For some time we had a favourable breeze; the sea was calm, and
everything went smoothly. We had plenty of work keeping the squadron
together, compelling the fast vessels to shorten sail, and the laggards
to make it. Some ran on with only their topsails set. Others had
studding-sails set on either side. We were all day long sending the
bunting up and down, and firing guns as signals.
"Why are all those bits of coloured stuff hoisted to the masthead?"
asked Larry. "They tell me that the captain makes the young gentlemen
run them up and down to keep their fingers warm."
I explained to him that each flag represented a figure or number, and
sometimes a word or a sentence, according to the distinguishing pennant
hoisted over it. For which purpose every vessel was provided with a
book of signals, and we could thus communicate with each other just as
if we were speaking.