The Clouds, with ruin pregnant, now impend, And Storm, and Cataracts, tumultuous blend. Deep, on her side, the reeling Vessel lies: Brail up the Mizen quick! the Master cries, Man the clue-garnets! let the Main-Sheet fly! It rends in thousand shivering shreds on high! The Main-Sail all in streaming ruins tore, Loud fluttering, imitates the thunder's roar: The Ship still labours in th' oppressive strain, Low bending, as if ne'er to rise again. Bear up the helm a-weather! RODMOND cries, Swift at the word the helm a-weather flies; She feels its guiding power, and veers apace, And now the Fore-Sail right athwart they brace: With equal sheets restrained, the bellying Sail Spreads a broad concave to the sweeping Gale. While o'er the foam the Ship impetuous flies, The Helm th' attentive Timoneer applies: As in pursuit along th' aërial way With ardent eye the Falcon marks his prey, Each motion watches of the doubtful chace, Obliquely wheeling through the fluid space;
So, governed by the Steersman's glowing hands, The regent Helm her motion still commands.
But now, the transient Squall to leeward past, Again she rallies to the sullen blast: The Helm to starboard moves; each shivering Sail Is sharply trimmed to clasp th' augmenting GaleThe Mizen draws; she springs aloof once more, While the fore Stay-Sail balances before. The Fore-Sail braced obliquely to the wind, They near the prow th' extended Tack confin'd: Then on the leeward Sheet the seamen bend, And haul the bow-line to the Bowsprit-end. To Top-Sails next they haste: the bunt-lines gone! Through rattling blocks the Clue-lines swiftly run; Th' extending Sheets on either side are mann'd, Abroad they come! the fluttering Sails expand; The Yards again ascend each comrade Mast, The Leeches taught, the Halyards are made fast, The Bow-lines hauled, and Yards to starboard braced, And straggling ropes in pendent order placed.
The Main-Sail, by the Squall so lately rent,
In streaming pendants flying, is unbent:
With brails refixed, another soon prepar'd, Ascending, spreads along beneath the Yard. To each yard-arm the head-rope they extend, And soon their earings and their robans bend. That task performed, they first the braces slack, Then to the Chesstree drag th' unwilling Tack. And, while the lee clue-garnet's lowered away, Taught aft the Sheet they tally, and belay.
Now to the north, from AFRIC's burning shore, A troop of Porpoises their course explore; In curling wreaths they gambol on the tide, Now bound aloft, now down the billow glide: Their tracks awhile the hoary Waves retain, That burn in sparkling trails along the Main- These fleetest Coursers of the finny race When threatening Clouds th' etherial vault deface, Their route to leeward still sagacious form, To shun the fury of th' approaching Storm. III. Fair CANDIA now no more beneath her lee Protects the Vessel from th' insulting Sea; Round her broad arms impatient of control, Roused from the secret Deep, the billows roll:
Sunk were the bulwarks of the friendly Shore,
And all the scene an hostile aspect wore.
The flattering Wind, that late with promised aid From CANDIA's bay th' unwilling Ship betray'd, No longer fawns beneath the fair disguise, But like a ruffian on his quarry flies: Tost on the tide she feels the tempest blow, And dreads the vengeance of so fell a foe-
As the proud Horse with costly trappings gay, Exulting, prances to the bloody fray;
Spurning the ground he glories in his might, But reels tumultuous in the shock of fight: E'en so, caparisoned in gaudy pride, The bounding Vessel dances on the tide.
Fierce and more fierce the gathering Tempest grew, South, and by West, the threatening Demon blew: AUSTER'S resistless force all air invades, And every rolling Wave more ample spreads. The Ship no longer can her top-sails bear; No hopes of milder weather now appear. Bowlines and Halyards are cast off again, Clue-lines hauled down, and Sheets let fly amain:
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