PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION.
THIS work is published at the same time in England and in America. In the latter country it appears under the title of the "Seaman's Friend;" while that of the "Seaman's Manual" is adopted in the British Edition, as more significant of the nature of the book. Mr. Dana has here embodied in a small space and unpretending form a variety of information, which it is hoped may be extensively useful. Not that men who have been bred to the sea can be supposed to derive much instruction from the elementary hints of a book of this kind. Seamanship, like every other manual art, is thoroughly acquired by practice; and skill in its various branches can only be arrived at by actual experience. But young beginners will find useful helps in their study of the duties of sea-life, in the details and explanations here collected from the best available sources. Very few of the terms or the methods of management, in the Merchant service of America, differ in any material respect from those which are used in English vessels. There is probably less difference in the sea-language, common to both services, than may be detected as peculiar in the different great sea-ports of the mother country; and in like manner, the received usages and modes of discipline have the close affinity which is the natural result arising from common origin, laws, and general
customs. It may therefore be expected without presumption, that the abstract given in this little work of the rules established in American ships will be found applicable to the practice in our own; and even where they differ, may suggest useful comparisons. At any rate, it is desirable to know what system obtains and is successful among a body of seamen which, in numbers and the extent of commerce carried on by them, are only second in importance to those of Great Britain.
Recent alterations, consequent on the repeal of the Navigation laws, and the enactment of the Merchant Shipping and other Acts, have rendered necessary a revision of Part the Third, wherein will be found a complete epitome of the existing laws and regulations relating to British merchant ships and seamen.
It is to be hoped that the various classes of society which are led by their callings, duty, or affection, to take an interest in sea-faring men, and who may wish to know something of their business and their language, will find this little Manual useful for occasional reference. It cannot be expected to have the same claims to public favour as the Author's former work. But even in these pages, which only aim at being useful, the reader will not fail to perceive indications of the same good sense and right spirit which were so conspicuous in that remarkable production.
A PLAIN TREATISE ON PRACTICAL SEAMANSHIP.
FITTING AND REEVING RUNNING RIGGING, PAGES 13-16.
To reeve a Brace, 13.-Fore, Main, and Cross-jack Braces, 14.-Fore
and Main Topsail Braces, 14.-Mizen Topsail Braces, 14.-Fore,
Main, and Mizen Topgallant and Royal Braces, 14.—Halyards, 15.
-Spanker-brails, 15.-Tacks, Sheets, and Clewlines, 16.- Reef-
tackles, Clew-garnets, Buntlines, Leechlines, Bowlines, and Slab-
lines, 16.
-To cross a Lower Yard, 20.-To cross a Topsail Yard, 21.-To
send up a Topgallant Mast, 21.-Long, Short, and Stump Topgallant
Masts, 21.-To rig out a Flying Jib-boom, 22,-To cross a Top-
gallant Yard, 22.-To cross a Royal Yard, 22.-Skysail Yards, 23.
BENDING AND UNBENDING SAILS, PAGES 26-30.
To bend a Course, 26.-To bend a Topsail by the Halyards, 26; by
the Buntlines, 27.-To bend Topgallant Sails and Royals, 28.-
To bend a Jib, 28.-To bend a Spanker, 28.--To bend a Spencer,
29.-To unbend a Course, 29.-To unbend a Topsail, 29.-Tɔ
unbend a Topgallant Sail or Royal, 29.-To unbend a Jib, 29.-To
send down a Topsail or Course in a Gale of Wind, 29.-To bend
a Topsail in a Gale of Wind, 29.-To bend one Topsail or Course,
and send down the other at the same time, 30.
Yarns, Strands, 30.-Kinds of Rope Cable-laid, Hawser-laid, 31.-
Spunyarn, 31.-Worming, Parcelling, and Service, 31.-Short
Splice, 32.-Long Splice, 32.-Eye Splice, 32.-Flemish Eye, 33.
-Artificial Eye, 33.-Cut Splice. 33.-Grommet, 33.-Single and
Double Walls, 33.-Matthew Walker, 34.-Single and Double
Diamonds, 34.-Spritsail Sheet-knot, 34.-Stopper Knot, 35.--
Shroud and French Shroud Knots, 35.-Buoy-rope Knot, 35.-
Turk's Head, 35.-Two Half-hitches, Clove-hitch, Overhand Knot,
and Figure-of-eight, 35.-Standing and Running Bowlines, and
Bowline upon a Bight, 36.-Square Knot, 36.-Timber Hitch,
Rolling Hitch, and Blackwall Hitch, 37.-Cat's Paw, 37.-Sheet
Bend, Fisherman's Bend, Carrick Bend, and Bowline Bend, 37.-
Sheep-shank, 38.-Selvagee, 38.-Marlinspike Hitch, 38.-To
pass a Round Seizing, 38.-Throat Seizing, 38.-Stopping and
Nippering, 39.-Pointing, 39.-Snaking and Grafting, 39.-Foxes,
Spanish Foxes, Gaskets, Sennit, French Sennit, 39.-To bend a
Buoy-rope, 40.-To pass a Shear-lashing, 40.
BLOCKS AND PURCHASES, PAGES 40-41.
Parts of a Block, Made and Morticed Blocks, 40.-Bull's-eye, Dead-
eye, Sister-block, 41.-Snatch-block, Tail Blocks, Tackles, Whip,
Gun-tackle, Whip-upon-Whip, Luff-tackle, Luff-upon-Luff, Runner-
tackle, Watch-tackle, Tail-tackle, and Burtons, 41.
MAKING AND TAKING IN SAIL, PAGES 42-54.
To loose a Sail, 42.-To set a Course, 43.-To set a Topsail, 43.—
To set a Topgallant Sail or Royal, 43.-To set a Skysail, 44.-To
set a Jib, Flying Jib, or Fore Topmast Staysail, 44.-To set a
Spanker, 44.-To set a Spencer, 44.-To take in a Course, 44.-
To take in a Topsail, 44.-To take in a Topgallant Sail or Royal,
45. To take in a Skysail, 46.-To take in a Jib, 46.-To take in
a Spanker, 46.-To furl a Royal, 46.-To furl a Topgallant Sail,
47. To furl a Topsail or Course, 47.-To furl a Jib, 48.-Tɔ
stow a Jib in Cloth, 48.-To reef a Topsail, 48.-To reef a Course,
50. To turn out Reefs, 50.-To set a Topgallant Studdingsail,
50. To take in a Topgallant Studdingsail, 52.-To set a Top-
mast Studdingsail, 52.-To take in a Topmast Studdingsail, 53.—
To set a Lower Studdingsail, 53.-To take in a Lower Studding-
sail, 54.
TACKING, WEARING, BOXING, &C., PAGES 59-65.
To tack a Ship, 59.-To tack without fore-reaching, 60.-Tacking
against a heavy head Sea, 60.-Tacking by hauling of all, 61.-To
trim the yards when close-hauled, 61.-Missing Stays, 61.-Wearing,
62.-To wear under Courses, under a Mainsail, under Bare Poles,
62.-Box-hauling, 63.-Short-round, 63.-Club-hauling, 64.—
Drifting in a Tide-way, 64.-Backing and filling in a Tideway, 65.
-Clubbing in a Tideway, 65.
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