large/3098/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_01_ballou_64kb_37
large/3098/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_01_ballou_64kb
English
3098
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. 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
no landsman can be more enamored of his promised bride. But the craft to which we especially refer at the present writing, was a coquette of the first class, beautiful in the extreme, and richly meriting the name that her owners had placed in golden letters on her stern--the "Sea Witch." She was one of that class of vessels known as flat upon the floor, a model that caused her to draw but little water, and enabled her to run free over a sandbar or into an inlet, where an ordinary ship's long boat would have grounded. She was very long and sharp, with graceful concave lines, and might have measured some five hundred tons. Speed had evidently 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. AND CONFIDING TRUST NO LANDSMAN CAN BE MORE ENAMORED OF HIS PROMISED BRIDE BUT THE CRAFT TO WHICH WE ESPECIALLY REFER AT THE PRESENT WRITING WAS A COQUETTE OF THE FIRST CLASS BEAUTIFUL IN THE EXTREME AND RICHLY MERITING THE NAME THAT HER OWNERS HAD PLACED IN GOLDEN LETTERS ON HER STERN THE SEA WITCH SHE WAS ONE OF THAT CLASS OF VESSELS KNOWN AS FLAT UPON THE FLOOR A MODEL THAT CAUSED HER TO DRAW BUT LITTLE WATER AND ENABLED HER TO RUN FREE OVER A SANDBAR OR INTO AN INLET WHERE AN ORDINARY SHIP'S LONG BOAT WOULD HAVE GROUNDED SHE WAS VERY LONG AND SHARP WITH GRACEFUL CONCAVE LINES AND MIGHT HAVE MEASURED SOME FIVE HUNDRED TONS SPEED HAD EVIDENTLY 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
large/3098/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_01_ballou_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/3098/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_01_ballou_64kb.flac