large/3098/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_03_ballou_64kb_34
large/3098/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_03_ballou_64kb
English
3098
Not a soul of the full complement of men on board were visible from the shore; now and then perhaps the head of some taller hand than his fellows might loom up above the bulwarks at the waist, or a solitary seaman creep quietly aloft to reave a sheet through some block, or secure some portion of the rigging. NOT A SOUL OF THE FULL COMPLEMENT OF MEN ON BOARD WERE VISIBLE FROM THE SHORE NOW AND THEN PERHAPS THE HEAD OF SOME TALLER HAND THAN HIS FELLOWS MIGHT LOOM UP ABOVE THE BULWARKS AT THE WAIST OR A SOLITARY SEAMAN CREEP QUIETLY ALOFT TO REAVE A SHEET THROUGH SOME BLOCK OR SECURE SOME PORTION OF THE RIGGING
 the canvass thus opportunely loosed and brought to bear, she gradually paid off before the wind, and once more had steerage way. Another foresail was now bent, and this time double-reefed, the foretopsail, too, was bent, close-reefed and furled, while the fore and aft foresail was once more stowed, leaving the "Sea Witch" to scud under double-reefed foresail. Five days of steady blow continued before the vessel could again show more than a small portion of her canvass. Then the wind once more hauled to the northwest, and the "Sea Witch" donned heir fore and aft rig on all her masts steering close-hauled again due cast, until the lofty headlands of the Cape de Verds hove gradually in sight, and the fleet clipper craft made her anchorage in the harbor of Port Praya. The "Sea Witch," whatever her business in this harbor, seemed able to transact it without venturing inside the forts, or taking stronger moorings than a single anchor could afford her. At this she rode with mysterious quiet. THE VESSEL FELT THE POWER OF THE CANVASS THUS OPPORTUNELY LOOSED AND BROUGHT TO BEAR SHE GRADUALLY PAID OFF BEFORE THE WIND AND ONCE MORE HAD STEERAGE WAY ANOTHER FORESAIL WAS NOW BENT AND THIS TIME DOUBLE REEFED THE FORETOPSAIL TOO WAS BENT CLOSE REEFED AND FURLED WHILE THE FORE AND AFT FORESAIL WAS ONCE MORE STOWED LEAVING THE SEA WITCH TO SCUD UNDER DOUBLE REEFED FORESAIL FIVE DAYS OF STEADY BLOW CONTINUED BEFORE THE VESSEL COULD AGAIN SHOW MORE THAN A SMALL PORTION OF HER CANVAS THEN THE WIND ONCE MORE HAULED TO THE NORTHWEST AND THE SEA WITCH DONNED AIR FORE AND AFT RIG ON ALL HER MASTS STEERING CLOSE HAULED AGAIN DUE EAST UNTIL THE LOFTY HEADLANDS OF THE CAPE DE VERDS HOVE GRADUALLY IN SIGHT AND THE FLEET CLIPPER CRAFT MADE HER ANCHORAGE IN THE HARBOR OF PORT PRAYA THE SEA WITCH WHATEVER HER BUSINESS IN THIS HARBOR SEEMED ABLE TO TRANSACT IT WITHOUT VENTURING INSIDE THE FORTS OR TAKING STRONGER MOORINGS THAN A SINGLE ANCHOR COULD AFFORD HER AT THIS SHE ROWED WITH MYSTERIOUS QUIET
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