HEAVING THE LEAD.


Here we have a sailor in the act of heaving the lead, or taking
soundings, which is a thing extremely necessary to be done when a ship
is approaching the shore, as there is great danger of her running on a
sand-bank or striking on a sunken rock. I will now tell you how it is
managed. A sailor gets over the ship's side, as you see in the
engraving, and takes his station in what are called "the chains;" he
holds in his hand a coil of rope, with the length in fathoms marked upon
it; this rope has a mass of lead attached to the end of it. At the
bottom of the lead, is a hollow place, into which a piece of tallow
candle is stuck, which brings up distinguishing marks from the bottom of
the sea, such as small shells, sand, or mud, adhering to it. If the
tallow be only indented it is supposed to have fallen on bare rocks. A
correct account of the soundings is entered in the logbook; this book
contains a description of the ship's course, the direction of the wind,
and other circumstances, during every hour of each day and night. Having
arranged the rope so as to allow it to fall freely when cast, the sailor
throws the lead forward into the water, giving rope sufficient to allow
it to touch the bottom; then with a sudden jerk, such as long practice
alone can enable him to give, he raises the weight, and after examining
the mark on the rope made by the water, calls out lustily, so that all
forward can hear, "By the mark seven," or "By the deep nine," according
to the case, or whatever the number of fathoms may be. The lead-line is
marked into lengths of six feet, called fathoms, by knots, or pieces of
leather, or old sail-cloth. In narrow or intricate channels, it is
sometimes needful to place a man in the chains on each side of the ship,