ORGANIZING THE SHIP'S COMPANY.
For the next week, Bates was the principal instructor of the students on
board the Lily while they were employed in putting on the rigging. The
short lines which had been on the wharf for a week were in demand, and
the old man showed the boys how to make a few of the most useful knots.
They were required to repeat the operations till they could make the
knots without stopping to dream over them.
The old quartermaster was patient with them while they were attentive to
their duty; and in a few days they could make a bowline hitch, tie a
square knot, put a clove hitch on a stick, and some others. Then came a
lesson in short and long splices, and then in parcelling and serving.
Thus trained, the work of setting up the rigging proceeded rapidly; and
in a couple of weeks the schooner was rigged and her sails bent.
It was a day of triumph at the school when she was completed, and ready
to go forth on the lake. So great was the interest in her, that the
Sylph was neglected on Saturdays and holidays. The Lily was large enough
to accommodate the entire school of thirty-two; and immediately after
breakfast, on the Saturday after she was finished, all hands were
required to be on board of her.
Among the older pupils were two from New-York City, who had received a
very fair nautical education on the yacht of the father of one of them.
Matt Randolph knew all about a schooner; for such was the rig of his
father's yacht, and he had sailed in her for several years. He had
crossed the Atlantic one summer in her, and, from choice, had done duty
as a foremast hand. Luke Bennington, his friend, had been with him
enough to be very well informed on nautical subjects.
The students were expecting something unusual when they went on board of
the schooner that morning. The first thing they were required to do was
to tow the Lily out into the middle of Beechwater, which was done with
the small boats.
When her anchor went down, Captain Gildrock opened the business of the
day with a speech. As all hands wanted to sail in her, he proposed to
organize a ship's company to man her.
"As on board of the Sylph, we shall do every thing by rule," said the
principal. "We will divide the ship's company into two watches, and do
every thing in nautical style. In the first place we want a captain and
two mates. I shall appoint these. For captain, I name Matthew Randolph;
for he has had more experience with schooners than any other student."
Not a few of the boys looked at Dory, as though they thought he ought to
have been assigned to this position; but he looked serene, and there was
no appearance of disappointment visible in his open face.
"For first officer, or mate, I appoint Luke Bennington, who has also had
considerable experience in schooners. For second mate, or second
officer, Oscar Chester. In merchant vessels, the first officer is called
simply the mate. We shall need but two of these officers, one for each
watch. Generally, the captain keeps no watch; and, by a certain nautical
usage, the second mate is said to keep the captain's watch, which is the
starboard."
Oscar Chester, the second mate, wanted to decline the position assigned
to him; for he felt that Dory Dornwood, who was considered the most
capable student in the school, had been strangely ignored. The principal
smilingly declined to permit him to do so. In fact, he had talked this
matter over with Dory, who felt that he had received all the honors that
belonged to him, and wished to be ignored for the benefit of others.
Captain Gildrock then appointed a cook, who was experienced in his line
on board of the steamer, and three stewards. In the forward cabin, there
was a cook-stove; and there was a pantry in the cabin, which extended
nearly to the foremast.
"I need not say to you, for you have all sailed enough in the Sylph to
know it, that all hands must obey their superior officers. Now we will
proceed to divide the ship's company into watches. The captain will take
the first choice, and the mate the second, and so on until all are
stationed."
"Dory Dornwood," said Captain Randolph.
"Thad Glovering," added the mate.
The captain's watch were required to go over to the starboard side, and
the mate's to the port side. The principal gave each student a star,
with a pin to it, so that it could be stuck on the coat-sleeve. The
starboard-watch wore it on the right arm, and the port on the left.
"It is now eight o'clock," said the principal, consulting his watch, and
looking at the new captain.
"Quartermaster, strike eight bells," said Randolph, nodding to Dory.
Dory obeyed the order, and struck the required number on a bell, which
Mr. Jepson had put up on the bowsprit bitts. He made the sounds by twos,
as is the custom on board ship, so that the number may be easily
counted.
"The captain has appointed Dory Dornwood and Corny Minkfield
quartermasters," said Captain Gildrock. "In the navy, it is the duty of
these officers to con the wheel."
"Con the wheel!" exclaimed a student.
"Not a familiar expression on shore, I grant; but that is the word on a
naval vessel. It means to watch the wheel, or to oversee the steering,"
the principal explained. "The sailor who has the trick at the wheel may
be careless, and the quartermaster is responsible for the steering.
Sometimes two, and even four, men are required to handle the wheel in
heavy weather."
The boys were beginning to be impatient; for they were anxious to get
under way, to see how the vessel they had built would work, and whether
there was any speed in her. But there was not a breath of air stirring,
and it would have been useless to hoist the sails. When one asked if
they were going to set the sails, the principal explained that it would
be worse than folly to do so, for the schooner would certainly drift to
the shore, and get aground.
"While we are waiting for a breeze, and we shall soon have one, I will
explain something more about the watches," continued the principal. "In
getting under way, all hands are on duty, and the first business is to
arrange the watches as we have done. The first watch, which is always
the starboard, goes on duty at eight on the evening of the first day. It
is in charge of the second mate, though the captain may keep it if he
chooses.
"This watch serves till twelve o'clock at night; and then the port-watch
is called, and the mate takes the deck. At four, the starboard-watch
serves the next four hours. The watch from midnight till four in the
morning is called the mid-watch, that from four in the morning till
eight is the morning-watch. From eight till twelve is the
forenoon-watch, which comes in at the present time. From twelve till
four in the afternoon is the afternoon-watch.
"At this time we come to the dog-watches, which are two hours in length,
instead of four, as the others are. Without them the starboard-watch,
which was on duty from eight till twelve, and then from four till eight
in the morning, would have to take the same place the next night. They
were on watch eight hours in the night, while the port-watch served only
four.
"During the first dog-watch, from four till six in the afternoon, the
port-watch is called. At six, to serve till eight, the starboard-watch
has the deck; so that the port will come on at eight, and have eight
hours of duty during the second night. The dog-watches therefore
equalize the night work. But, in very heavy weather, all hands are
liable to be called, and to remain on duty all night.
"When a ship leaves a foreign or domestic port for home, the rule is
reversed, and the port-watch goes on duty at eight in the evening. As
the sailors say, the captain takes the ship out, and the mate brings her
home. But it looks as though we should have a breeze soon, and we are
not quite ready for it."
Like the proceedings of a political caucus, every thing seemed to be cut
and dried, even to the wind that did not blow; for the principal now
produced a bundle of cards, which he called the station-bills. He gave
one to each student; and the boy found his own name written upon it,
with his duty in all the operations of working the vessel. His place in
weighing the anchor, in setting the sails, in coming to anchor, in
making a landing at a wharf, and in tacking, were written upon the card.
The principal explained that a short drill was next in order, and
directed Captain Randolph to proceed with it. He put the crew through
the routine of every manœuvre, and practised it till each student knew
his station. The schooner was very heavily manned, and it had required
no little skill to divide the work among them. Before the drill was
finished, there was quite a ripple on Beechwater, indicating that there
was wind enough to give the vessel steerage-way.
"Stations for hoisting the fore and main sails!" called the captain, at
a signal from the principal. There was no nonsense about the work this
time, for the schooner was to get under way. The boys were very active,
and even Tom Topover moved as though he delighted to obey orders.
Certain hands stationed themselves at the halyards, and others stood
ready to loose the sails. Orders had been sufficiently established by
the drill, to prevent the boys from touching a rope till the command to
do so was given.
"Loose sails!" shouted the captain.
"Loose sails," repeated the mate, who was in the waist, and was required
to repeat every order when all hands were on duty.
The sail-loosers cast off the stops, which secured the sails to the
booms; while a couple of others at each of the masts cast off the
halyards, overhauled them, and saw that they were in order for instant
use.
"Hoist fore and main sail!" said the captain; and the order was repeated
by the mate, while the second mate was required to see that the work was
properly done at the foremast, as the first officer did at the mainmast.
The sails went up as if by magic, so vigorous were the hands at the
halyards. They were swigged up, and the slack taken in, as prescribed in
the drill.
"Man the capstan!" called Captain Randolph, when the sails were properly
set. "Heave up the anchor to a short stay, Mr. Bennington!"
The mate superintended this operation, and the anchor was soon reported
aweigh.
"Man the jib-halyards! Stand by the jib-downhaul!" continued the
captain, when the report had been made to him. "The wind is a little
south of west, and we will cast on the port-tack."
"On the port-tack, sir," replied the mate, as he went forward to see the
order executed.
Enough hands remained at the capstan to trip the anchor; and, as the jib
went up the stay, the anchor was lifted from the bottom. Two hands were
at the jib-sheets, and, as the sail began to draw, they trimmed it down;
and, for the first time in her brief existence, the Lily began to move
under sail through the water.
"Three cheers!" shouted Dory Dornwood; and they were given.