Evening star., 1898-05-07


qualifiedly-on the enterprise
Every man of the briggs crew was eager
Tor the work, but few could engage at first
for there was nothing but the forecastle
Down came the disgraceful black flags the
nrst thing and up to the gaff went the
ensign Of Britain. Then they sent down
the fore and main lower and topsail wards,
ana erected them as shears over the bow
ana stern. lower ends well socketed in spare
anchor stocks to prevent their sinking in
the sand, upper ends lashed together and
stayed to each other and to the two
anchors ahead and astern. To the shear
heads they rigged heavy three-foId tackles
and to the disconnected bobstays (chains
leading from the bowsprit end to the stem
at the water line) they hooked the forward
one, and heaving on the submerged wind
lass, lifted the bow off the bottom-high
enough to enable them to slip two shots
of anchor chain under the keel one to take
the weight at the stern, the other at the
bow, for the bobstays would pull out of
tie stem under the increased strain as
the bark arose.
Most Of this work was done under water;
but a wetting Is nothing to men looking
for gold. and nobody cared. Yet, as a
result of ruined uniforms the order came
only or go naked-which latter the men
preferred, though the officers clung to de-
cency and tarry duck trousers. Every
morning the day began with the washing
OF the DrlR OeCk anu securing OF DFaSS
work-which must be done at sea though
the heavens falI-then followed breakfast,
the arming of the boats ready for an at
tack from the shore and the descent upon
the bark Of as many men as could work.
Occasionally Captain Bunce would order
the dingy, and. accompanied by Mr.. Todd
would visit the bark and offer interfering
suggestions, after the manner of captains.
which only embarrassed the officers, and
Mr.. Todd would take advantage of these
occasions to make landlubberly comments
and show a sad ignorance of things nauti-
cal. But often he would decline the invita-
ton, md when the captain was gone would
descend to his loom, and, shutting the door,
grip his beloved-though empty-black
pipe between his teeth and breathe through
it, while his eyes shone fiercely with UNI
satisfied desire and his mind framed silent
malediction on Bill Swarth for condemnin:r
him to this smekeless sojourn For he
dared not smoke: Stewards cooks and sail
ors were all about him.
In three days the barks nose was high
as the seven-part tackle would bring II
with as manyilmef4. heavfng as could find
room at the Windlass brakes Then they
clapped a luff tackle on the fall, and by
heaving on this nfppering and fieeting up,
they lifted the fore hatch and forecasts
scuttle out ofawat4r-which was enoneh
Before this another gang had been able to
slip the other eehtih to position abaft the
mizzenmast. hook sSn the tackle and lead
the fall through a;'snatshblock mt the oTar-
Disdaining the dlvirg suit, they swan down
nine feet to do These things, and when they
had towed the3ope forward they descended
seven feet to wind 1t around the capstan
ard ship the bars777which they found in a
rack at the mainntast.
A man in the water weighs practically
nothing, and TO haave around a canstan
under water requires lateral resistance. To
secure this they. dived with hammer and
nails, and fastened circle of cleats to
catch their feet. Then with a bow IN tim
main fiferail (his head out) holding slacE
eighteen men-three to a bar-would In
hale all the air their lungs could hold ana
with a lone, two, three" would flouni5ar
down, push the capstan around q few
pawls and come up, gasping-blue in tha
face-to perch on their bars and rec.o,,ar
1t went slowly, this end, bu. in three daus
more they could walk around with ths,s
heads above water.
The next day was Sunday and thew were
entitled to rest, but the flavor of wealth
had entered their souls and they petftios,oa
the captain for privilege to Work-which
was granted, to the satisfaction Of tha ar
flcers and against the vigorous protest of
Mr.. Todd, who had prepared sermon and
borrowed clean linen from Mr.. Shack IN
which to deliver 1t.
With lun tackles on the fall they hove
the stern up until the cabin doors and ali
deck openings but the main hatch were ont
of water, and then. with the bark flanrinr
to the shears as swinging cradle hanrs
from its supports. some assisted the. ~
penter and his mates In building up ana