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And thrice I sneez'd.-The smelting furnace glows.
What says the reel?*-Twelve knots at least she goes.
I never saw her match-no ship that glides 3815
O'er sea, e'er cleay'd with swifter prow the tides.
Stiff as a church+-however rough the main,
She'll carry sail till all is blue again.-

She knocks it off, indeed-'tis time to sound,
Lest on our lee we shuddering view around
Dread Scilly's rocks, on whose disastrous reef
A gallant navy perish'd with their chief.t

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The rate of a ship's velocity through the sea is ascertained by the log-line, which is marked off by knots, and wound on a reel.

+ The term stiff is applied to a ship in contradistinction to crank. Of one that carries sail well, it is always said that she is as stiff as a church.

On the morning of October 24, 1707, Sir Cloudesley Shovel, returning from the Mediterranean to England in the Association of 90 guns, 640 men, with the Royal Anne, 100 guns, 754 men, Sir George Byng; the Saint George, 90 guns, 688 men, Lord Dursley; the Eagle, 70 guns, 446 men, Captain Hancock; and the Romney, 50 guns, 250 men, Captain Cony; got soundings off the Scilly isles in 90 fathoms ; the wind blowing strong from the S. S. W. with thick, foggy weather. The admiral lay to with his fleet that day; but, in the evening, believing that he saw the Scilly light, he made sail under his courses, and steered by compass E. and by N. with the fatal persuasion that he had the Channel open; for, soon after, the different ships made signals for a lee-shore, and the Association, striking on a reef of rocks, went instantly to pieces-her whole crew pesishing: the Eagle and the Romney shared the same disastrous fate, both ships also going to pieces, and not a man being saved: the Royal Anne escaped by the presence of mind of her lieutenants, who sheeted home the top-sails and weathered the breakers close under the main-chains: and the

Hie you on deck-look out for squalls ahead-
'Tis now in bow, and heave the deep sea lead—
Summon stern Pipes-we wait not for the day 3825
To fathom with the line our watery way—
Turn up the hands-cooks, doctors, idlers all,
At each wide hatchway give the rogues a call.

VII.

RHODES

HOUSE

CXFORD

LIBRARY

SOUNDING IN THE CHOPS OF THE CHANNEL.

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Haul down the jib! and man the spanker brails!
Let go the bowlines-back the after-sails—
There, you are well-the top-sail brace belay—
Sam shift the helm, the ship has got stern-way.
Is not that lead yet arm'd? come, bear a hand,
We want to see the print of shells or sand.-
All ready with the lead! look out behind! 3835
Down with the helm, and shake her in the wind.
Heave, heave away! beware there, in the chains!—
Watch, shipmates, watch! here's soundings for your
pains!-

Saint George was actually dashed on the same rock with the Admiral, but miraculously set afloat again by the same wave that beat out Sir Cloudesley's lights.

How many fathoms ?-Ninety, less or more.—
What says the lead? a smooth, or rocky shore ?-
Sand! intermix'd with shells of red and white!-
Scilly's ahead-look out well for the light!
Now haul we up, an offing to attain-

Rig in the booms-Pipes, urge the laggard train.—
Top-men aloft! and bear abaft the brim

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The backstays ere the shaking sails we trim.
Aboard main-tack! hang on the clue, my souls.
Now, sailors, now! as she to windward rolls!
A tackle on the leech-there, there, belay!
Thus bawls the boatswain, and the tars obey.* 3850

VIII.

SCILLY LIGHT-HOUSE.

Sublime in darkness o'er the midnight tides,
Making an offing, swift our vessel glides,
In seeming terror, courting ocean's roar
To shun the perils of a leeward shore.

* The illustrious Johnson, in his famous edict, interdicts writers the use of nautical language even when discussing nautical affairs. This reminds one of the polite lieutenant in Shadwell's Comedy, who says, "I wish my crew to reform, and discard your larboard and "starboard, hawsers and swabs: I will have no such thing as hawl "cat hawl, nor belay: uncouth words, only fit for dutchmen to pro66 nounce, and enough to unship an englishman's under-jaw."

Pacing in gloom the deck with anxious tread, 3855
The chief first hails o'er ocean's kindling bed
The watch tow'rs glare: A hopeful sight!
There, in the west, Randolph, is Scilly's light!*
Speak not, but mark well where I point my hand—
It gleams again-we hug the English land.

"Tis no ship's lanthorn-brighter is the glare-
See how it rotatory streaks the air!+

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Welcome fair lamp! held from the topmost tow'r By pity in the dark, tempestuous hour,

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When the pale moon and all the starry host
Are hid-and havoc howls along the coast.
Shine on, O beacon, o'er the billows shine,
Diffuse thy friendly ray, thy beam divine,
Safely to light, as to their common home,
The prows of every port that cut the salt sea foam.

The Scilly isles are a cluster of dangerous rocks to the number of 140, lying ten leagues west of Cornwall. Six only are inhabited. St. Mary's, the largest isle, is about two miles and a half long, one and a half broad, and between nine and ten miles in circumference. Its inhabitants amount to 700. Trescaw is about half the size, and has 40 families. St. Martin is little inferior to Trescaw, and has 17 families. St. Agnes is remarkable for its Light House, and has 50 families. Bryer has 13 families, and Samson only one. The isle of Scilly, which confers its name on the groupe, is a mishapen, inaccessible rock, the northwesternmost of the whole. Sir Cloudesley Shovel's fleet got upon the reef called the Bishop and his Clerks, in the south-west corner of the cluster.

+ The Light House on St. Agnes (the southernmost of the inhabited Scilly Isles) has a lanthorn on an improved principle, exhibiting a number of Argand's lamps; which, moving round, produce a bright and conspicuous light, in every direction, once in a minute.

I am like one who, with a wakeful eye,
Beholds a meteor flame along the sky,
And rouses by his side some drowsy wight
To bend his gaze, and share the glorious sight.
We haul'd off in good time-but one league more,
Our ship had thump'd her bottom out on shore.
Bnt note those lubbers who return our shout,
And pledge their faith to keep a good look-out.
Hoax them, lieutenant :-through the watch of night
Slumber preys heavy on their drooping sight.
Forecastle, there! a good look-out maintain!*—
Aye, aye! no danger broods upon the main.
A light here hoa! the light-house on our beam !—
See you a light ?—a light? you surely dream!
Luff! keep your luff!-What! stands it in our way?
With you for guides we had been cast away!

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IX.

MAKING THE LAND.

The lingering night is past-o'er ocean's stream
The beacon pales its ineffectual gleam,

When a ship approaches the coast in the night, a quarter-master calls at short intervals to the watch on the fore-castle, Keep a good look-out before there! to which injunction they rebellow, in the same tone, Aye, aye!

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