"Con the wheel!" exclaimed a student.
"Not a familiar expression on shore, I grant; but that is the word on a naval vessel. It means to watch the wheel, or to oversee the steering," the principal explained. "The sailor who has the trick at the wheel may be careless, and the quartermaster is responsible for the steering. Sometimes two, and even four, men are required to handle the wheel in heavy weather."
The boys were beginning to be impatient; for they were anxious to get under way, to see how the vessel they had built would work, and whether there was any speed in her. But there was not a breath of air stirring, and it would have been useless to hoist the sails. When one asked if they were going to set the sails, the principal explained that it would be worse than folly to do so, for the schooner would certainly drift to the shore, and get aground.
"While we are waiting for a breeze, and we shall soon have one, I will explain something more about the watches," continued the principal. "In getting under way, all hands are on duty, and the first business is to arrange the watches as we have done. The first watch, which is always the starboard, goes on duty at eight on the evening of the first day. It is in charge of the second mate, though the captain may keep it if he chooses.
"This watch serves till twelve o'clock at night; and then the port-watch is called, and the mate takes the deck. At four, the starboard-watch serves the next four hours. The watch from midnight till four in the morning is called the mid-watch, that from four in the morning till eight is the morning-watch. From eight till twelve is the forenoon-watch, which comes in at the present time. From twelve till four in the afternoon is the afternoon-watch.
"At this time we come to the dog-watches, which are two hours in length, instead of four, as the others are. Without them the starboard-watch, which was on duty from eight till twelve, and then from four till eight in the morning, would have to take the same place the next night. They were on watch eight hours in the night, while the port-watch served only four.
"During the first dog-watch, from four till six in the afternoon, the port-watch is called. At six, to serve till eight, the starboard-watch has the deck; so that the port will come on at eight, and have eight hours of duty during the second night. The dog-watches therefore equalize the night work. But, in very heavy weather, all hands are liable to be called, and to remain on duty all night.
"When a ship leaves a foreign or domestic port for home, the rule is reversed, and the port-watch goes on duty at eight in the evening. As the sailors say, the captain takes the ship out, and the mate brings her home. But it looks as though we should have a breeze soon, and we are not quite ready for it."
Like the proceedings of a political caucus, every thing seemed to be cut and dried, even to the wind that did not blow; for the principal now produced a bundle of cards, which he called the station-bills. He gave one to each student; and the boy found his own name written upon it, with his duty in all the operations of working the vessel. His place in weighing the anchor, in setting the sails, in coming to anchor, in making a landing at a wharf, and in tacking, were written upon the card.
The principal explained that a short drill was next in order, and directed Captain Randolph to proceed with it. He put the crew through the routine of every manœuvre, and practised it till each student knew his station. The schooner was very heavily manned, and it had required no little skill to divide the work among them. Before the drill was finished, there was quite a ripple on Beechwater, indicating that there was wind enough to give the vessel steerage-way.