Right from under the very arches of the eyebrows¹ of thirty men— captain, mates, and crew—a boat was to be abstracted; they knowing nothing of the event, until all knowledge would prove unavailing.

 

Hark ye:

 

At sea, the boats of a South Sea-man (generally four in number, spare ones omitted,) are suspended by tackles, hooked above, to curved timbers called "davits," vertically² fixed³ to the ship's sides.

 

Now, no fair one with golden locks is more assiduously waited upon, or more delicately handled by her tire-women, than the slender whale- boat by her crew. And out of its element, it seems fragile enough to justify⁴ the utmost solicitude⁵. For truly, like a fine lady, the fine whale-boat is most delicate when idle, though little coy at a pinch.

 

Besides the "davits," the following supports are provided Two small cranes are swung under the keel, on which the latter rests, preventing the settling of the boat's middle, while hanging suspended by the bow and stern. A broad, braided, hempen⁶ band, usually worked in a tasteful pattern, is also passed round both gunwales; and secured to the ship's bulwarks⁷, firmly lashes⁸ the craft to its place. Being elevated above the ship's rail, the boats are in plain sight from all parts of the deck.

 

Now, one of these boats was to be made way with. No facile matter, truly. Harder than for any dashing young Janizary to run off with a sultana from the Grand Turk's seraglio. Still, the thing could be done, for, by Jove, it had been.

 

What say you to slyly loosing every thing by day; and when night comes, cast off the band and swing in the cranes? But how lower the tackles, even in the darkest night, without a creaking more fearful than the death

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