watch.

Mr Rattlin makes one step forward.

"Is the deep sea-lead ready?" said the master. "Mr Rattlin, jump into
the chains and see."

Mr Rattlin makes one step to the right--"_starboard_, the wise it
call."

"Mr Rattlin, what the devil are you about?--where's the hand stationed
to the foresheet?" said the first-lieutenant. "Jump there and see."

Mr Rattlin makes one step to the left hand,--"_port_, the wise it
call."

"Where's the midshipman o' th' watch--where's the midshipman o' th'
watch?" roars out the captain. "By heavens, there's no light to show
over the bows! Mr Rattlin, be smart, sir,--jump forward, and see to
it."

The chilled, the torpid, and half-stupified Mr Rattlin finally went
forward to the forecastle, where he ought to have been from the first,
and more especially as the boatswain was also on the sick-list.

The consequence of all these multitudinous and almost simultaneous
orders--to jump and see, when, by-the-by, it was too dark to see
anything a yard off properly--was, that one of the signal lanterns was
blown out, and the signal consequently imperfect--that the fore-topmast
staysail halliards were so badly manned, that those upon them could
scarcely start that then necessary sail from its netting--that the
people were not ready with the deep sea-lead--that little Mr Pond was
obliged to put down his trumpet, and ease off the foresheet himself till
relieved by the quarter-master; but, still, there actually _was_ a
lantern over the bows, and that in good time.

Well, the noble ship was no longer buffeted on her bows by the furious
wind: as the haughty Essex turned on his heel from the blow of his
termagant mistress queen, so did the _Eos_ turn her back to the
insulting blast, and flew rapidly before it. Owing to the darkness of
the night, assisted by the weak voice of Mr Pond, whose orders could
not be very distinctly heard, perhaps a little to his lubberly manner of
working the ship, the bounding frigate was much longer before the wind
than necessary. I was straining my sight near the cathead on one side,
and the captain of the forecastle on the other, but we could discover
nothing in the nearly palpable obscure.

On she dashed, and our anxious eyes saw nothing, whilst our minds feared
greatly;--she is at her utmost speed. In her reckless course she seems
sufficiently powerful to break up the steadfast rock, or tear the shoal
from its roots at the bottom of the ocean. On she rus