The principal proceeded to review the students by pointing out the spars explained. There was hardly one of them who made a mistake, for they had all got hold of the system.
"Now we will examine some of the rigging of this ship. The same principle is applied to the ropes as to the spars," continued the principal, pointing to the fore-rigging of the vessel. "Here are six very large ropes leading from the top down to the side of the ship. In detail, these are the shrouds; but the whole is called the fore-rigging, which may be designated by its side also, as the starboard or the weather fore-rigging (34). Across these ropes are drawn smaller ones, which land-people call rope ladders, but which sailors call ratlines. But they don't say they go up the ratlines, any more than that they go up the rope ladders. They ascend the fore-rigging. You see a couple of round things at the lower end of each rope. They are dead-eyes; each having three holes in it by which the shroud is hauled taut, or tightened when it gets loose. Under these are broad pieces of plank, bolted edgewise to the side of the ship, to sway out the shrouds. The lower dead-eyes are attached to iron bands, running down to the side, and bolted through the timbers, called chains. The planks, or platforms, are channels. The men who sound are sent out on the channels, and are said to stand in the chains.
"The three shrouds extending from the tops to the cross-trees are the topmast rigging, with the keyword before it (35). Above, you have the topgallant rigging. Behind each mast are ropes leading down to the channels, all of which are called backstays, as the fore-topmast-backstay (31), the topgallant-backstay, (32). Of course, these stays may have the name of the side, weather or lee, port or starboard.
"Beginning at the bowsprit, you see a multitude of ropes leading to the foremast, and from one mast to another. These are all called by the general name of stays. The lower one on the bowsprit (7) is the forestay, and leads to the top of the foremast. The next one goes to the fore-topmast-head, and is therefore called the fore-topmast-stay (6). The next two, on which the jibs run, are simply jibstays. From near the end of the flying jib-boom are the fore-topgallant-stay (24), and the fore-royal-stay, (40).
"The stays between the masts take the names of spars from which they lead forward. The mainstay (29) comes from the head of the mainmast. There are a great many of these ropes; but, by observing the rule, you can readily call them by name."
The principal used his pointer for a time, in testing the knowledge of the students; and only through carelessness could they make any mistake.
"Now we come to the sails, but I think you must already know them by applying what you have learned. Only two jibs are set in this drawing, the jib (5) and the flying jib (4). There is one furled, which runs on the fore-topmast-stay (6), which is the same as the jib in shape, and is called the fore-topmast-staysail. Outside of these three head-sails,—a fourth called the outer jib, and even a fifth the jib o' jib,—these names are differently used.
"The three lower square-sails are called from the names of the mast, the fore, main, and mizzen sails. Together, they are called the courses; and sometimes any one of them may be called the fore-course or the main-course, but not often. Formerly, and now among old sailors, the lower yard of the mizzen-mast did not follow the system, but was called the cross-jack-yard, and they pronounced it crogic. No sail was bent to this yard in old times.—Now, what is this?" asked the captain, pointing to the next sail on the foremast.
"The fore-topsail" (14).
"This?"