"Jump aft, Mr Rattlin," said the captain, "and see that the convoy-signal to wear is all right." Mr Rattlin makes one step aft. "Are the fore-topmast staysail halliards well manned, Mr Rattlin?--Jump forward and see," said the officer of the watch. Mr Rattlin makes one step forward. "Is the deep sea-lead ready?" said the master. "Mr Rattlin, jump into the chains and see." Mr Rattlin makes one step to the right--"_starboard_, the wise it call." "Mr Rattlin, what the devil are you about?--where's the hand stationed to the foresheet?" said the first-lieutenant. "Jump there and see." Mr Rattlin makes one step to the left hand,--"_port_, the wise it call." "Where's the midshipman o' th' watch--where's the midshipman o' th' watch?" roars out the captain. "By heavens, there's no light to show over the bows! Mr Rattlin, be smart, sir,--jump forward, and see to it." The chilled, the torpid, and half-stupified Mr Rattlin finally went forward to the forecastle, where he ought to have been from the first, and more especially as the boatswain was also on the sick-list. The consequence of all these multitudinous and almost simultaneous orders--to jump and see, when, by-the-by, it was too dark to see anything a yard off properly--was, that one of the signal lanterns was blown out, and the signal consequently imperfect--that the fore-topmast staysail halliards were so badly manned, that those upon them could scarcely start that then necessary sail from its netting--that the people were not ready with the deep sea-lead--that little Mr Pond was obliged to put down his trumpet, and ease off the foresheet himself till relieved by the quarter-master; but, still, there actually _was_ a lantern over the bows, and that in good time. Well, the noble ship was no longer buffeted on her bows by the furious wind: as the haughty Essex turned on his heel from the blow of his termagant mistress queen, so did the _Eos_ turn her back to the insulting blast, and flew rapidly before it. Owing to the darkness of the night, assisted by the weak voice of Mr Pond, whose orders could not be very distinctly heard, perhaps a little to his lubberly manner of working the ship, the bounding frigate was much longer before the wind than necessary. I was straining my sight near the cathead on one side, and the captain of the forecastle on the other, but we could discover nothing in the nearly palpable obscure.