studding-sail is fitted with an iron goose-neck and key, which connects to a bolt in the forward part of the forechannels, and is shipped either by means of the fore and main yard-tackles, or with tackles on the fore topmast backstay and forward swifter of the fore-rigging. On the outer end, about two-thirds from the goose-neck, an iron band is fitted on the boom, having eye-bolts on the forward, upper, and after sides, for the topping-lift and the guy-blocks; mooring pendants with large thimbles in the lower ends for the boats, and a Jacob's ladder are hooked, when in port, to the boom. The eyes for the pendants are underneath the boom, and those for the Jacob's ladder are on the upper after side.

The topping-lift is of wire, it hooks to the upper eyebolt in the band on the boom, reeves through a metal block hooked to an eye in the bolt which shackles the fore braceblock to the yard, thence through a block at the lower cap, usually the after sheave of the lift-block. The inboard end of the topping-lift is turned up around a thimble, into which a purchase is hooked.

The guy-blocks are iron-strapped and hook to the band. When the boom is rigged out in port a life-line is seized to the topping-lift, about breast-high from the boom, with its inner end secured inboard in the chains, in line with the boom.

When the boom is not in use it is hauled alongside by the after-guy, and rests in cranes, shipped for the purpose in the waist, the topping-lift being unhooked and triced up out of the way.

The lower boom is so called at sea, and is known as the swinging-boom in port.

Topmast Studding-Sail Booms. Round, spruce, or yellow pine spars, unpainted excepting their projecting ends. The outer end is fitted with a permanent tack block, swivelled upon it, Fig. 347, and in line with the axis of the boom, or else there is an iron pin driven through the boom vertically, near its outer end, Fig.,348.

The inner end, or heel, has a deep score for a heel-lashing when the boom is rigged out. Outside of this score there are two holes bored in the boom, one up and down, and one fore and aft, Fig. 347. A grommet strap is worked through each hole, one having a thimble for the in-and-out jigger, and the other a thimble for the tricing-line.

The inner strap is fitted through the hole bored fore and aft, in line with the score. It is used for the boom tricingline. Splice a heel-rope around the neck of this inner strap.

Unclamp the quarter iron, Fig. 347 b, on the yard, and prepare for sending the boom aloft.

Carry out a whip on the fore-yard, secure it well up on the fore-lift. Hook a clew-jigger from the lower cap to one of the grommets on the heel of the boom; the whip from the fore-yard is hitched to the boom far enough out to clear

the quarter-iron, using the heel-lashing for a back-lashing. Have a guy from forward, sway away on whip and clewjigger, keeping the outer end uppermost. Land the boom on the quarter-iron. Now sway up on the heel and point the boom fair through the boom-iron. The blocks for the lower studding-sail halliards and topmast studding-sail tack, when placed, go over with straps fitted to go neatly around the boom-end, and are kept from slipping in by the iron pin above referred to.

When the tack-block is a permanent one, with a swivel, the halliard-block hooks with sister-hooks to the neck of the swivel for the tack.

The above blocks are taken off in port, except the swivelling tack-block, which, when fitted, is a fixture.

Clamp the quarter-irons, hook the boom tricing-line, rig out to the square mark and take off the clew jigger and whip. Lastly, seize a hook horizontally on the yard, just inside the burton strap, with the point outboard, for the purpose of securing the boom, when setting the sail,* and shift the in-and-out jigger ready for use.

Top-gallant Studding-sail Booms, Fig. 349, are rigged nearly in the same manner, but have no halliard-block at the outer end, and the tricing-line goes directly through the inner hole in the boom (no grommet), with a Mathew Walker knot in the end. There is no quarter-iron; instead, a quarter-strap of rope may be fitted. This forms a figure eight around the yard and boom, seized where it crosses on the yard. One end is split to form two eyes. The other end has one eye (all eyes feathered), and the two ends are held together, when the boom is rigged out, by a toggle. The toggle is taken out as soon as the boom is rigged in, to be ready for tricing up. Fig. 350.

Instead of the rope quarter-strap, some ships use a rope jackstay, seized to the eye of the topsail lift, and set up to its opposite in the slings of the yard. In this case a becket is fitted in the heel of the boom, which toggles to a travelling bull's-eye on the jackstay.

The tricing-line leads from the top up through a single block seized to the forward swifter of the topmast rigging, close up to the eyes, thence down to the boom, where it is rove through a single block, and is then secured to the heel of the boom. When it is required to rig the boom out, the tricing-line is converted into an in-and-out jigger, thus:The tricing-line is let go in the top, and the single block, through which it passes at the heel of the boom, is taken out on the yard, taking out the bight of the tricing-line with it, and hooks to a thimble on the yard.

The boom, when required for setting the sail, is secured

* The heel-lashing is passed over the hook, and back through the score in the boom, and two half-hitches taken with the end around all parts.

by means of a lashing passed over a hook on the yard, like that for the topmast studding-sail boom, already mentioned.

The booms on the topsail-yard are usually sent up by the halliards, rove through a block, secured to the forwardswifter of the topmast rigging, the boom being slung in a span.

RUNNING RIGGING.

Besides enabling us to measure for, and cut, standing rigging, a fore-and-aft draft of the ship gives the length of all running rigging. To measure for main-topsail clewlines, for example, supposing them to be double, take twice the distance from the clew of the main-topsail, Fig. 284, Plate 43, to the quarter-block on the topsail-yard, to which add the distance thence to the deck, plus end enough to lead out; double this to get the other clew-line and divide by six to reduce it to fathoms, and so for any other rope. One half of each upper yard should be represented as on the cap, in order to measure for lifts, &c.

When a rope leads direct and is not exposed to unnecessary friction, it is said to have a clear or a fair lead, an extremely desirable condition, and one too frequently neglected.

Rope supplied in coil has had turns hove in it in the coiling. To get these turns out, the rope must be "thoroughfooted." To do this, if the rope is right-handed, lay the coil flat, with that end inside which goes around "with the sun" (to the right), now haul that end up through the coil and coil it down, left-handed. Then dip the new upper end down through and coil again left-handed, and repeat a third time. The rope is then stretched, and the gear cut and rove off. First in importance may be mentioned:

BRACES.

Fore-Braces, Fig. 351. Hemp, left-handed, standing part of wire to extend forward of smoke-stack. Standing part hooks to eye-bolts in the bibbs or to the neck of the brace-block bolt at the bibbs, as in Fig. 351b, thence through blocks on the yard from up, down, back through other blocks on the outside of bibbs and down to sheaves in the fife-rail (usually from aft, forward).

Main-Braces. Standing part hooked into the bumpkins aft, or into an eye in the breech of the block. then through brace-blocks from down, up, back to others on the bumpkin (inside the standing parts) and through sheaves or leaders in the bulwarks.

On board large ships where there is much drift to the