But now the tranfient fqualf to leeward paft,
Again the ralfies to the fullen blaff.

The helm to farboard * turns; with wings inclin'd
The fidelong canvas clafps the faithlefs wind.
The mizen draws; the fprings aloof once more,
While the fore flay fail balances before.

The forefail brac'd obliquely to the wind,
They near the prow th' extended tack confin'd:
Then on the leeward fheet the feamen bend.
And haul the bowline to the bowfprit end,
The topfails next they hafte; the burntlincs gone,
The cluelines thro' their wheel'd machinery run:
On either fide below the fheets are mann'd;..
Again the fluttering fails their fkirts expand,
Once more the topfails, tho' with humbler plume,
Mounting aloft their ancient poft refume,
Again the bowlines and the yards are brac'd‡;
And all th' entangled cords in order plac'd. "

The fail, by whirlwinds thus fo lately rent,
In tatter'd ruins fluttering is unbent,
With brails frefix'd another foon prepar'd,
Afcending, fpreads along beneath the yard...
75/Vol. Vari8.

*

The helm, fide of the fhips verfa.

E

To

being turned to ftarboard, or to the right directs the prow to the left, or to port, Hence the helm being put a tarboard, when the hip is running northward, directs her prow to wards the Well.

་་་

This fail, which is with more propriety called the foretop-mall-ftay-fail, is a triangular fail that runs upon the fole topmaft-flay, over the bowfprit. It it used to command the fore part of the fhip, and counterbalance the fails extended towards the ftern. See alfo the laft note of this Canto.

Ayard is faid to be braced, when it is turned about the molt horizontally, either to the right or left: the ropes employed in this fervice are accordingly called braces.

The ropes used to trufs up a fail to the yard or mast whereto it is attached, are, in a general fenfe, called brails.

To each yard arm the head rope* they extend,
And foon their earings and the roebins + bend.
That talk perform'd, they firft the braces flack,
Then to its flation drag th' unwilling tack;
And, while the lee clue-garnet's lower'd away,
Taught aft the fheet, they tally and belay§.

Now to the north, from Afric's burning fhore,
A troop of porpoifes their courfe explore:
In curling wreaths they gambol on the tide,
Now bound aloft, now down the billow glide';
Their tracks awhile the hoary waves retain,
That burn in fparkling trails along the main,
Thefe fleetefl courfers of the finny race,
When threat'ning clouds th' aetherial vault deface,
Their rout to leeward ftill fagacious form,
To fhun the fury of th' approaching form.
Fair Candia now no more beneath her lee,
Protects the vellel from the infulting fea :-
Round her broad arms impatient of controul,
Rous'd from their fecret deeps the billows roll..
Sunk were the bulwarks of the friendly fhore,
And all the fcene an hoftile afpect wore.
The flattering wind, that late with promis'd aid;
From Candia's bay th' unwilling fhip betray'd,

No

*The head-rope is a cord to which the upp er part of the fail is fewed.

+ Rope-bands, pronounced roebins, are finall cords, ufed to faften the upper edge of any fail to its refpective yard.

Because the lee-brace confines the yard fo that the tack will not come down to its place till the braces are cast loofe.

Taught implies fliff, tenfe, or extended flrait: and tally is a phrafe particularly applied to the operation of hauling aft the fheets, or drawing them towards the ship's flern. To belay, is to fallen.

No longer fawns beneath the fair difguife,
But like a ruffian on his quarry flies,-
Toft on the tide fhe feels the tempeft blow,
And dreads the vengeance of fo fell a foe,
As the proud horfe, with coftly trappings gay,
Exulting prances to the bloody fray;
Spurning the ground, he glories in his might,
But reels tumultuous in the fhock of fight:
Even fo, caparifon'd in gaudy pride,
The bounding veffel dances on the tide.

Fierce and more fierce the fouthern demon blew,
And more incens'd the roaring waters grew.
The fhip no longer can her topfails fpread,
And every hope of fairer fkies is fled.
Bowlines and haliards are relax'd again;
Cluelines haul'd down, and fheets let fly amain;
Clued-up each topfail, and by braces fquar'd:
The feamen climb aloft on either yard,
They furl'd the fail, and pointed to the wind
The yard, by rolling tackles then confin'd,
While o'er the fhip the gallant boatfwain flies,
Like a hoarfe maftiff, thro' the form he cries:
Prompt to direct the unfkillful fill appears;
Th expert he praises, and the fearful cheers.
Now fome to frike top-gallant yards attend;,
Some travellers up the weather backstays § fend;
At each mast head the top-ropes || others bend.

*The rolling tackle is an affemblage of pullies, ufed to confine the yard to the weather-fide of the maft, and prevent the former from rubbing against the latter by the fluctuating motion of the fhip in a turbulent fea.

+ It is ufual to fend down the top-gallant yards on the approach of a form. They are the highest yards that are rigged in a fhip.

Travellers are flender iron rings, encircling the backflay, and ufed to facilitate the hoifling or lowering of the

top

The youngest failors from the yards above,

Their purrels, liftt and braces foon remove;

す

Them topt and end, and to the travellers tied, 25 » [1

י.

T

Charg'd with their fails, they down the back-flays fide,
The yards fécure along the booms reclin'd;
While fome the flying cords aloft confin'd,
Their fails reduc'd, and all the rigging clear,
Awhile the crew relax from toils fevere,
Awhile their fpirits, with fatigue oppreft,"
In vain expect th' alternate hour of reft;
But with redoubling force the tempelts blow,
And watery hills in fell fucceffion flow.
'A difmal fhade o'ercafts the frowning skies;
New troubles grow, new difficulties rife.

No

top-gallant yards, by confining them to the backftays, in their afcent or defcent, fo as to prevent them from fwinging about, by the agitation of the veffel.

Backflays are long ropes, extending from the right and left fide of the fhip to the topmaft heads, which they are intended to fecure, by counteracting the effort of the wind upon the fails.

Top-ropes are the cords by which the top gallant yards are hoifted up from the deck, or lowered again in floriny

weather.

*The purrel, which is ufually a moveable band of rope, is employed to confine the yard to its refpective mast. + Lifts are ropes extending from the head of any maft to the extremities of its particular yard, to fupport the weight of the latter; to retain it in balance; or to raife one yard arm higher than the other, which is accordingly called topping.

The booms in this place imply any mafts or yards lyng on the deck in referve, to fupply the place of others which may be carried away by diflrefs of weather, &c.

No feafon this from duty to defcend !-
All hands on deck th' eventful hour attend.

His race perform'd, the facred lamp of day
Now dipt in western clouds his parting ray.
His fick ning fires, half-loft in ambient haze,
Refract along the duik a crimson blaze;
Till deep immerg'd the languid orb declines,
And now to chearlefs night the fky refigns!
Sad evening's hour, how different from the past!
No flaming pomp, no blufhing glories caft.
No ray of friendly light is feen around :.
The moon and ftars in hopeless fhade are drown'd.

The fhip no longer can her courfes * bear;
To reef the courfes is the mafter's care:
The failors fummon'd aft, a daring band!
Attend th' unfolding brails at his command.
But here the doubtful officers difpute,
Till fkill and judgment prejudice confute.
Rodmond, whofe genius never foar'd beyond
The narrow rules of art his youth had conn'd ;
Still to the hoftile fury of the wind

Releas'd the fheet, and kept the track confin'd
To long tried practice obftinately warm,
He doubts conviction, and relies on form.
But the fage mafler, this advice declines;
With whom Arion in opinion joins.
The watchful feaman whofe fagacious eye
On fure experience may with truth rely,
Who from the reigning caufe foretels th' effect,
This barbarous practice ever will reject.
For, fluttering loofe in air, the rigid fail
Soon flits to ruins in the furious gale;
And he who ftrives the tempefts to difarm,
Will never firft embrail the lee yard-arm.

E 3

I

The courfes are generally known to be the main fail, fore-fail, and mizen, which are the largest and lowest fails on their feveral mafts: the term is, however, fometimes taken in a larger sense.