"The jib-sheet," said Syl Peckman.
"Sometimes, especially in small craft where the sheet leads aft to the standing-room, there are two of them, which are distinguished as weather and lee jib-sheets. Sometimes the sheet works on a traveller, which is an iron bar extending across the forecastle, on which the ring holding the sheet-block may slip from side to side as the vessel tacks. There must be two flying-jib sheets, so that the sail may be drawn down on each side of the jib-stay, as occasion requires.
"Inside of the hanks or hoops of the jib, where they run on the stay, is a rope leading to the head of the sail, used for hauling it down, and called a downhaul. I have mentioned all the running-rigging of the jibs; though some vessels are provided with additional gear, as the brails, by which the sail is gathered up as it comes down. Now we will pass to the after sails, the jibs taking the general name of head-sails.
"There are two sets of halyards belonging to the fore and main sails. The inner end of the gaff, where it is hollowed out to fit the mast, is called the throat. From this part, the inner halyard gets its name of throat-halyards. They consist of a double purchase, with a rope leading down to the deck on the port side. The peak-halyards are sometimes worked with a double block, and sometimes with several single blocks, fixed at some distance apart on the gaff, so as to divide the pressure. They lead down on the starboard side."
"Which is the larboard-watch?" asked a Vermont boy, who had probably heard the song with this name.
"Larboard and port mean the same thing; but the former word has gone out of use, because it is so liable to be mistaken for the opposite term, starboard. The two words sounded so nearly alike that mistakes were sometimes made. Some time within a few years, an effort was made in France to adopt the English terms, 'starboard' and 'port,' instead of stribord, or tribord, as it is now written, and babord; though they are not so nearly alike as starboard and larboard."
"Do sailors have to learn the names of terms in foreign languages?" asked Tucker Prince, who seemed to be surprised that the principal knew them.
"Not unless they are to serve in foreign vessels. The Spanish name for starboard is like the French, for it is estribor; while port, babord in French, is babor. In Italian the words are dritta and sinistra. But if you learn the terms in English, it will be sufficient. The larboard-watch is now called the port-watch. The ship's company are divided into the two watches, called the starboard and port watches.
"Both the fore and the main sail have sheets, each taking the systematic name. Of course, you can all tell where the fore and the main sheet are to be found. Some vessels have brails for gathering up the mainsail when it is lowered, but they are not very common."
"Where is the main-brace?" asked a new student. "I heard a man talking about splicing the main-brace."