ome" to me. To continue:

To fill up the time, and give some relaxation to the men, had boat races
between the different crews in the "Typa."

It was surprising to see with what interest the sailors entered into the
sport, and the excitement produced by the contests; bets ran high
amongst them, and Tattersalls, previous to the great St. Leger Stake,
could not produce a greater scene of excitement than did our top-gallant
forecastle and forward gangways, during the preparations for a race; the
claims of different candidates for an oar would be carefully canvassed,
and the coxswains became, for the nonce, men of vast importance, for
upon their _ipse dixit_ in selecting the crews, the success of the boats
was thought mainly to depend. Then the non-combatants had their favorite
boats and men, and their suggestions would be strongly urged.

The enthusiasm even extended to the officers, and produced an excitement
as deep, if not so loud, upon the quarter deck and poop. Sums were
raised amongst them, and set up as prizes for the crew of the winning
boat, and suppers on shore, and segars in hand, hung upon the success of
the second or third cutters--the first cutter and the launch.

Every plan known to experienced boatmen was resorted to; every
unnecessary impediment that could offer the slightest obstruction
removed; the bottoms of the boats, after having been well scraped, were
_secretly greased_, and the pintals of the rudder carefully oiled, the
weight of the oars well calculated, and the trim of the boats arranged
by placing breakers of water fore, aft, or amidships, as it was thought
their weight might be required to give a proper balance.

The oars, too, were carefully overhauled, scraped, pointed, and newly
leathered; the rowlocks, in which they were to be placed, arranged, and
nothing that skill or experience could suggest, was neglected to secure
success.

_Preparation for the race._--The hour big with fate to the crews of the
second and third cutters approached. One bell in the afternoon watch had
been struck, and preparations commenced. The respective crews having
taken the lightest kind of a dinner, divested themselves of all
unnecessary clothing, tied handkerchiefs around their heads, and making
their belts taut around their bodies, stood by, ready for a call. The
boats, their oars all in, and extra ones secured handily to the
gunwales, in case of accident, with a coxswain in each, lay at either of
the booms