To face p. 347.

and PORT, for lee and weather, whenever practicable, especially in manning the boat and gear. The cry of man overboard brings all hands on deck, and if greeted with unmistakable orders they know what to do and where to go. This precaution is of special value on a dark night, or when the ship is nearly before the wind.

Every ship should have men told off for the following

purposes:

To tend the life-boat falls.

To keep the man in sight.

To hoist and tend signals of "Pull to port;" Pull_to starboard;" "You go well;" and to display lights or fire rockets showing ship's position.

A Very signal fired in the direction of the man will often reveal his position in the water, if not too distant.

Success in saving the man depends on the coolness of the officer of the deck and of the look-out at the life-buoy, and upon the normal condition of the boats.

The officer of the deck should

First. Keep cool himself and preserve order.
Second. Let go the buoy and keep the man in sight.
Third. Put the helm down.

Fourth. Heave to.

Fifth. Lower the life-boat.

Sixth. Get matters to rights and prepare for hoisting the boat.

The service life-buoy Fig. A is annular in shape. The air chamber is made of sheet copper, and divided into watertight compartments. It will sustain the weight of one man in a sitting posture, and that of three men in the water when assisted by their own efforts.

Bands around the air chamber support two torches, pivoted so as to stand always upright. These torches contain phosphide of calcium, which emits a bright flame when coming in contact with the water.

The buoy is attached to the stern by a chain slip. A handle inboard disconnects the slip when pulled upon, and drops the buoy.

Circular life-buoys made of cork should be distributed about the upper deck, for in the long modern ships a buoy thrown out from the gangway often falls closer to the man than one thrown from aft.

The man sticks his head up through the buoy and sits on the life chain, or rests his arms on it.

A few exercises in picking up buoys and lowering lifeboats under various circumstances at sea will accustom both the officer of the deck and the watch to that kind of work. It would be well, also, when the crew are sent in bathing, to drop the life-buoys and allow the men to form some idea of the manner in which they are to be used, and of their sustaining power.

SOUNDING.

In a light breeze, with the wind free and all sail set, soundings may be taken without reducing sail, thus: Luff the ship up; if the lower stun'sail is set haul up the clewline, and keep the sails lifting, without allowing them to catch aback, which can readily be done by a proper management of the helm; she will lose her headway sufficiently for the purpose, and still be under control of the helm. The soundings being taken, keep her off to her course, and haul out the lower stun'sail.

The operation of obtaining soundings, particularly when going large, affords a fine opportunity for the display of skill and judgment in handling a ship. Celerity and certainty are generally aimed at, but very frequently is the latter needlessly sacrificed to the former. Full preparation should be made first with the lead and line. The sails and helm must then be managed so as to bring the ship as nearly stationary as possible without endangering the spars. soon as the headway ceases, or nearly so, get a fair up and down cast, and fill away.

As

The common error is to get a cast with too much way on. Instead of saving, this only wastes time, for if the soundings are necessary at all, they should be determined correctly.

On a wind, haul up the mainsail and back the main topsail. In addition to this, the mizzen topsail may be thrown aback if found necessary to deaden the ship's way.

CHAPTER XXV.

REEFING-TURNING OUT REEFS.

Reefing and Hoisting. When it becomes necessary to reduce sail by reefing topsails, if all hands are to be employed, direct the boatswain to call:

REEF TOPSAILS! The men being on deck :.

Man the topsail clewlines and buntlines, weather topsail braces! Hands by the lee braces, bowlines, and halliards! A few hands take through the slack of the reef-tackles.* When ready

Clear away the bowlines, round in the weather braces! Settle away the topsail halliards! CLEW DOWN! Brace the topsail yards in so that the lee topmast rigging may not prevent them from being clewed down to the cap; haul up the buntlines, and the slack of the reef-tackles while the yard comes down; and when it is down on the cap, steady the yard by the lee braces, and haul taut the halliards. (The latter precaution is too commonly neglected.)

HAUL OUT THE REEF TACKLES!

HAUL UP THE BUNTLINES!

ALOFT TOPMEN! TRICE UP! LAY OUT! TAKE ONE REEF ! Light out to windward. Pass the weather earing, rousing the reef-cringle well up; then haul out to leeward; hauling the reef-band well taut; pass the lee earing and tie the points or toggle the beckets.

While the men are reefing, luff the ship up and spill the sail, that they may gather it up readily.

LAY IN!

Stand by the booms!

DOWN BOOMS! LAY DOWN FROM ALOFT! Man the topsail halliards! Let go and overhaul the rigging! Clear away the buntlines, clewlines, and reef-tackles, and have them lighted up. Tend the braces! Let go the lee ones, and stand by to slack the weather ones. Set taut! HOIST AWAY THE TOPSAILS! When up to a taut leech, Belay the topsail halliards! Trim the yards, Steady out the bowlines! and pipe down.

Frequently topgallant sails are set when about to reef

*If the reef-tackles reeve through a sheave in a treble quarter-block under the topsail yard, they act as downhaul tackles when hauled upon, and should be manned. But avoid endangering the yard-arms by putting undue strain upon such reef-tackles while clewing down.