a ship that answers her weather helm slowly, take care that the main

* Boxhauling is, wearing a ship by a series of manoeuvres so as to avoid running to leeward as in ordinary wearing.

+ Wearing ship is turning the vessel round head from the wind till she comes-to on the other tack. When working to windward you never wear when you can stay, on account of losing so much ground,

topsail is not shaken until the ship begins to pay off, since ships which differ in build and class differ very much in these respects.

If blowing hard while before the wind the fore-yard should be braced forward, in order that it should not come a-back in flying-to.

The time to right the helm depends upon the ship; but take care nɔt to let her come into the wind after she is round.

Q.-State why a sail should never be backed in this evolution, to be well performed.

A.-It would lessen the ship's headway, and, consequently, the power of the helm.

Q.-Wear in as short a space as possible. (Wearing short round.)

A.-Suppose on starboard tack before going round, I would throw the ship up into the wind to deaden her way, haul up the mainsail and brail up the spanker; brace the head-yards a box, and square the after-yards; put the helm a-port when she gathers stern-way, amidships when she loses it, and a-starboard when the after-sails fill and she gathers headway. Square the head-yards as in wearing, and as the wind comes round on the port quarter, brace up the after-yards, haul out the spanker, and board the main-tack. This is boxhauling.

Q. When is it necessary to wear a ship?

A.-This evolution generally takes place from three causes; first, when there is not a sufficiency of wind to tack, the ship will generally wear; secondly, you are obliged to wear when it blows too hard to tack; and, thirdly, you must wear when the ship will not come round against the sea.

Q.-You are lying-to in a gale of wind under a close-reefed main-topsail, and the ship breaks off, what would you do? A.-I would wear her.

Q. Why would you wear her?

A.-Because she would head the sea more on the other tack, and therefore lie-to easier.

Q.-How would you wear her?

A.-I would set the fore-topmast-staysail, and would watch her falling off; put the helm up, and, as she pays off, haul in the weather after braces, keeping the main-topsail clean full. When before the wind steady the helm, square the head yards, down fore-topmast-staysail, and stow it, watch for a smooth to bring her to, down helm, brace up as she comes to, and meet her with the helm.

Q-In wearing ship when hove-to why do you watch when she falls off?

A.-Because then she does not require so much helm.

Q.-You are under three lower topsails and fore-topmaststaysail, proceed to wear the ship round.

A.-Put the helm up, and as the vessel goes off square the after yards, and keep them just lifting. When before the wind, brace round the fore-yard for the other tack, but not sharp up, and put the staysail-sheet over. Brace up the after yards and meet her with the helm. Trim sails and stand on.

Q.-How would you wear ship under a mainsail?

A.-Set the fore-topmast-staysail for an off sail, watch when the vessel falls off, put the helm hard up, raise the weather clew of the mainsail, and square in the after yards. When before the wind, shift over the staysail-sheet and get the weather tack down as low as possible, watch a smooth, and bring her to.

Q.-Why do you raise the weather clew of the mainsail?

A. To assist the ship to pay off, and to allow more men to work the braces.

Q.-You have a ship on the lee beam, the wind is very light, and you are sagging down upon her, you have your helm down, and she will not come-to, how would you bring her to?

A.-Haul down the head sails, spanker boom sheet to windward, and haul on the weather fore-brace until the sail shakes. Q. How would you wear under bear poles?

A.-Some vessels, which are well down by the stern, will wear in this situation by merely pointing the after-yards to the wind or sending down the mizzen topmast and the cross-jack yard and filling the head yards; but vessels in good trim will not do this. To assist the vessel, veer a good scope of hawser out of the leequarter with a buoy, or something for a stop-water, attached to the end. As the ship sags off to leeward, the buoy will be to windward, and will tend to bring the stern round to the wind. When she is before it, haul the hawser aboard. If the vessel will not go off, it will be necessary, as a last resort, to cut away the mizzenmast, veer away the hawser, and use the mizzen-topmast as a drag to assist in wearing.

Q-Wearing, blowing hard; how do you shift the fore and main-staysail sheets over?

A.-First haul down the sail, shift over the sheet, steady aft, and hoist.

Q.-Wear under staysails in a gale of wind.

A.-Put the helm up, brail up the after trysail, and trim the yards as with sail set. In a very heavy sea it may be necessary

to goose-wing the foresail, for the purpose of keeping way on the ship, and preventing her being pooped, even at the risk of not being able to furl again. In the meantime shift the sheets over, and steady them aft; and, when before the wind, set the aftersails and haul down the fore and main-staysails, setting them again as soon as the sheets are shifted over.

Q.-Suppose you are on a lee-shore, and not room to veer or stay, no anchorage, how would you put the ship's head round? A.-I would put the helm a-lee, and when she came head to wind, let go tacks and sheets and haul them all aback, get in the lee-tacks, that she may fall round on her heel, and when the mainsail shivers I would haul it up; when she gathers headway, shift the helm, and when the wind is on the quarter set the spanker, mainsails, &c., and bring her close to the wind.

CLUBHAULING.

Q.-You are on a lee-shore, and could clear the danger on the other tack, but you have not room to veer, and she won't stay, you have anchors, but the roadstead is bad, what will you do?

A.-I would cock-bill the lee-anchor, get a hawser on for a spring and lead it to the lee-quarter: range the cable and unshackle it abaft the windlas. Helm's a-lee! and Raise tacks and

sheets! as for going in stays. The moment she loses head-way, let go the anchor and Mainsail haul! As soon as the anchor brings her head to the wind, let the chain cable go, holding on to the spring; and when the after sails take full, cast off or cut the spring, and Let go and haul! This is clubhauling.

BOXHAULING.

Q.-Your ship is near a lee-shore with a strong head sea, she won't stay, how would you act?

A.-I would haul up the mainsail, take in the mizzen, shiver the after yards, let go the fore-tack and sheet, jib-sheet, &c., and haul the fore-yard aback; when she has fallen off enough shift the helm, and help the head-way with the sails, and round according to the method of veering; care should be taken not to shift the helm until she gathers head-way. This is boxhauling a ship.

Q.—She is too near to boxhaul, what would you do?

A.-I would clubhaul her.

Q.-It is thick, the wind is along the land, you are standing in towards it and make it suddenly, half a cable's length off, what would you do?

A. -Stay ship; if she refuses to stay make a stern board.

MAKING AND TAKING IN SAIL, &c.

In taking in a sail endeavour to get the wind out of, or spill, it; for the more wind it holds the more difficult it will be to manage.

With the lee sheet let go a sail will be emptied of wind, but if blowing hard it would soon be rent in pieces; therefore, in taking in a sail when blowing fresh, always ease the lee sheet so as to take the strain off the yard.

With the weather sheet let go the wind remains in the sail and keeps it steady; but in the case of a large sail, such as a course, if the tack is let go suddenly it would be very liable to spring the lower yard.

Q. How would you set a foresail?

A.-Loose the sail and overhaul the buntlines and leechlines. Let go the clew-garnets and overhaul them, and haul down on the sheets and tacks. If the ship is close-hauled, I would ease off the lee braces, slack the weather-lift and clew-garnet, and get the tack well down. When the tack is well down, sharpen the yards up again by the brace, top it well up by the lift, haul aft the sheet, and then haul out the bowline.

Q.-State how you would take a mainsail in ?

A.—I would man the weather clew-garnets and buntline, ease off the main-sheet a fathom or two, and belay; I would then slack away the main-tack, and haul up the weather clew-garnet and buntlines, taking care to have the sail kept full. When the weather-clew is up, and as much of the buntline as can be got, then luff the vessel as close to the wind as possible; ease away the main-sheet, and haul the lee clew-garnet up, and buntlines at the same time. I would haul a fore-sail up in the same

manner.

(In taking in a course the wind is got out of the sail by hauling up the buntlines and leechlines more than the clew-garnets.

In taking in a course or a topsail, blowing hard, such large sails will not stand being shaken; therefore, the wind is kept out only as much as prudent, and the sail taken in by starting the lee sheet a little, hauling up the weather gear first and then the lee gear. If it is required to relieve the ship quickly, the lee sheet must be let go, even at the expense of the sail.)