Outward Bound Or, Young America Afloat: A Story of Travel and Adventure, Optic [best non fiction books of all time txt] 📗

added Peaks.

"No, sir. I don't know that I ever did."

"Some sailors do use such expressions; but it is gross affectation for these young gentlemen, who never saw a blue wave, to indulge in them. If you please, {63} Wilton, you will not use such language. It is simply ridiculous. Mr. Peaks, you will pipe all hands to muster again."

The shrill whistle of the boatswain sounded through the ship, and the boys tumbled up the ladders, eager to learn what was to be done next. As they formed in lines, they presented a novel and picturesque appearance in their jaunty uniform. Most of them had already learned to wear their caps canted over on one side, and not a few of them, perhaps as much from necessity as because it was a sailor's habit, hitched up their trousers, and thrust their hands deep down into the side pockets.

The students were again formed in watches and quarter watches, each of which classes and sub-classes was indicated on the uniforms. All the starboard watch wore a small silver star on the right arm, above the elbow, and the port watch the same emblem on the left arm. The first part of each watch had a figure 1, under the star, and the second part a figure 2 in the same position.

The rest of the day was spent in the organization for ship's duty, which was far from completed when the sun went down. The next day every boy was kept so busy that he had no time to grumble. The instructors attended to the lessons in the steerage with one watch, while the other was on deck acquiring seamanship. In the course of the month, as the boys learned their duties, and the capabilities of each were ascertained, they were assigned to their stations in the various evolutions required in working the vessel.

Boatswain Peaks had taught the boys, a few at a {64} time, how to set a sail, reef and furl it. They had been gradually accustomed to going aloft, until the giddy height of the main royal did not appall them, and they could lay out on the yards without thinking of the empty space beneath them. By the first of June, all the petty officers had been appointed, and every student had his station billet. When the order was given to unmoor ship, to make sail, or to furl the sails, every one knew where to go and what to do. The station billets were cards on which the various evolutions of the ship had been printed in a column on the left, while the particular duty of the owner of the card was written against it. The card was kept by the student, and he was expected to learn its contents so that he could take his place without stopping to consult it, when an order was given. Here is a specimen of the cards:—

PORT WATCH, NO 21,
Second Part. WILLIAM FOSTER,
Captain of the Forecastle. REEFING. Head Bowlines. TACKING OR WEARING. Forecastle. Let go head bowlines.
  Let go and shorten in foretack
  and belay it. GETTING UNDER WAY. Head Bowlines. Downhauls and   head-sheets. ANCHORING. Head Bowlines, Sheets and Tacks.
  Downhauls. LOOSING SAILS. Foretopmast Staysail. FURLING. Head Bowlines and Downhauls,   Staysail. MOORING AND UNMOORING. Forecastle. BOAT. Professor's Barge, stroke-oar. MESS. No. 11.

{65}

The crew had been in training a month before an attempt was made to set more than one sail at once; but by this time the officers knew the orders, having practised every day since the organization. The petty officers had been appointed, and had, to some extent, become familiar with their duties.

The boys still continued to wonder when the Young America would go on a cruise, for they were very anxious to see the blue water, and to roll on the great waves of the Atlantic; but they were so constantly occupied with ship's duty and their studies, that the time did not hang heavily on their hands. Two months of constant practice had made tolerable seamen of them, and the discipline of the ship went on regularly. The young officers, as Mr. Lowington had promised, began to conduct the evolutions and give the orders.

On the 1st day of June, after breakfast, the students were thrown into a fever of excitement by an unusual order, and they ventured to hope that the ship was to leave her moorings.

"Mr. Gordon, you will pipe all hands to muster," said Captain Carnes to the first lieutenant.

"Pass the word for the boatswain," added Gordon to one of the midshipmen, who stood near him.

This call was answered, not by Peaks, who no longer performed the duties of boatswain, but by one of the students, who had been appointed to this position.

"Pipe all hands to muster, boatswain," said the first lieutenant, as the petty officer touched his cap to him.{66}

"All hands on deck, ahoy!" shouted the boatswain, as he piped the call.

This was an unusual order for that time of day, the forenoon being appropriated to study for each watch in turn; and those who were below hastened on deck to ascertain what was to be done.

"All hands, stations for loosing sail!" piped the boatswain, when ordered to do so by Gordon.

The first lieutenant was in charge of the ship, under the direction of the captain. The second lieutenant stood on the forecastle, where he was attended by the boatswain. The third lieutenant was in the waist, and the fourth on the quarter deck, near the mizzenmast. These were the stations of the officers whenever all hands were called. Mr. Lowington and the instructors stood near the companion-way, watching with interest this first attempt to make sail all over the ship.

"Lay aloft, sail-loosers!" shouted Gordon; and his order was repeated by the officers at their several stations.

The little tars who belonged on the topsail and top-gallant yards sprang up the rigging like so many cats, excited beyond measure by the scene of activity around them.

"Lower yardmen in the chains!" continued Gordon and his order was passed, along by the officers. "Aloft, lower yardmen!"

In a moment the crew were in their places; the studding-sail booms were triced up with the usual system, so that the sails could be reached.

"Lay out!" continued the first lieutenant; and the {67} boys walked out on the foot-ropes to their stations on the yards. "Loose!"

The ropes by which the sails were secured to the yards were removed at this order, and the topmen held the sails in their places.

"All ready on the forecastle, sir," reported Foster, who was captain of that part of the ship.

"All ready in the foretop."

"All ready in the maintop."

"All ready in the mizzentop," reported the several captains of the tops, in their proper order.

These reports were passed to the first lieutenant in charge of the deck, by his subordinates.

"Let fall!" shouted Gordon, highly excited; and the sails dropped from the yard. "Overhaul your rigging aloft! Man sheets and halyards! Sheets home, and hoist away!"

These orders were passed from mouth to mouth among the officers, and return reports made, according to the strict discipline of the navy. They were promptly executed by the crew, though of course not without some blunders; and the Young America was covered with her cloud of canvas. Mr. Lowington commended the officers and crew for the promptness and skill they had displayed in their first concerted attempt at making sail. He then directed Captain Carnes to furl. Both evolutions were then repeated, until a proficiency satisfactory for one day was attained.

"Not going to sea, after all," said Shuffles, when the crew were dismissed from muster.

"No," replied Wilton. "I'm tired of lying here, and if we don't go to sea soon, I shall take myself off." {68}

"I'm with you."

"I thought we were going to have some fun on board, but we don't do anything but study and shake out topsails."

"Do you know how you stand on marks, Wilton?" asked Shuffles.

"No; not very high, though."

"Don't you think you shall get into the cabin next term?"

"I know I shall not. I haven't tried for anything."

"On the first of next month, you know, new officers will be appointed, and I suppose the crew will be messed over again."

"I don't care, I'm getting tired of this thing, I had a better time at the Academy before we came on board."

"There isn't much chance for any sport. Hardly a fellow has been allowed to go on shore since we joined the ship."

"Well get up a mutiny, if things don't improve."

"I was thinking of that very thing myself," said Shuffles, in a low tone.

"A mutiny!" exclaimed Wilton, who had used the word in jest.

"Just for fum, you know," laughed Shuffles.

"You don't mean any such thing?"

"Not yet, of course."

"Do you at any time?"

"We want something more exciting than this kind of a life. Here we are, kept down and treated like common sailors. We have to touch our caps and make our manners to Dick Carnes and the rest of the {69} flunkies in the after cabin. My father pays as much for me as Dick Carnes' father does for him, and I don't think it is fair that he should live in the cabin and I in the steerage."

"If you get marks enough, you can have a berth in the cabin," replied Wilton.

"Marks! Confound the marks! I'm not a baby. Do you think a fellow seventeen years old is going to be put up or put down by marks?" said Shuffles.

"I thought you had been working for a place in the cabin."

"So I have, but I don't expect to get it. I never studied so hard in my life, and I believe I haven't had a bad mark since I came on board, Lowington thinks I have reformed," laughed Shuffles. "And so I have."

"What do you want to get up a mutiny for, then?"

"I shall not, if I get a decent position; if I don't, I'm going in for some fun."

"But do you really think of getting up a mutiny?" asked Wilton, curiously.

"I was thinking the other day what a fine thing it would be if our fellows had the ship all to themselves."

"What could we do with her?"

"Go on a cruise in her."

"We couldn't handle her; there is hardly a fellow on board that knows anything about navigation."

"Of course, I don't mean to do anything yet a while; not this year, perhaps. One of these days, if we stay on board, we shall know all about a ship. Fifteen or twenty of the fellows are studying navigation. We are going to Europe some time or other. When {70} we do, we can take the ship, and go it on our own hook."

"I don't believe you mean anything of the kind, Bob Shuffles."

"I've been thinking about it, anyhow. We can lock Lowington and the rest of the old folks into their cabin while they are at dinner; and there are enough of us to handle Peaks and Bitts."

"I think you are crazy, Shuffles."

"We should have a high old time if we could get possession of the ship. We wont say a word about it yet."

"I think you had better not."

"We might go round Cape Horn into the Pacific, and have a splendid time among the beautiful islands of the South Sea."

"Of course all the fellows wouldn't join you."

"We could put those ashore somewhere who did not agree with us."

"You know the penalty of mutiny on the high seas."

"Bah!" said Shuffles, contemptuously. "It would be nothing but it lark. No one would think of hanging us, or even sending us to prison for it. My father is rich enough to get me out of any scrape."

"So is mine; but I don't think it would be quite safe to go into a mutiny."

"Not yet, my dear fellow. You can think it over."

"But I'm tired of this kind of a life. I liked it first rate in the beginning. Do you think Lowington really intends to go to sea with the ship?"

"I know he does." {71}

"If he don't go pretty soon, I shall run away, and go to sea in earnest."

"Don't say a word about the mutiny at present, Wilton. By and by, if things go right, or if they don't go right, we may want to take some stock in such an enterprise."

"I don't see it yet, but of course I shall keep still."

It is doubtful whether even so daring a young man as Shuffles, who had the temerity to