Then stay-sails sidelong to the breeze ascend; While all, to court the veering winds, are placed With yards alternate square, and sharply braced. The dim horizon lowering vapours shroud, And blot the sun yet struggling in the cloud; Through the wide atmosphere condensed with haze, His glaring orb emits a sanguine blaze. The pilots now their azimuth attend, On which all courses, duly formed, depend: The compass placed to catch the rising ray, The quadrant’s shadows studious they survey; Along the arch the gradual index slides, While Phœbus down the vertic circle glides; Now seen on ocean’s utmost verge to swim, He sweeps it vibrant with his nether limb. Thus height, and polar distance are obtained, Then latitude, and declination, gained; In chiliads next th’ analogy is sought, And on the sinical triangle wrought: By this magnetic variance is explored, Just angles known, and polar truth restored. The natives, while the ship departs their land, Ashore with admiration gazing stand. Majestically slow before the breeze She moved triumphant o’er the yielding seas; Her bottom through translucent waters shone, White as the clouds beneath the blaze of noon; The bending wales their contrast next displayed, All fore and aft in polished jet arrayed. Britannia, riding awful on the prow, Gazed o’er the vassal waves that rolled below: Where’er she moved the vassal waves were seen To yield obsequious, and confess their queen. Th’ imperial trident graced her dexter hand, Of power to rule the surge like Moses’ wand; Th’ eternal empire of the main to keep, And guide her squadrons o’er the trembling deep. Her left, propitious, bore a mystic shield, Around whose margin rolls the watery field; There her bold genius in his floating car O’er the wild billow hurls the storm of war: And lo! the beasts that oft with jealous rage In bloody combat met, from age to age, Tamed into union, yoked in Friendship’s chain, Draw his proud chariot round the vanquished main: From the proud margin to the centre grew Shelves, rocks, and whirlpools, hideous to the view. Th’ immortal shield from Neptune she received, When first her head above the waters heaved; Loose floated o’er her limbs an azure vest, A figured scutcheon glittered on her breast; There from one parent soil, for ever young, The blooming rose and hardy thistle sprung. Around her head an oaken wreath was seen, Inwove with laurels of unfading green. Such was the sculptured prow; from van to rear Th’ artillery frowned, a black tremendous tier! Embalmed with orient gum, above the wave The swelling sides a yellow radiance gave. On the broad stern, a pencil warm and bold, That never servile rules of art controll’d, An allegoric tale on high pourtray’d;