Northern Lands; Or, Young America in Russia and PrussiaOptic, Oliver
General
Northern Lands; Or, Young America in Russia and Prussia
Optic, Oliver
Prussia (Germany) -- Description and travel -- Juvenile fiction; Russia -- Description and travel -- Juvenile fiction
The next morning exercises in seamanship were in order throughout
the squadron, for the principal was aware that this element of the
course had received but little attention during the month. Every
officer and seaman in each vessel was required to perform his duty in
getting under way, in making and furling sail, and coming to anchor.
Evolutions in reefing, tacking, wearing, scudding, laying to, bending
sails, and sending down topmasts, were performed, and each student
marked according to his merit. In addition to this, each student was
separately examined in problems in seamanship; and his knowledge of the
standing and running rigging of a ship, bark, brig, hermaphrodite brig,
schooner, and sloop, was tested. This examination was very carefully
conducted, and the same questions were put to every boy. The crew were
all sent below at the beginning, and four were called up at a time, so
that no one could know in advance what the questions were to be. Only
the simpler problems were required to be answered at this trial.
The principal, the boatswain, carpenter, and sail-maker, all of whom
were thorough practical seamen, were the examiners.
Mr. Lowington and Peaks, the boatswain, were on each side of the
mainmast, the carpenter at the foremast, and the sail-maker at the
mizzenmast, though each was obliged to take his pupil to the different
parts of the ship in the course of the examination. The questions were
such as these:--
"Point out the main-topmast stay, the main-topmast back-stay, the
weather main clew-garnet, the fore-sheet and fore-tack, with the wind
on the port beam.
"What is a pendant, a lift, a horse, a gasket, a jewel-block?
"How would you take in a topsail, wind fresh?
"How would you furl a royal?
"How would you reef a topsail?
"How would you turn out the reefs of a topsail?
"If two vessels are approaching each other, one by the wind, the other
going free, what is the rule for each?
"Make a square knot, a timber hitch, a bowling knot, a clove hitch, a
short splice."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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