"Very well. Now for the song, for there is a sort of tune to it."
Bramble then again passed the line through his hands, giving the song to
each fathom, half-fathom, and quarter-fathom, and making me sing them
after him, after which I had to repeat them by myself. The next day he
took out the marks and knots from the whole line, and, giving me a
two-feet rule to re-measure it, made me put them all in again. This I
had to repeat three or four times. By this plan they were fully
impressed on my memory; and as for the song, he made me sing it almost
every half-hour for three or four days, Bessy generally repeating, in
her clear voice, from the back kitchen or upstairs, "and a quarter
seven--by the deep nine."
On the fourth day Bramble said, "Well, Tom, I think both you and Bessy
may leave off singing now. You have yet to learn the most important
part, which is to _heave_ the lead; but we must wait till we get on
board of a vessel for that. Observe, Tom, it's all very well singing
when you've plenty of water, and I like it, for it sounds musical and
pleasant to the ear; but in shallow water the pilot's answer must be
much shorter and quicker, as you will find out by-and-bye."