Rigged as a three-masted ship, with an unusual spread of canvas, the Essex must have been a rarely beautiful marine picture when under way. The handling of such a majestic fabric as one of these old-time men-of-war is mirrored in the song of “The Fancy Frigate” which describes how such a ship as this noble Essex was manned by the hundreds of tars who swarmed among her widespread yards:
“Now my brave boys comes the best of the fun,
All hands to make sail, going large is the song.
From under two reefs in our topsails we lie,
Like a cloud in the air, in an instant must fly.
There’s topsails, topgallant sails, and staysails too,
There is stu’nsails and skysails, star gazers so high,
By the sound of one pipe everything it must fly.
Now, my brave boys, comes the best of the fun,
About ship and reef topsails in one.