1. This word "lay," which is in such general use on board ship,
being used in giving orders instead of "go"; as "Lay forward!"
"Lay aft!" "Lay aloft!" etc., I do not understand to be the
neuter verb, lie, mispronounced, but to be the active verb lay,
with the objective case understood; as "Lay yourselves forwards!"
"Lay yourselves aft!" etc.
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and found the reefing a very exciting scene; for one watch reefed the
fore-topsail, and the other the main, and every one did his utmost to
get his topsail hoisted first. We had a great advantage over the
larboard watch, because the chief mate never goes aloft, while our
new second mate used to jump into the rigging as soon as we began to
haul out the reef-tackle, and have the weather earing passed before
there was a man upon the yard. In this way we were almost always
able to raise the cry of "Haul out to leeward" before them, and having
knotted our points, would slide down the shrouds and back-stays,
and sing out at the topsail halyards to let it be known that we were
ahead of them. Reefing is the most exciting part of a sailor's duty.
All hands are engaged upon it, and after the halyards are let go,
there is no time to be lost--no "sogering," or hanging back, then.
If one is not quick enough, another runs over him. The first on the
yard goes to the weather earing, the second to the lee, and the next
two to the "dog's ears;" while the others lay along into the bunt,
just giving each other elbow-room. In reefing, the yard-arms
(the extremes of the yards) are the posts of honor; but in furling,
the strongest and most experienced stand in the slings, (or, middle
of the yard,) to make up the bunt. If the second mate is a smart
fellow, he will never let any one take either of these posts from him;
but if he is wanting either in seamanship, strength, or activity,