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Article THE FIRST CRUISE OF THE " VIXEN." ← Page 6 of 23 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The First Cruise Of The " Vixen."
beside me , expressed his satisfaction , and sigmfied that he would command the manoeuvre . Boom looked to me , I nodded , for I hoped to catch Tom tripping . " Confound the fellow , " said I to myself , " he can't knoxv everything . " But I xvas mistakenhe did .
A fexv words from Tom sent the crexv flying in various directions , some to the capstan , others to the shrouds . The men exchanged looks , in xvhich I fancied I discovered surprise , not unmixed xvith derision . After a moment ' s pause , another xvord of command , and the capstan was heaved until the prow of the cutter was nearly perpendicular to her anchor . Tom turned to
observe the bastion from whence the evening gun was to be fired , and almost at the same moment a puff of smoke , and the simultaneous lowering of the station-flag , announced sundoxvn . A rapid command from Tom was executed xvith such precision , that ere my exclamation of surprise xvas ejaculated , a cloud of snoxv-xvhite canvas spread over every spar of the little vessel ;
her rigging seemed to open like a fan , and bending gracefully to leeward , she tripped her anchor , which xvas instantly raised to the deck . Tom turned on his heel , and took his stand beside the helmsman , while the crew assembled near the capstan , and directing looks of palpable admiration toxvards Venture , who had
executed the manoeuvre in a manner to excite their hearty surprise and approbation . The silence was for a moment unbroken , except by the rush of waters cleft by the cutwater of the vessel as she clipped tM-ough the wax'es . A sensation of pride , of springy delight , took possession of me as I congratulated myself on being the
possessor of such a craft . My lucubrations were suddenly invaded by a lacMymose voice repeating the lines on Childe Harold—his farewell to the shores of England . It was Lawless . The long-legged guardsman , pale and love-sick , xvas established on the breech of a gun . Since the desertion of Catarina he had trained the ends of his moustaches doxvnwardsto give a dreary
, effect to his countenance , and he had managed to establish a kind of limp and forlorn air upon his whole figure , which made him appear as if he had been lately drenched in misery , and was dripping -with sentiment . Fin , as he was called , being the short for Phineas , had the peculiarity of being unable to pronounce the letter r , which he alxx-ays turned into a w .
We listened to the end of the first verse of his recitation , to which Tom gravely added this burthen : Ri too-ral-loo-ral-looral , ri tal looral lay ! Fin resolutely continued the second verse , hoping that the vigour of his diction would obtain a gentle hearing ; but Pat VOL . I . I
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The First Cruise Of The " Vixen."
beside me , expressed his satisfaction , and sigmfied that he would command the manoeuvre . Boom looked to me , I nodded , for I hoped to catch Tom tripping . " Confound the fellow , " said I to myself , " he can't knoxv everything . " But I xvas mistakenhe did .
A fexv words from Tom sent the crexv flying in various directions , some to the capstan , others to the shrouds . The men exchanged looks , in xvhich I fancied I discovered surprise , not unmixed xvith derision . After a moment ' s pause , another xvord of command , and the capstan was heaved until the prow of the cutter was nearly perpendicular to her anchor . Tom turned to
observe the bastion from whence the evening gun was to be fired , and almost at the same moment a puff of smoke , and the simultaneous lowering of the station-flag , announced sundoxvn . A rapid command from Tom was executed xvith such precision , that ere my exclamation of surprise xvas ejaculated , a cloud of snoxv-xvhite canvas spread over every spar of the little vessel ;
her rigging seemed to open like a fan , and bending gracefully to leeward , she tripped her anchor , which xvas instantly raised to the deck . Tom turned on his heel , and took his stand beside the helmsman , while the crew assembled near the capstan , and directing looks of palpable admiration toxvards Venture , who had
executed the manoeuvre in a manner to excite their hearty surprise and approbation . The silence was for a moment unbroken , except by the rush of waters cleft by the cutwater of the vessel as she clipped tM-ough the wax'es . A sensation of pride , of springy delight , took possession of me as I congratulated myself on being the
possessor of such a craft . My lucubrations were suddenly invaded by a lacMymose voice repeating the lines on Childe Harold—his farewell to the shores of England . It was Lawless . The long-legged guardsman , pale and love-sick , xvas established on the breech of a gun . Since the desertion of Catarina he had trained the ends of his moustaches doxvnwardsto give a dreary
, effect to his countenance , and he had managed to establish a kind of limp and forlorn air upon his whole figure , which made him appear as if he had been lately drenched in misery , and was dripping -with sentiment . Fin , as he was called , being the short for Phineas , had the peculiarity of being unable to pronounce the letter r , which he alxx-ays turned into a w .
We listened to the end of the first verse of his recitation , to which Tom gravely added this burthen : Ri too-ral-loo-ral-looral , ri tal looral lay ! Fin resolutely continued the second verse , hoping that the vigour of his diction would obtain a gentle hearing ; but Pat VOL . I . I