er way, Tom," said Bramble, as he seated himself in his
large chair, "in which a smart 'prentice may be useful to his master,
and it is of quite as much importance as the compass, which is in
heaving the lead. You see, Tom, the exact soundings being known will
often enable a pilot to run over the tail of a bank and save a tide;
that is, when he knows that he can trust the man in the chains. Some
seamen are very particular in giving exact soundings, but all are not.
They care more for the song than they do for anything else, and though
the song is very musical, yet it won't get a ship off when she's on
shore. Now, two-thirds of the seamen who are sent in the chains will not
give the soundings within half a fathom, and, moreover, they do not give
them quick enough for the pilot in many cases. If, therefore, you learn
to heave the lead well, be correct in your soundings and quick in giving
them, you will become of great use to me. You understand, don't you?"

"Yes," replied I.

"Well, go up into my room, and hanging on the nail behind the door you
will see a lead-line--bring it me down here."

I did so, and then Bramble explained to me how the fathoms were marked
on the line, and how the soundings were given out.

"You see," said he, "wherever there is a mark with a piece of leather or
bunting, whether it be white or red, it is called a mark; and if you
have five fathoms of water you would cry out by the _mark_ five; but at
the other depths there are no marks, but so many knots tied as there are
fathoms, as here at nine; and then you would say by the _deep_ nine. Now
run the line through your hand, and see if you can repeat the marks and
deeps as they pass."

I did so.

"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-foot 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 line."

On the fourth day Bramble said, "Well, Tom,