ave three rows of braid.

Seamen, second class or ordinary seamen, have two rows of braid.

Seamen, third class or landsmen, have one row of braid.

The watch mark for the enlisted men not petty officers consists of a
stripe of braid on the sleeve close to the shoulder. For the seaman,
white on blue clothes, blue on white clothes.

For the engineer force, red on both white and blue clothes.

The watch mark indicates the watch of which the wearer is a member. The
starboard men wear it on the right arm, and the port men on the left.

TAKING SOUNDINGS.

HEAVING THE LEAD.

The man using the "lead line" (as the sounding-line weighted with lead
is called) stands on a grating that projects over the side. This is
placed near enough so that the steersman can hear the man who "heaves
the lead" when he calls out the number of fathoms of water. This he
tells by the marks on the "lead line" as follows:

2 fathoms, twelve feet, 2 strips of leather.
3 " 3 strips of leather.
5 " white rag.
7 " red rag.
10 " leather with hole in it.
13 " 3 strips of leather or blue rag.
15 " white rag.
17 " red rag.
20 " 2 knots.
25 " 1 knot.
30 " 3 knots.
35 " 1 knot.
40 " 4 knots.
9 " are called mark.
11 " " " deeps.

The leadsman stands on his little grating and swings the lead so it just
clears the water. When it is swinging well he lets it fly in the
direction in which the ship is moving and then notes the depth by the
strips of leather or rags. The result is shouted out so the steersman
can hear and keep the vessel in the channel.

THE BOATSWAIN'S CALLS.

The boatswain's calls or "pipes" are very difficult to reduce to a
musical scale, because the pitch of the instrument depends entirely on
the amount of energy expended by the blower. The novice, after a few
trials, would probably assert that the primitive little whistle had only
one note--and not very much of that; but he would be surprised indeed at
the volume of sound, the range, and the command over the instrument
which a veteran boatswain would soon make everyday matter to him. Not
only do these experts sound the regular calls with ear-piercing
exactness, but actual tunes are often included in their repertoire.

The pipe or whistle is held with the bulb in the centre of the