Herman Melville

“ The forecastle-men fished it up from the bows, and the seamen thronged round it.
"Bad luck! bad luck!" cried the Captain of the Head; "we'll number one less before long."
The ship's cooper strolled by; he, to whose department it belongs to see that the ship's life-buoys are kept in good order.
In men-of-war, night and day, week in and week out, two life-buoys are kept depending from the stern; and two men, with hatchets in their hands, pace up and down, ready at the first cry to cut the cord and drop the buoys overboard. Every two hours they are regularly relieved, like sentinels on guard. ”

“ Springing up the ladders, I found that an unknown man had fallen overboard from the chains; and darting a glance toward the poop, perceived, from their gestures, that the life-sentries there had cut away the buoys. ”

“ More hands were wanted in one of them, and, among others, I jumped in to make up the deficiency.
"Now, men, give way! and each man look out along his oar, and look sharp!" cried the officer of our boat. ”