Richard Henry Dana

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

Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter XXIV

Summary

“Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter XXIV”, is a work by Richard Henry Dana. It explores elements such as hides, San Pedro and easter.

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

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

“ But the night passed over without any trouble, and early the next morning, we hove out the long-boat and pinnace, lowered away the quarter-boats, and went ashore to bring off our hides. Here we were again, in this romantic spot; a perpendicular hill twice the height of the ship’s mast-head, with a single circuitous path to the top, and long sand beach at its base, with the swell of the whole Pacific breaking high upon it, and our hides ranged in piles on the overhanging summit. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

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

“ While we were carrying the hides to the boat, I perceived, what I had been too busy to observe before, that heavy black clouds were rolling up from seaward, a strong swell heaving in, and every sign of a south-easter. The captain hurried everything. The hides were pitched into the boats; and, with some difficulty, and by wading nearly up to our armpits, we got the boats through the surf, and began pulling aboard. Our gig’s crew towed the pinnace astern of the gig, and the launch was towed by six men in the jolly-boat. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

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

“ The quarter-boats were then hoisted up, and we began heaving in on the chain. Getting the anchor was no easy work in such a sea, but as we were not coming back to this port, the captain determined not to slip. The ship’s head pitched into the sea, and the water rushed through the hawse-holes, and the chain surged so as almost to unship the barrel of the windlass. “Hove short, sir!” said the mate. “Aye, aye! Weather-bit your chain and loose the topsails! Make sail on her, men—with a will!” ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

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

“ We at length got alongside, our boats half full of water; and now came the greatest difficulty of all,—unloading the boats, in a heavy sea, which pitched them about so that it was almost impossible to stand in them; raising them sometimes even with the rail, and again dropping them below the bends. With great difficulty, we got all the hides aboard and stowed under hatches, the yard and stay tackles hooked on, and the launch and pinnace hoisted, checked, and griped. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

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

“ Having nothing on but shirt, trowsers, and hat, the common sea-rig of warm weather, I had no stripping to do, and began my descent, by taking hold of the rope in each hand, and slipping down, sometimes with hands and feet round the rope, and sometimes breasting off with one hand and foot against the precipice, and holding on to the rope with the other. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

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

“ As hides are worth in Boston twelve and a half cents a pound, and the captain’s commission was two per cent, he determined not to give them up; and sent on board for a pair of top-gallant studding-sail halyards, and requested some one of the crew to go to the top, and come down by the halyards. The older sailors said the boys, who were light and active, ought to go, while the boys thought that strength and experience were necessary. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

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

“ She was bound to Manilla, from across the Pacific, and George did seaman’s duty in her until her arrival in Manilla, when he left her, and shipped in a brig bound to the Sandwich Islands. From Oahu, he came, in the British brig Clementine, to Monterey, as second officer, where, having some difficulty with the captain, he left her, and coming down the coast, joined us at San Pedro. ”

Richard Henry Dana

Summary

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

Common terms

Similar works

Get perspective with Kwize: daily news enlightened by great literature