train

The fwift volution and th'enormous russo incɔ M
Let fages vers'd in nature's lore

The horrid apparition fill draws high, od garrise de N And white with foam the whirling furges flylaral ind The guns were prim'd; the veffel northward veers 'Till her black battery on the column bears. The nitre fir'd ; and while the dreadful found, Convulfive, fhook the flumbering air around," The wat'ry column, trembling to the fky, Burft down a dreadful deluge from on high! Th' affrighted furge, recoiling as it fell," Rolling in hills difclos'd th'abyfs of hell. My rotor and ma But foon, this tranfient undulation o'er,

The fea fubfides; the whirlwinds rage no mone,

w

While fouthward now th increafing breezes veer,į pirkumi
Dark clouds incumbent on their wings appear.
In front they view the confecrated grove
Of cyprefs, facred once to Cretan Jove,
The thirty canvas, all around fupplied,
Still drinks unquench'd the full aerial tide.
And now, approaching near the lofty ftern,
A fhoal of fportive dolphins they difcern.
From burnifh'd fcales they beam refulgent rays,
'Till all the glowing ocean feems to blaze.
Soon to the fport of death the crew repair,
Dart the long lance, or fpread the baited fnare.
One in redoubling mazes wheels along,
And glides, unhappy! near the triple prong.
Rodmond unerring o'er his head fufpends
The barbed fteel, and every turn attends;
Unerring aim'd, the miffile weapon flew,
And, plunging, ftruck the fated victim thro'
Th'upturning points his ponderous bulk sustain :
On deck he ftruggles with convulfive pain.
But while his heart the fatal javelin thrills,
And flitting life efcapes in fanguine rills,
What radiant changes ftrike th' aftonish'd fight!
What glowing hues of mingled shade and light!

M

Not ban

STÄ, UIGHTY

Not equal beauties gild the lucid weft,
With parting beams all o'er profufely dreft.
Not lovelier colours paint the vernal dawn,
When
dews impearl th' enamel d lawn
Than from his fides in bright fuffufion flow,
That now with gold empy real feem to glow;
Now in pellucid fapphires meet the view;
And emulate the foft celeflial hue;

Now beam a flaming crimson on the eye;
And now affume the purple's deeper dye.
But here defcription clouds each thining ray;
What terms of art can nature's powers difplay P

Now, while on high the freshning gale fhe feels,
The fhip beneath her lofty preffure reels.

The auxiliar fails that court a gentle breeze, 3
From their high ftations fink by flow degrees.
The watchful ruler of the helm no more,

With fix'd attention, eyes th adjacent shore ; 3D
But by the oracle of truth below,

The wond'rous magnet, guides the way ware prow.
The wind, that ftill the impreflive canvas fwell'd,
Swift and more fwift the yielding bark impell'd.
Impatient thus the glides along the coart,
'Till far behind the hill of Joue is loft:
And, while aloof from Retimo fhe fleers,
Malacha's foreland full in front appears.
Wide o'er yon ifthmus flands the cyprefs-grove
That once enclos'd the hallow'd fame of Jove.
Here too, memorial of his name! is found
A tomb, in marble ruins on the ground.
This gloomy tyrant, whofe triumphant yoke
The trembling ftates around to flavery broke,
Thro? Greece, for murder, rape, and incest known.
The Mufes rais'd to high Olympus throne.-
For oft', alas! their vena ftrains adorn
The Prince, whom blushing virtue holds in fcorn.
Still Rome and Greece record his endless fame;
And hence yon' mountain yet retains his name.

But

But fee in confluence born before the blast,idon P Clouds roll'd on clouds the dufky noon o'ercafton CE The black'ning ocean curls; the winds arifesul And the dark feud in fwift fuccellion flies.*W TY While the fwoln canvas bends the mafts on high, Low in the waves the leeward cannon le +, The failors now, to give the fhip relief, Reduce the topfails by a fingle reef ‡;

Each lofty yard with flacken'd cordage reels, 19
Rattle the creaking blocks, and ringing wheels,
Down the tall mails the topfails fink amain
And, foon reduc'd, affume their polt again.
More diftant grew receding Candia's fhore;
And fouthward of the weft Cape Spado bore.

Four hours the fun his high meridian throne
Had left, and o'er Atlantic regions fhone:
Still blacker clouds, that all the fkies invade,
Drawn o'er his fullier orb a difmal fhade,
A fquall deep low'ring blots the fouthern fky.
Before whofe boisterous breath the water's fly.

I

Its

*Scud is a name given by feamen to the lowest clouds, which are driven with great rapidity along the atmosphere, in fqually or tempeftuous weather,

+ When the wind croffes a fhip's courfe, either directly or obliquely; that fide of the fhip upon which it acts, is called the weather-fide; and the oppofite one, which is then preffed downwards, is called the lee-fide. Hence all the rigging and furniture of the fhip are, at this time, diftinguifhed by the fide on which they are fituated; as the leecannon, the lee-braces, the weather-braces, &c.

The topfails are large fquare fails of the fecond degree in height and magnitude. Reefs are certain divifions or Ipaces by which the principal fails are reduced when the wind increases; and again enlarged proportionably when its force abates.

Its weight the top fails can no more sustain,
Reef topfails, reef, the boatfwain calls again!
The haliards and top-bowlines + foon are gone,
To clue-lines and reef tackles next they run
The fhivering fails defcend: and now they fquare
The yards, while ready failors mount in air.
The weather earings and the lee they pafts;
The reefs enroll'd, and every point made faft.
Their talk above thus finish'd, they defcend,
And vigilant th' approaching fquall attend.
It comes refillefs, and with foaming fweep,
Upturns the whitening furface of the deep.
In fuch a tempeft, borne to deeds of death.
The wayward Sifters fcour the blafled heath,
With ruin pregnant now the clouds impend,
And florm and cataract tumultuous blend,
Deep on her fide the reeling veffel lies-
Brail up the mizen quick! the mafter cries .

S

Man

* Haliards are either fingle ropes or tackles, by which the fails are hoiffed up and lowered when the fail is to be extended or reduced.

Bow lines are lines intended to keep the wind-ward edge of the fail fteady, and prevent it from fhaking in an unfavourable wind.

Clue-lines are ropes ufed to trufs up the clues, or lower corners, of the principal fails to their refpective yards, particularly when the fail is to be clofe reefed or furled Reef tackles are ropes employed to facilitate the operation of reefing by confining the extremities of the reef clofe the yard, fo that, the interval becomes flack, and is there-fore cafily rolled up and faftened to the yard by the points employed for this purpofe.

up

to

Earings are fmall cords, by which the upper corners of the principal fails and alfo the extremities of the reefs are bfallened to the yard-arms.

upon

L

The mizen is a large fail of an oblong figure extended the mizen ma ft.

Man the chie-garnet! let the main-fheet fly t
The boisterous fquall fill preffes from on high,
And fwift, and fatal as the lightning's course,
Thro' the torn main-fails burft and thund'ring force,
While the rent canvas flutter'd in the wind,
Still on her flank the flooping bark inclin'd,
Bear up the helm a-weather! Rodmond cries;
Swift, at the word, the helm a-weather flies.
The prow with fecret inftinet veers apace;
And now the fore-fail right athwart they brace;
With equal fheets refrain'd, the bellying fail
Spreads a broad concave to the fweeping gale.
While o'er the foam the fhip impetuous flies,
Th' attentive timoneer the helm applies.
As in pursuit along th aerial way,
With ardent eye, the falcon marks his prey
Each motion watches of the doubtful chafe,
Obliquely wheeling thro' the liquid space;
So, govern'd by the fleerfman's glowing hands,
The regent helm her motion ftill commands.

But

*Clue-garnets are employed for the fame purposes on the main-fail and fore-fail as the clue-lines are upon all other quare fails.

It is neceffary in this place to remark, that the fheets, which are univerfally miflaken by the English poets and their readers for the fails themfelves, are no other than the ropes ufed to extend the clues, or lower corners of the fails to which they are attached. To the main-fail and fore-fail there is a fheet and tack on each fide; the latter of which is a thick rope ferving to confine the weather-clue of the fail down to the fhip's fide, whilft the former draws out the leeclue or lower-corner on the oppofite fide. Tacks are only ufed in a fide wind.

The helm is faid to be a-weather, when the bar by which it is managed, is turned by the fide of the fhip next the wind.

Timoneer (from timonnier, Fr. the helmsman, or eerfman.

C