[Illustration: (Z)]
The torpedoes, port and starboard, loaded and ballasted, having been
hoisted out of the torpedo-room, are placed on the deck on their own
sides, with their heads forward under the leading block, and the number
of buoys required for each, placed abaft them, strung together as
directed (p. 17); the necessary number of exploding bolts having also
been taken from the bolt magazine, are now entered into the torpedoes,
and forced down until their safety keys rest on the brasswork, taking
care that each safety key points in the direction of the eye through
which its lanyard has to pass; the brass guard is now taken off, and
after top lever placed in the crutch of the exploding bolt; the fore top
lever is now placed on the shoulder of the after one, and the two levers
secured by their lanyards, as directed in pages 12 and 13. The eye at
the end of the buoy-rope is now rove through the large or small ring
in the stern end of the torpedo (see p. 17). The tow-rope having been
previously rove through the leading block on the deck and on the yard, is
rove through the thimble of the slings from forward aft, and bent, with a
single or double sheet bend, to the eye of the buoy-rope. The safety-key
line having been previously rove through the leading block on the
ensign-staff, and the lanyard on the safety key having been led through
the eye of the handle, making a fair lead with the slit in the bolt, are
bent together with a double-sheet bend, and stopped to the eye by a split
yarn of suitable strength, the yarn having been secured outside the bend.
It can also be stopped with another split yarn to the slings near the
thimble of the slings. The torpedo is now ready for launching.