. Spunyarn and spindrift : a sailor boy's log of a voyage out and home in a china tea-clipper. ng upon us. Scarcely had he spoken, when rip went the fore-top-mast staysail, blown to ribands, and the ship, losing herway, fell off at once, and lay wallowing like a log inthe trough of the sea. Away forard dashed the mate^and he and the others quickly got a topmast-stunsailand unrolled it in the weather fore-rigging, while threeof the hands scrambled aft and hauled down the mizen-staysail. Still she wouldnt go off, but lay there broad-side on, with the seas flying right over her lower yards,and he
. Spunyarn and spindrift : a sailor boy's log of a voyage out and home in a china tea-clipper. ng upon us. Scarcely had he spoken, when rip went the fore-top-mast staysail, blown to ribands, and the ship, losing herway, fell off at once, and lay wallowing like a log inthe trough of the sea. Away forard dashed the mate^and he and the others quickly got a topmast-stunsailand unrolled it in the weather fore-rigging, while threeof the hands scrambled aft and hauled down the mizen-staysail. Still she wouldnt go off, but lay there broad-side on, with the seas flying right over her lower yards,and her decks all awash. Then the mate and Edwardsand two or three more clambered up to the foreyard, andpassed a lashing round yard and sail in the slings ; theythen went and loosed the lee-yardarm, when, freed fromthe gaskets, the canvas bellied out like a balloon. My RUNNING HER. 279 heart was in my mouth with apprehension until I sawthem safely in off the yard, for they had to almost fighttheir way back. The lee-gear was then eased away, andall hands got hold of the fore-sheet and managed to. THE CYCLONE. drag it down about half-way between the yard and therail; they couldnt do more than that. However, itpayed the ships head off, and she went away underthat bit of canvas like a wild thing. We ran before it for about six hours, and then the 28o SPUNYARN AND SPINDRIFT. wind began to shift from south, round easterly, and weknew by that that we were getting out of the track ofthe cyclone, and that its centre was passing astern. Out reef and give her the whole foresail, Mr. Har-vey ; loose the lower topsails ! Patches of blue sky now began to show amongst theflying clouds, and, as the wind had eased a little of itsterrific fury, we continued making sail. A new fore-topmast staysail had been bent some time before, sothat was hoisted. Then we mastheaded the topsailyards, set the jib and hauled aft the lee-clew of themainsail. Make hay while the sun shines, sang out the skipper. Give her
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidspunyarnspindrif00brow
