When This Was Fast, We Laid Down On Deck,
Manned The Halyards To Leeward, Nearly Up To Our Knees In
Water,
set the topsail, and then laid aloft on the main topsail yard,
and reefed that sail in the same
Manner; for, as I have before
stated, we were a good deal reduced in numbers, and, to make
it worse, the carpenter, only two days before, cut his leg with
an axe, so that he could not go aloft. This weakened us so that
we could not well manage more than one topsail at a time, in such
weather as this, and, of course, our labor was doubled. From the
main topsail yard, we went upon the main yard, and took a reef in
the mainsail. No sooner had we got on deck, than - "Lay aloft there,
mizen-top-men, and close-reef the mizen topsail!" This called me;
and being nearest to the rigging, I got first aloft, and out to
the weather earing. English Ben was on the yard just after me,
and took the lee earing, and the rest of our gang were soon on
the yard, and began to fist the sail, when the mate considerately
sent up the cook and steward, to help us. I could now account
for the long time it took to pass the other earings, for, to do
my best, with a strong hand to help me at the dog's ear, I could
not get it passed until I heard them beginning to complain in the
bunt. One reef after another we took in, until the sail was close-
reefed, when we went down and hoisted away at the halyards. In the
mean time, the jib had been furled and the staysail set, and the
ship, under her reduced sail, had got more upright and was under
management; but the two top-gallant sails were still hanging in
the buntlines, and slatting and jerking as though they would take
the masts out of her. We gave a look aloft, and knew that our work
was not done yet; and, sure enough, no sooner did the mate see that
we were on deck, than - "Lay aloft there, four of you, and furl the
top-gallant sails!" This called me again, and two of us went aloft,
up the fore rigging, and two more up the main, upon the top-gallant
yards.
The shrouds were now iced over, the sleet having formed a crust
or cake round all the standing rigging, and on the weather side
of the masts and yards. When we got upon the yard, my hands were
so numb that I could not have cast off the knot of the gasket to
have saved my life. We both lay over the yard for a few seconds,
beating our hands upon the sail, until we started the blood into
our fingers' ends, and at the next moment our hands were in a
burning heat. My companion on the yard was a lad, who came out
in the ship a weak, puny boy, from one of the Boston schools, -
"no larger than a spritsail sheet knot," nor "heavier than a
paper of lamp-black," and "not strong enough to haul a shad
off a gridiron," but who was now "as long as a spare topmast,
strong enough to knock down an ox, and hearty enough to eat him."
We fisted the sail together, and after six or eight minutes of hard
hauling and pulling and beating down the sail, which was as stiff
as sheet iron, we managed to get it furled; and snugly furled it
must be, for we knew the mate well enough to be certain that if
it got adrift again, we should be called up from our watch below,
at any hour of the night, to furl it.
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