NAUTICAL INSTRUCTION ON THE WHARF.
The first two weeks of the term were devoted to giving the new students
a proper start in their studies, and in the work of the shop. At the
same time they learned to pull an oar, and to handle a rowboat. At the
end of that time the crew of the Winooski could pull a very fair stroke,
and were tolerably obedient to the orders of the coxswain. A Whitehall
fellow undertook to have his own way at one time, and the boat went to
the shore at once. In five minutes more he was locked up in his room.
The next day, after he had backed down, and resumed his place in the
schoolroom, he took his oar again. No one appeared to know that he had
disobeyed orders; no one said anything; he received no sympathy, and was
subjected to no condemnation, among his associates. He had a good chance
to turn over a new leaf if he was disposed to do so. The very fact that
he was ignored, proved that his fellow-students were in full sympathy
with the principal.
The students were simply requested to ignore any offender, and they
could disregard the request if they were desirous of doing so. If there
was any real or fancied grievance among the pupils, of course they would
disregard it; but just now all was serene, and even the bad boys were
delighted with the routine of the institution. The early lessons were
given out with a view to interest them. In the shop, they were set to
making something,—a box at first,—which could not help amusing them.
On the first Saturday of the term the ship's company of the Sylph were
organized. Dory Dornwood was captain again; though only for the first
month, while the new scholars were broken in. It was understood that
Oscar Chester was to take his place from the first of October. The
principal offices were filled by the old students, who were qualified to
instruct their subordinates. The recruits were scattered about: some
were firemen, some were stewards, and most of them were deck-hands.
The day was devoted to exercising the students in their new duties. Of
course, there was considerable friction in places, but not so much as
the principal had expected. As long as the boys tried to do their duty,
their short-comings and their failures were overlooked. If one refused
to obey an order, he was shut up in a storeroom; and excellent
discipline prevailed on the second Saturday, when the practice was
repeated.
On the following Monday afternoon, all hands were ordered to the
boat-house after dinner, in place of going to the shops. The Lily, which
the students had built in the earlier part of the year, had been brought
alongside of the wharf by Bates and Mr. Bristol. The work of rigging the
boat was to be begun at this time. On the wharf lay the two masts of the
schooner, which had been made in Burlington, and brought down a few days
before. There were several other sticks on the wharf, whose use most of
the students did not understand. Lying on the top of the masts were a
great number of small pieces of rope; and old Bates was as busy as a
bee, with a lot of things which were incomprehensible to even the old
students.
The principal was the instructor on the present occasion; for, of the
subjects to be treated, the other teachers were as ignorant as the
pupils. The boys were requested to seat themselves on the spars and
timbers. Captain Gildrock picked out one of the pieces of rope about
three feet long, from the pile, and then mounted a box where he could be
seen by all hands; and several of the teachers were present.
"The next business in order is to rig the boat we have built," he began.
"It is not a very complicated matter to rig a fore-and-aft schooner."
"What does that mean?" asked Sax Coburg, one of the hard fellows from
Burlington, though he was interested in rigging the boat.
"I will tell you in a moment, when I have spoken of the general plan of
proceeding while we are rigging the boat," replied the principal, who
encouraged the pupils in asking sensible questions. "It is a
comparatively simple matter to rig a schooner; but, in connection with
it, I shall endeavor to have you learn something of the rig of other
kinds of vessels. Those of you who live on Lake Champlain never see any
sailing craft on its waters, except schooners and sloops. Now, may I ask
some student to tell me what a ship is, as he understands it?"
Most of the boys thought they knew all about it, and raised their hands
to indicate that they wished to speak, as they had been instructed to
do.
"Bark Duxbury," said the principal, calling upon one of the old boys of
the school.
"A vessel with three masts," replied the student called.
"Is that the entire definition?"
"It is all the definition I know," replied Bark.
"What do you say, Leo Pownall?"
"A vessel with three masts and square-rigged," answered Leo.
"What's square-rigged?" interposed Jack Dumper.
"Raise your hand if you wish to ask a question; but no question should
be put in the midst of one subject, which relates to another, till a fit
time comes to do so," said the principal. "Leo Pownall is nearer right
than Bark was, but the definition is not accurate. I dare say you could
all give an opinion, and I should like to hear you all on the subject if
I had more time. A ship is a vessel with three masts, square-rigged on
the fore, main, and mizzen masts. You cannot correctly define a ship in
less words."
At this point Jack Dumper raised his hand again, and the principal
indicated that he would hear him. He said he did not know what a ship
was, for the reason that he did not know what square-rigged meant. This
time Captain Gildrock approved the question, and nodded to Mr. Jepson,
who planted a large easel on a box near the one on which the principal
stood. He placed on it a great pile of large papers; and, of course, the
attention of the pupils was strongly attracted to what was coming.
"The eye must help the ear in this lesson," said the principal, as he
turned over the paper on the top of the pile. It was a picture of a ship
under full sail. "This is a full-rigged ship," said he.
When the students had looked at it a minute or two, he selected another
paper, and placed it on the easel so that it could be seen by all.
"This is a fore-and-aft schooner. What difference do you notice between
the two vessels?" he asked.
"The ship is square-rigged, and the schooner is not," replied Fred
Grafton, when the captain pointed to him.
"Right: one has yards, and the other has not;" and half a dozen hands
were raised, before the words were fairly out of his mouth. "What are
yards? is the question you wish to ask," continued the principal, as he
exhibited the picture of the ship again. "The sticks across the masts
are yards; and the sails are hung down from them, like the banner of the
engine-company on parade. A schooner of this kind," added the principal,
as he presented the schooner again, "has no yards on her masts."
"I see it!" exclaimed Jack Dumper, with enthusiasm.
"I am glad you do; but you need not take the trouble to mention it,"
added Captain Gildrock, with a smile. "Now, your eye has taught you the
difference between a full-rigged ship and a fore-and-aft schooner. One
has yards, and the other has no yards. Here is another vessel with three
masts."
The picture was displayed on the easel, and a few of the boys put up
their hands to indicate that they knew what to call her.
"What is it, Pinkler?"
"A bark."
"Why a bark?"
"Because she is not square-rigged on her hind-mast," replied Archie
Pinkler.
"Hind-mast is rather rough to a nautical ear," said the principal, "but
you are right. Fore, main, and mizzen mast are the proper names; and you
had better begin now to use these terms. I heard a young lady singing
the other day, 'My bark is on the wave!' Did she mean this kind of a
vessel?"
Some of the older students laughed, and some were puzzled. The question
looked as though there was a catch under it, and they were shy about
answering it.
"We read in the Good Book, about those 'who go down to the sea in
ships.' Does it mean square-rigged on the fore, main, and mizzen masts?
We find in the New Testament frequent allusions to the ships on the Lake
of Galilee. Were these square-rigged vessels?"
"They were nothing but boats," replied Tucker Prince, when his name was
called. "The word ship and bark are used, in a general sense, to mean
any kind of a vessel."
"That is entirely correct, Prince.—How many fingers have you, Kidder
Digfield?" asked the principal.
"Eight, sir," replied the ex-Topover, with a grin.
"I have ten, and I am apparently more fortunate than you are; but I use
the word fingers in a general sense. When you come down to particulars,
you say, very properly, that you have eight fingers."
"I don't think thumbs are fingers," added Kidd, when the principal
nodded to him.
"All right: you have a perfect right to your own opinion. How many toes
have you?"
"Ten."
"But two of them are big toes. Why not say that you have eight toes and
two big toes?" added the captain. "Now you know what a ship is, and that
the word is used, in a general sense, to mean any kind of vessel. We
speak of the ship's company, in general terms, on board of a craft of
any size. The ocean and coast steamers are called ships, and some of the
former have four masts. A few sailing-ships, like the Great Republic,
have been rigged with four masts."
"What do they call the after-mast when there are four?" asked Dick
Short.
"The usage differs somewhat: some call it the jigger-mast, and those of
more dignity call it the after-mizzen-mast. In a vessel with two masts,
the terms are main and mizzen mast. I have shown you a ship and a bark;
what is this?" asked the captain, as he displayed another picture.
"A brig," replied Con Bunker; though none spoke unless they were called
upon.
"Right; and what is a brig, properly defined?"
"A vessel with two masts, square-rigged on both," replied Hop Cabright.
"What is this?" and the principal showed another drawing.
Such a craft had never been seen on the lake; and only Matt Randolph,
and a few others from New York and Boston, could answer.
"It is a three-masted schooner," answered Tucker Prince. "Her masts have
the same names as those of a ship."
"And she is a fore-and-after," added Captain Gildrock.
The next picture was a puzzle to all except Matt Randolph.