Richard Henry Dana

Name: Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IV
Author: Richard Henry Dana

Summary

“Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IV”, is a work by Richard Henry Dana. It explores elements such as sails, captain and second mate.

Quotes from Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IV (Richard Henry Dana)

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IV

“ He was one of that class of officers who are disliked by their captain and despised by the crew. He used to hold long yarns with the crew, and talk about the captain, and play with the boys, and relax discipline in every way. This kind of conduct always makes the captain suspicious, and is never pleasant, in the end, to the men; they preferring to have an officer active, vigilant, and distant as may be, with kindness. Among other bad practices, he frequently slept on his watch, and having been discovered asleep by the captain, he was told that he would be turned off duty if he did it again. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IV

“ 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. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IV

“ The captain, who watched her with his glass, said that she was armed, and full of men, and showed no colors. We continued running dead before the wind, knowing that we sailed better so, and that clippers are fastest on the wind. We had also another advantage. The wind was light, and we spread more canvas than she did, having royals and sky-sails fore and aft, and ten studding-sails; while she, being an hermaphrodite brig, had only a gaff top-sail, aft. Early in the morning she was overhauling us a little, but after the rain came on and the wind grew lighter, we began to leave her astern. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IV

“ The decks are washed down, the rigging coiled up, and everything put in order; and throughout the day only one watch is kept on deck at a time. The men are all dressed in their best white duck trowsers, and red or checked shirts, and have nothing to do but to make the necessary changes in the sails. They employ themselves in reading, talking, smoking, and mending their clothes. If the weather is pleasant, they bring their work and their books upon deck, and sit down upon the forecastle and windlass. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IV

“ 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, some better man will get the bunt and earings from him ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IV

“ To do the fish justice, there is nothing more beautiful than the dolphin when swimming a few feet below the surface, on a bright day. It is the most elegantly formed, and also the quickest fish, in salt water ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IV

“ It is usual for the captain to make this offer, and it is very good policy; for the crew think themselves the choosers and are flattered by it, but have to obey, nevertheless. Our crew, as is usual, refused to take the responsibility of choosing a man of whom we would never be able to complain, and left it to the captain. He picked out an active and intelligent young sailor, born near the Kennebec, who had been several Canton voyages, and proclaimed him in the following manner: “I choose Jim Hall—he’s your second mate. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IV

“ 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. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IV

“ A Rogue—Trouble on Board—“Land Ho!”—Pompero—Cape Horn After speaking the Carolina, on the 21st August, nothing occurred to break the monotony of our life until Friday, September 5th, when we saw a sail on our weather (starboard) beam. She proved to be a brig under English colors, and passing under our stern, reported herself as forty-nine days from Buenos Ayres, bound to Liverpool. Before she had passed us, “sail ho!” ”

Richard Henry Dana

Summary

Quotes from Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IV (Richard Henry Dana)

Common terms

Similar works

Get perspective with Kwize: daily news enlightened by great literature