FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151  
152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   >>   >|  
monotonous though it was. "I'm quite ready, sir." Thereupon, going back to the boatswain's cabin, where he was provided by Tim with the lead-line and a broad canvas belt, he proceeded to climb over the bulwarks into the fore-chains, fastening himself to the rigging by placing the belt round his waist and hooking it on to the lower part of the shrouds--this arrangement holding him against the side of the vessel securely and at the same time enabling him to have his arms free to use for any other purpose. Adam's next operation was to swing the lead-line with the weight attached backwards and forwards, like a pendulum, until it had gained sufficient momentum, when he slung it as far forwards as he could, letting the coil of the line which he had over his arm run out until the way of the ship brought it perpendicularly under him; when, hauling it up quickly, and noticing how many fathoms had run out before the lead touched the bottom, he called out in a deep sort of sepulchral chant, "And a half-five!" "Ha!" exclaimed Mr Mackay, "I thought we were shoaling. Keep it going, Adams." "Aye, aye, sir," replied the other, swinging the lead as before when he had coiled up the slack and preparing for another throw; adding presently as he had gauged the depth again, "By the mark seven!" "That's better," cried Mr Mackay; calling out at the same time to the helmsman as we nearly ran over a small native boat crossing our track, "starboard--hard a starboard!" Adams, however, went on sounding mechanically, not minding the movements of the ship, his sing-song chant varying almost at every throw; and, "By the deep nine" being succeeded by, "And a quarter ten," until the full length of the lead-line, twenty fathoms, was let out without finding bottom. "That will do now, you can come in," cried Mr Mackay on learning this--"we're now all right and out of danger. Aft, there, steer east- nor'-east and keep a steady helm, we're now in open water and all's plain sailing!" It took us three days to pilot up to the Natuna Islands, only some three hundred and fifty miles north of Banca, the south-westerly wind which we had with us generally falling slack in the middle of the day, and the land breeze of a night giving us the greater help; but, still, all the while, the suspicious proa never deserted us, following in our track like a sleuth-hound--keeping off at a good distance though when the sun was shining and only creeping up c
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151  
152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Mackay
 

fathoms

 

forwards

 

bottom

 

starboard

 
learning
 
mechanically
 

minding

 
movements
 

sounding


native

 

crossing

 
varying
 

length

 
twenty
 

quarter

 
succeeded
 
finding
 

suspicious

 

greater


giving

 

middle

 

breeze

 

distance

 

shining

 

creeping

 

deserted

 

sleuth

 

keeping

 

falling


generally

 
sailing
 

steady

 

westerly

 

Natuna

 
Islands
 

hundred

 
danger
 

replied

 
securely

vessel
 

enabling

 
shrouds
 
arrangement
 

holding

 

weight

 
attached
 

backwards

 
pendulum
 

operation