Richard Henry Dana

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

Summary

“Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter V”, is a work by Richard Henry Dana. It explores elements such as sail, sleet and hail.

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

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

“ The hail and sleet were harder than I had yet felt them; seeming almost to pin us down to the rigging. We were longer taking in sail than ever before; for the sails were stiff and wet, the ropes and rigging covered with snow and sleet, and we ourselves cold and nearly blinded with the violence of the storm. By the time we had got down upon deck again, the little brig was plunging madly into a tremendous head sea, which at every drive rushed in through the bow-ports and over the bows, and buried all the forward part of the vessel. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ We at that time had shaken the reefs out of our topsails, as the wind was lighter, and set the main top-gallant sail. As soon as our captain saw what sail she was under, he set the fore top-gallant sail and flying jib; and the old whaler—for such, his boats and short sail showed him to be—felt a little ashamed, and shook the reefs out of his topsails, but could do no more, for he had sent down his top-gallant masts off the Cape. He ran down for us, and answered our hail as the whale-ship, New England, of Poughkeepsie, one hundred and twenty days from New York. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ At the same time sleet and hail were driving with all fury against us. We clewed down, and hauled out the reef- tackles again, and close-reefed the fore-topsail, and furled the main, and hove her to on the starboard tack. Here was an end to our fine prospects. We made up our minds to head winds and cold weather; sent down the royal yards, and unrove the gear; but all the rest of the top hamper remained aloft, even to the sky-sail masts and studding-sail booms. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ The “spouter,” as the sailors call a whaleman, had sent out his main top-gallant mast and set the sail, and made signal for us to heave to. About half-past seven their whale boat came alongside, and Captain Job Terry sprang on board, a man known in every port and by every vessel in the Pacific ocean. “Don’t you know Job Terry? I thought everybody knew Job Terry,” said a green-hand, who came in the boat, to me, when I asked him about his captain. He was indeed a singular man. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ Throughout the night it stormed violently—rain, hail, snow, and sleet beating upon the vessel—the wind continuing ahead, and the sea running high. At day-break (about three, A.M.) the deck was covered with snow. The captain sent up the steward with a glass of grog to each of the watch; and all the time that we were off the Cape, grog was given to the morning watch, and to all hands whenever we reefed topsails. The clouds cleared away at sunrise, and the wind becoming more fair, we again made sail and stood nearly up to our course. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ We hardly knew whether we were on or off; when coming up, dripping from the water, we were raised high into the air. John (that was the sailor’s name) thought the boom would go, every moment, and called out to the mate to keep the vessel off, and haul down the stay-sail; but the fury of the wind and the breaking of the seas against the bows defied every attempt to make ourselves heard, and we were obliged to do the best we could in our situation. Fortunately, no other seas so heavy struck her, and we succeeded in furling the jib “after a fashion;” ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ Whatever your feelings may be, you must make a joke of everything at sea; and if you were to fall from aloft and be caught in the belly of a sail, and thus saved from instant death, it would not do to look at all disturbed, or to make a serious matter of it.
Friday, Nov. 14th. We were now well to the westward of the Cape, and were changing our course to the northward as much as we dared, since the strong south-west winds, which prevailed then, carried us in towards Patagonia. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ Regaining his legs, and shaking his fist at the man at the wheel, he rolled below, saying, as he passed, “A man’s no sailor, if he can’t take a joke.” The ducking was not the worst of such an affair, for, as there was an allowance of tea, you could get no more from the galley; and though the sailors would never suffer a man to go without, but would always turn in a little from their own pots to full up his, yet this was at best but dividing the loss among all hands. ”

Richard Henry Dana

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

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