CHAPTER XX.

THE SPARS, SAILS, AND RIGGING OF A SHIP.

Before night the two masts of the Lily were in their places, and wedged up so that they would stand alone. After supper there was another lesson in rowing given to the new scholars, and they crossed the lake for the first time.

After the recitations the next day, the students were called to the schoolroom after dinner; and they found on the wall several nautical drawings. The first was a full-rigged ship, "The Queen of the West," a large merchant-vessel. It was drawn in outline, and was so plain that all its parts could be easily seen. The principal stepped upon the platform in front of this drawing, with the pointer in his hand.

"I am going to give you a general idea of the rigging of a ship," said he, when the attention of the school was directed to him. "To obtain all the details, nothing but practice will suffice. Only a small portion of the rigging of a ship is delineated in this drawing. A sailor has to be so familiar with every part, that he can find any rope in the darkest night, when he cannot see his hand before him.

A FULL-RIGGED SHIP.

1. Bowsprit.

2. Jib-boom.

3. Flying Jib-boom.

4. Flying Jib.

5. Jib.

6. Fore-topmast-stays.

7. Fore-stays.

8. Jib Martingales.

9. Flying-jib Martingales.

10. Martingale.

11. Foremast.

12. Fore Yard and Sail.

13. Fore-topmast.

14. Fore-topsail Yard and Sail.

15. Fore-topgallant-mast.

16. Fore-topgallant Yard and Sail.

17. Fore-royal-mast.

18. Fore-royal Yard and Sail.

19. Fore-lift.

20. Fore-braces.

21. Fore-topsail-braces.

22. Fore-topgallant-braces.

23. Fore-royal-braces.

24. Fore-topgallant-stay.

25. Main-skysail-stay.

26. Main-royal-stay.

27. Main-topgallant-stay.

28. Main-topmast-stays.

29. Main-stays.

30. Fore-spencer-gaff.

31. Fore-topmast-backstays.

32. Fore-topgallant-backstays.

33. Fore-royalmast-backstays.

34. Fore-rigging.

35. Fore-topmast-rigging.

36. Fore-topgallant-rigging.

37. Bobstays.

38. Bowsprit Shrouds.

39. Slings Foreyard.

40. Fore-skysail-stay.

41. Main Yard and Sail.

42. Main-topsail Yard and Sail.

43. Main-topgallant Yard and Sail.

44. Main-royal Yard and Sail.

45. Main-skysail-mast.

46. Burgee, or Private Signal.

47. Main-royal-mast.

48. Main-royal-brace.

49. Main-topgallant-mast.

50. Main-topgallant-brace.

51. Main-topmast.

52. Main-topsail-brace.

53. Main-lifts.

54. Main-brace.

55. Main-rigging.

56. Main-topmast-backstays.

57. Main-topgallant-backstays.

58. Main-royal-backstays.

59. Main-spencer-gaff.

60. Mizzen-stay.

61. Mizzen-topmast-stay.

62. Mizzen-topgallant-braces.

63. Mizzen-royal-stay.

64. Mizzen Yard and Sail.

65. Mizzen-topsail Yard and Sail.

66. Mizzen-topgallant Yard and Sail.

67. Mizzen-royal and Sail.

68. Mizzen-skysail-mast.

69. Mizzen-royal-mast.

70. Mizzen-topgallant-mast.

71. Mizzen-topsail.

72. Mizzen-lifts.

73. Mizzen-topsail-braces.

74. Mizzen-topgallant-stay.

75. Spanker-gaff.

76. Spanker-boom.

77. Spanker-sheets.

78. American Ensign.

"You have already learned the names of the three masts, and you can recognize them at a glance. The bowsprit was built into the Lily, and you know it in this ship (1)."

"But there are three sticks in the bowsprit of this ship, when the Lily has only one," suggested Benton Fillwing.

"We could add two more to the Lily if it were advisable. If we added one, it would be the jib-boom (2), which is the middle piece in the picture. The third spar is the flying jib-boom (3). The vertical piece of wood on the end of the bowsprit, through which the jib-boom passes, is called the cap. The stick which points down from the cap (10) is the martingale, or dolphin-striker."

"The sails on the bowsprit are the jibs, are they not?" asked a student who wanted to make a point.

"There are two of them; but we will let the sails rest until we have disposed of the spars," replied the principal. "Now we will return to the masts. You perceive that there are three of them; but they are not always separate sticks, the two upper ones generally being in one piece. The three lower ones are called simply the masts, and sometimes the lower masts when it is necessary to distinguish them more particularly. The three names I have given you—fore, main, and mizzen—are applied to them, as to all the other masts above them.

"The next mast above is the topmast (13); then comes the topgallant-mast (15); above which is the royal-mast (17). The mast above this is the skysail-mast (45), when there is one. Now I shall point to the different masts, and you will give me the names of them," continued Captain Gildrock, as he placed his pointer on one of them.

"Main-topmast," promptly replied the scholar indicated (51).

The principal moved his pointer.

"Mizzen-royal-mast" (69).

Another was pointed out.

"Fore-topmast" (13).

The principal continued this exercise some time longer, until every student could name any mast of the fifteen in the picture. They were willing, then, to agree with the principal, that the system removed all complications and difficulty; and some of them were quite proud to know so much about a ship.

"There are a few other spars to be remembered," continued the captain, as he fixed his pointer again. "This is the aftermost sail of the ship; and it is called the spanker, though it occupies the place of the mainsail in a schooner or sloop. The stick at the bottom of it is the spanker-boom (76); the one at the top of it is the spanker-gaff (75). There is also a gaff on the mainmast (59), and another on the foremast (30), called spencer-gaffs, with the keywords 'fore' and 'main.'

"At the point where the lower masts join with the topmasts are tops, to the outer edges of which the topmast rigging is set up. At the head of the topmasts are the cross-trees, to which the topgallant rigging is secured. The round piece of wood at the tip of each royal or skysail mast is the truck, in which holes are made for the passage of signal halyards, used in hoisting the burgee or other signal-flags."

The principal proceeded to review the students by pointing out the spars explained. There was hardly one of them who made a mistake, for they had all got hold of the system.

"Now we will examine some of the rigging of this ship. The same principle is applied to the ropes as to the spars," continued the principal, pointing to the fore-rigging of the vessel. "Here are six very large ropes leading from the top down to the side of the ship. In detail, these are the shrouds; but the whole is called the fore-rigging, which may be designated by its side also, as the starboard or the weather fore-rigging (34). Across these ropes are drawn smaller ones, which land-people call rope ladders, but which sailors call ratlines. But they don't say they go up the ratlines, any more than that they go up the rope ladders. They ascend the fore-rigging. You see a couple of round things at the lower end of each rope. They are dead-eyes; each having three holes in it by which the shroud is hauled taut, or tightened when it gets loose. Under these are broad pieces of plank, bolted edgewise to the side of the ship, to sway out the shrouds. The lower dead-eyes are attached to iron bands, running down to the side, and bolted through the timbers, called chains. The planks, or platforms, are channels. The men who sound are sent out on the channels, and are said to stand in the chains.

"The three shrouds extending from the tops to the cross-trees are the topmast rigging, with the keyword before it (35). Above, you have the topgallant rigging. Behind each mast are ropes leading down to the channels, all of which are called backstays, as the fore-topmast-backstay (31), the topgallant-backstay, (32). Of course, these stays may have the name of the side, weather or lee, port or starboard.

"Beginning at the bowsprit, you see a multitude of ropes leading to the foremast, and from one mast to another. These are all called by the general name of stays. The lower one on the bowsprit (7) is the forestay, and leads to the top of the foremast. The next one goes to the fore-topmast-head, and is therefore called the fore-topmast-stay (6). The next two, on which the jibs run, are simply jibstays. From near the end of the flying jib-boom are the fore-topgallant-stay (24), and the fore-royal-stay, (40).

"The stays between the masts take the names of spars _from_ which they lead forward. The mainstay (29) comes from the head of the mainmast. There are a great many of these ropes; but, by observing the rule, you can readily call them by name."

The principal used his pointer for a time, in testing the knowledge of the students; and only through carelessness could they make any mistake.

"Now we come to the sails, but I think you must already know them by applying what you have learned. Only two jibs are set in this drawing, the jib (5) and the flying jib (4). There is one furled, which runs on the fore-topmast-stay (6), which is the same as the jib in shape, and is called the fore-topmast-staysail. Outside of these three head-sails,—a fourth called the outer jib, and even a fifth the jib o' jib,—these names are differently used.

"The three lower square-sails are called from the names of the mast, the fore, main, and mizzen sails. Together, they are called the courses; and sometimes any one of them may be called the fore-course or the main-course, but not often. Formerly, and now among old sailors, the lower yard of the mizzen-mast did not follow the system, but was called the cross-jack-yard, and they pronounced it _crogic_. No sail was bent to this yard in old times.—Now, what is this?" asked the captain, pointing to the next sail on the foremast.

"The fore-topsail" (14).

"This?"

"The main-topgallant-sail (43)," replied Matt Randolph, clipping the words in sailor fashion.

The captain pointed again.

"The mizzen-royal" (67).

This exercise was continued until the students were entirely at home with the sails. Then the principal pointed to the end of the spanker-gaff.

"This corner of the spanker is called the peak, as it is in any fore-and-aft square-sail. The flag is called the ensign, and the lines by which it is set are the signal halyards. The rope with a block in the middle of it is the weather-spanker vang, the lee-vang is on the other side, and they are used to hold the gaff in place. You observe a rope leading from the mizzen-cross-trees to the spanker-gaff, and from that to the mizzen-mast-head, and back and forth again. This is the spanker-halyards, by which this sail is hoisted. This word applies to all ropes by which sails are hoisted, whether attached to a spar, or to the canvas direct. Now, with what would you hoist the flying jib?"

"With the flying-jib halyards," replied Dick Short.

"When the topsails are set, the yards are hoisted up by halyards. Now, I think we are done with this drawing, and we will take another," continued the principal; and he removed it, and pointed to a new one. "This is a picture of the fore-topsail of a ship, with all the rigging that belongs to it, as well as the two yards by means of which it is set. What is the upper yard called?"

"The fore-topsail-yard," answered Fred Grafton.

"On this yard are the jackstays, which was a rope hauled taut, in old times, and secured to the wood. But in modern times the jackstays are made of wood or iron. However they are made, the sail is secured to the yard by them. You perceive that the yard is held to the fore-topmast by a band of iron over the mast, so that the cross-spar may slip easily up and down. The halyards are forward of the mast, and pass over a sheave in the head of a topmast. The yard is hoisted by men standing on the deck. The two ropes which run from the mast to the ends of the yard are the lifts by which one end may be raised and the other lowered, which is termed cock-billing the yard. The lines that run down to the middle of the sail are the bunt-lines, and are used to haul up to the yard the bunt, or body, of the sail, when it is clewed up. The double lines that extend from the middle of the yard down to the corners of the sail are the clew-lines, and are employed in hauling up the corners, or clews, of the topsail. The ropes or chains, as may be, which lead from the corners of the topsail to the end of the topsail-yard below are the sheets.

"Nautical language is very exacting on some of these points. For example, we clew up a topsail, but we haul up a course. The clew-lines of a topsail become clew-garnets when applied to a course.

"The blocks at the end of the topsail-yard are for the braces to pass through. These are the ropes by which the yards are set at the proper angle to take the wind. They lead to different parts of the vessel, as convenience requires. At the extreme end of the yard is the jewel-block, through which the halyard of the studding-sail passes. Across the sail are three pieces of canvas, called reef-bands, to strengthen the sail where the reef-points are placed. By the reef-tackle the leech of the sail is drawn up to the yard, and the points tied over the top of the sail. But that will do for to-day."