every sailor in a hat full of greasy brass rags, has become obsolete. Nothing that is needful is now considered unsightly; and even in "providing stores," a man has to use his eyes and common sense, rather than tax his memory.

Haul lower buntlines up before letting fall courses, and make he loosers get off the foot ropes before letting fall upper sails, so that the sails may be hoisted and sheeted home in one motion.

Some officers prefer making and shortening all sail at once; but in this case, for a time the deck of the smartest ship is crowded and confused; and be the master or pilot ever so urgent, nothing can be done until the decks are cleared up. A smaller evolution, well pronounced, and sharply done is more effective than a greater one, which is necessarily somewhat ragged and confusing.

The harbour moorings are taken in by a lump which is placed under the bows for that purpose, the ship being meanwhile secured by slip ropes.

In making sail, it is considered best not to let fall the upper sails until the topsail yards are nearly at the mast heads.

In loosing sails it is not necessary that the top-mast studding sail booms should be triced up; and if the outer gaskets on the lower yards are cast off, the men who have done so may come in out of the way of the topsail sheets, as the booms will keep the sail up until the bunt is let fall.

New sails will not sheet home, and must be exactly middled.

Foot ropes of top-gallant yards are apt in hoisting to catch under the fore part of the topmast caps.

Sea gaskets, if on the yards, should be "cheesed" up, and hung square and equidistant over the fore part of the sails. See the colours clear, ports square and free from loungers and wet clothes. In short, tidy the ship up, so that in leaving harbour, from the water line to the trucks, criticism may be defied, and every one concerned be as proud of her, as if the romance of sea life was not about to be buried in the coal bunkers.

CHAP. XXII.

HANDLING BOATS.

HARBOUR boats are of the regular service dimensions; therefore, with the aid of the tables, we may select the quantity our boat will carry.

H. M. ships are divided into Rates, a term which refers to their number of men and guns; and again into classes, a term having reference to their size. For instance, the "Queen" is a first class, first rate. The "Royal George' was a first rate, but of the third class. There is a certain proportion of stores of each kind allotted to every ship according to her class and rate, and which, when drawn, come under the charge of the Boatswain, Gunner, and Carpenter. These stores are particularly specified in books called "Warrants," one of which, containing a catalogue of the stores which concern him, is supplied to each of these officers.

When about to draw stores, the warrant is taken to the issue store, and the clerk, as he issues, checks the articles off. Anything which is not "on the establishment" must be specially applied for in writing to the commander-in-chief; and on applying in due time at the store-keeper's office, if the demand be approved, it is added to the warrant and then supplied.

When sent to draw stores, an officer should consult the tables of the capacity of boats and weights of articles, remembering that harbour boats are of similar capacities with those supplied for sea service. Neglecting this, an officer may draw too few or too many stores. If this happen near to noon, at which time the

store houses close, there is no time to rectify the mistake. In the former case, an extra trip must be made; in the latter, some one belonging to the boat must remain dinnerless in charge of the surplus.

99

Be careful with oars, their blades being easily ruined by throwing them on the stones. Keep all the casks "bung up.' See that tar casks (which stow generally in the hot fore hold of steam ships) are not quite full. Have tarpaulins for covering bread. Sling the midship casks as they are stowed; put the rum casks in last, and never lose sight of them until they are out of your charge.

If in a tide way, do not forget what may be done with a warp. When ordered on boat-duty, it is well to remember your men's meal hours, either taking the provisions in the boat, or warning the master-at-arms that the crew will be absent. See that the gear-masts, sails, oars, fenders, boat-hooks, baler, anchor and cable, painter, flags, breakers, water, rudder, awning, and stanchions-is complete, and that the crew are properly dressed. It has been found very convenient to keep a quarter-case in each boat, containing a pistol, flash-pan, powder, caps, a rocket and blue light, hatchet, and a few nails, &c.

A boat officer is always supposed to have his spy-glass, watch, and signal-book at hand; and it is well to make certain that orders are rightly comprehended before leaving the ship.

If about to sail, get the sails taut up before shoving off; see that the yards are slung, so as to set the sail smoothly. Ship the rowlocks; make all the men who are not about to spring the boat off, sit down; haul up; sheer off; in fenders. As a general rule in sailing, insist upon the crew sitting down on the bottom boards of the boat.

The hauling end of lug halyards is always long enough for a downhaul. Splice an eye in its bare end, and put this eye over the hook of the traveller before hoisting.

Keep your weights amidships, and never belay the sheets.

Before reefing on a wind, tell the men off for the different duties; the two bowmen to gather down on the luff; two weather hands by the halyards and downhaul; the lee hands to tie the points; one strokesman to attend the sheet, the other to assist the coxswain in reefing the mizen. No person need stand Neat two-handed boatmen never jump about on the

up.

thwarts, or show more than their heads above the gunwale. Do not luff up; check the sheets; lower enough to shift the tack hooks easily; gather the fore-sheet aft, that the men may reach the foot of the sail without leaning over the lee gunwale; shift the sheet; tie away; slack the sheet; hoist; resume places, and haul aft. Should the mizen be reefed more quickly than the foresail, do not haul its sheet aft until the boat has steerage way on, else she will get in the wind, and lose time.

There is another way of doing all this. The officer steps into his boat without a clear understanding of orders, or the least consideration for his crew. "Shove off;" "Hoist away." Everybody stands up or sits on the gunwale, and “carries on; the mizen is up first; the boat comes nearly head to wind, and goes chopping astern; the officer puts the tiller the wrong way; the foresail is hoisted all aback, and the boat tilted over to windward. Some one who has got an oar out on that side to pull her head round, "catches a crab;" she comes round; the sail binds against the mast, and will not come down; there is no downhaul; and if not upset, the crew contrive to gather the sail into the boat by hand. At length, her head is pointed the right way; the sails are hoisted, and the sheets are hauled aft simultaneously, and are of course badly set. So much lee-way has been made, that it is not possible to weather the nearest ship; and if there is not a "run-foul," the boat bears up, and runs further to leeward, or else the sails are lowered, and the oars are got out.

At length they get away under sail. It freshens; the officer has got a foolish notion that is proper to "crack on," and, moreover, he has a "water-proof," and can afford to be indifferent about wetting his men. The boat is dragging on her side, the crew are sitting on the thwarts, and much more leeway is made than if the boat was more upright; at length a reef is ordered without any preparation. All hands stand up, and snatch at the foot of the sail over the lee gunwale, and the nominal officer resigns his command to that cherub, whose particular duty it is to "look out" for the natural consequences.

In boom boats, set the jib before setting the foresail; taking care to have the runners hand taut before hoisting. The jib is the forestay; and if the foresail be set first, the mast-head is dragged aft, and the after-leech hangs slack. If obliged to set

the jib after the foresail, ease the fore-sheet off whilst hoisting the jib, and let the mast-head go forward into its place.

In coming alongside lay the fenders out and get the bowsprit in in good time, especially if it be an iron one.

The general rule is to keep the main yard of the ship end on; but that must depend on tideway, and whether the boat is heavily or lightly laden.

The boat should be baled out, slings hooked, and otherwise prepared for hoisting, before reaching the ship.

If your men are all sitting to windward in a breeze, make them occupy their proper places amidships, before passing to leeward of a vessel. There is not only an eddy wind under the stern of a ship that is riding head to wind, but also frequently an indraught of water. And it is not uncommon to see an inexperienced young officer trying to pass close under the stern, suddenly taken aback, and his mast-head, which at one moment was looking quite clear of the boom, thrown to windward and entangled by it. (Fig. 213.)

Hailing or interchanging hails with the gun-room, on passing astern, is just as improper as the above course is foolish.

When the wind fails, get out oars at once.

The remarks about handling ship apply equally to a boat. You may bring her to such nicety of trim under sail, that in moderately smooth water she will go round without any assistance.

Putting the rudder right across the stern deadens the way; 42° is considered the extreme of efficiency.

When there is no way on, or when the boat is tied by the stern - as in towing, when the tow-line is fast to the wrong place, as the stern ring bolt,—the rudder has no effect whatever.

If your boat hangs in stays, and has just lost, or is about to lose, her way, you may (possibly) get her head round by a jerk of the tiller, but it looks very silly to be going through the motions of steering when there is no way on.

During sternway, the rudder has a different effect to what it has when there is headway. If when going ahead, you were to unship the rudder, and could point the stem, say three points on either bow, the bow would glance off in the direction towards which the stem pointed. It is precisely so with the rudder in sternway. If the helm is put a-starboard, the rudder points out on the port quarter, the water presses on the starboard side of