An Ocean Free-Lance (Volume 1) (Paperback)


This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1881. Excerpt: ... HE chimes of the church-clocks striking the hour of noon came down upon the pleasant north-east wind; and as the ship's bells clanked out the time, it was like the tinkling you hear among flocks of sheep. The piercing pipe of the boatswain summoned all hands to get the schooner under weigh; a strong gang manned the capstan; some were aloft loosing the square canvas, others out on the bowsprit and jib-booms, and groups at the running rigging. With ninety men and a small ship there was no excuse for the least want of smartness; besides, we lay full in sight of Plymouth, and the shores all along were alive with critical naval eyes, the mere notion of which nerved our seamen into uncommon dexterous activity. The main throat-halliards were taken through a snatch-block hitched to an eye-bolt abreast of the tiller, so as to give the fellows who manned them the whole run of the deck; there were hands by the topsail, stay-sail, and jib-halliards; twenty men had the handling of the square rigging, and so soon as ever the cable was up and down, the boatswain chirped his pipe, the beautiful schooner flashed as if by magic into a broad tall surface of white canvas, another turn of the capstan raised the anchor, and the Tigress was under weigh. I strode about apparently full of business, singing out here, shouting there, but all the time I was thinking of a green and beautiful estate away beyond the red tiles and church tops, and of the sweet and graceful girl who had stood with me in those same grounds last night and watched the fireworks. I cannot express the gloom that dropped upon me as I looked again and again at the diminishing Vol. 11. 29 town and the country that opened behind it as we drew away, and thought that it was a thousand to one if ever I met Miss Palm...

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1881. Excerpt: ... HE chimes of the church-clocks striking the hour of noon came down upon the pleasant north-east wind; and as the ship's bells clanked out the time, it was like the tinkling you hear among flocks of sheep. The piercing pipe of the boatswain summoned all hands to get the schooner under weigh; a strong gang manned the capstan; some were aloft loosing the square canvas, others out on the bowsprit and jib-booms, and groups at the running rigging. With ninety men and a small ship there was no excuse for the least want of smartness; besides, we lay full in sight of Plymouth, and the shores all along were alive with critical naval eyes, the mere notion of which nerved our seamen into uncommon dexterous activity. The main throat-halliards were taken through a snatch-block hitched to an eye-bolt abreast of the tiller, so as to give the fellows who manned them the whole run of the deck; there were hands by the topsail, stay-sail, and jib-halliards; twenty men had the handling of the square rigging, and so soon as ever the cable was up and down, the boatswain chirped his pipe, the beautiful schooner flashed as if by magic into a broad tall surface of white canvas, another turn of the capstan raised the anchor, and the Tigress was under weigh. I strode about apparently full of business, singing out here, shouting there, but all the time I was thinking of a green and beautiful estate away beyond the red tiles and church tops, and of the sweet and graceful girl who had stood with me in those same grounds last night and watched the fireworks. I cannot express the gloom that dropped upon me as I looked again and again at the diminishing Vol. 11. 29 town and the country that opened behind it as we drew away, and thought that it was a thousand to one if ever I met Miss Palm...

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Product Details

General

Imprint

General Books LLC

Country of origin

United States

Release date

February 2012

Availability

Supplier out of stock. If you add this item to your wish list we will let you know when it becomes available.

First published

February 2012

Authors

Dimensions

246 x 189 x 3mm (L x W x T)

Format

Paperback - Trade

Pages

48

ISBN-13

978-1-235-66256-0

Barcode

9781235662560

Categories

LSN

1-235-66256-X



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