large/3098/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_01_ballou_64kb_10
large/3098/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_01_ballou_64kb
English
3098
Though low in the waist, yet her ends rose gracefully in a curve towards the terminations fore and aft, making her very dry on either the quarter deck or forecastle. She might have numbered fifty men for her crew, and if you had looked in board over her bulwarks you would have seen that her complement was made up of men. THOUGH LOW IN THE WAIST YET HER ENDS ROSE GRACEFULLY IN A CURVE TOWARDS THE TERMINATIONS FORE AND AFT MAKING HER VERY DRY ON EITHER THE QUARTER DECK OR FORECASTLE SHE MIGHT HAVE NUMBERED FIFTY MEN FOR HER CREW AND IF YOU HAD LOOKED ON BOARD OVER HER BULWARKS YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN THAT HER COMPLEMENT WAS MADE UP OF MEN
imed at in her construction, the flatness of her floor giving her great buoyancy, and her length ensuring fleetness. These were points that would at once have struck a sailor's eye, as he beheld the ship bowling gracefully on her course by the power of the trade winds that so constantly befriend the mariners in these latitudes. We have said that the "Sea Witch" was of peculiar model, and so indeed she was. Contrary to the usual rig of what are called clipper ships, her masts, instead of raking, were perfectly upright, for the purpose of enabling her to carry more press of sail when need be, and to hold on longer when speed should be of vital importance--that the straighter construction of the masts furthers this object, is a fact long since proven in naval architecture. She was very low, too, in her rigging, having tremendous square yards; enabling the canvass to act more immediately upon the hull, instead of operating as a lever aloft, and keeping the ship constantly off an even keel. LY BEEN THE MAIN OBJECT AIMED AT IN HER CONSTRUCTION THE FLATNESS OF HER FLOOR GIVING HER GREAT BUOYANCY AND HER LENGTH ENSURING FLEETNESS THESE WERE POINTS THAT WOULD AT ONCE HAVE STRUCK A SAILOR'S EYE AS HE BEHELD THE SHIP BOWLING GRACEFULLY ON HER COURSE BY THE POWER OF THE TRADE WINDS THAT SO CONSTANTLY BEFRIEND THE MARINERS IN THESE LATITUDES WE HAVE SAID THAT THE SEA WITCH WAS OF PECULIAR MODEL AND SO INDEED SHE WAS CONTRARY TO THE USUAL RIG OF WHAT ARE CALLED CLIPPER SHIPS HER MASTS INSTEAD OF RAKING WERE PERFECTLY UPRIGHT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENABLING HER TO CARRY MORE PRESS OF SAIL WHEN NEED BE AND TO HOLD ON LONGER WHEN SPEED SHOULD BE OF VITAL IMPORTANCE THAT THE STRAIGHTER CONSTRUCTION OF THE MAST FURTHERS THIS OBJECT IS A FACT LONG SINCE PROVEN IN NAVAL ARCHITECTURE SHE WAS VERY LOW TOO IN HER RIGGING HAVING TREMENDOUS SQUARE YARDS ENABLING THE CANVASS TO ACT MORE IMMEDIATELY UPON THE HULL INSTEAD OF OPERATING AS A LEVER ALOFT AND KEEPING THE SHIP CONSTANTLY OFF AN EVEN KEEL
large/3098/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_01_ballou_64kb
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download/librilight/large/3098/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_01_ballou_64kb.flac