The clouds, with ruin pregnant, now impend; And storm, and cataracts, tumultuous blend. Deep on her side the reeling vessel lies: Brail up the mizen [9] quick! the master cries, Man the clue-garnets! [10] let the main-sheet fly! It rends in thousand shivering shreds on high! The main-sail all in streaming ruins tore, Loud fluttering, imitates the thunder's roar: The ship still labours in the oppressive strain, Low bending, as if ne'er to rise again. 170 Bear up the helm a-weather! [11] Rodmond cries: Swift at the word the helm a-weather flies; She feels its guiding power, and veers apace, And now the fore-sail right athwart they brace: With equal sheets restrain'd, the bellying sail Spreads a broad concave to the sweeping gale. While o'er the foam the ship impetuous flies, The helm the attentive timoneer [12] applies: As in pursuit along the aerial way With, ardent eye the falcon marks his prey, 180 Each motion watches of the doubtful chase, Obliquely wheeling through the fluid space; So, govern'd by the steersman's glowing hands, The regent helm her motion still commands. But now the transient squall to leeward past, Again she rallies to the sullen blast: The helm to starboard [13] moves; each shivering sail Is sharply trimm'd to clasp the augmenting gale. The mizen draws; she springs aloof once more, While the fore stay-sail [14] balances before. 190 The fore-sail braced obliquely to the wind, They near the prow the extended tack confined; Then on the leeward sheet the seamen bend, And haul the bow-line to the bowsprit-end. To top-sails next they haste; the bunt-lines gone! Through rattling blocks the clue-lines swiftly run; The extending sheets on either side are mann'd, Abroad they come! the fluttering sails expand; The yards again ascend each comrade mast. The leeches taught, the halyards are made fast, 200 The bow-lines haul'd, and yards to starboard braced, [15] And straggling ropes in pendent order placed. The main-sail, by the squall so lately rent, In streaming pendants flying, is unbent: With brails [16] refix'd, another soon prepared, Ascending, spreads along beneath the yard. To each yard-arm the head-rope [17] they extend, And soon their earings and their robans [18] bend. That task perform'd, they first the braces slack, [19] Then to the chesstree drag the unwilling tack. 210 And, while the lee clue-garnet's lower'd away, Taught aft the sheet they tally, and belay. [20] Now to the north from Afric's burning shore, A troop of porpoises their course explore: In curling wreaths they gambol on the tide,