The history of a ship, from her cradle to her grave: with a short account of modern steamships

Preface To The Present Edition

[jOWEVEB valuable this work may be as an account pleasantly told of the experience of Grandpa, it would be scarcely fair to issue the present edition without adding some account of the marvellous changes wrought by steam and by machinery driven by steam, since Grandpa's day. Accordingly a short account of the steam-engine, its application to propelling vessels, and its gradual introduction into the Mercantile Marine and the Koyal Navy, with the changes in the build and rig of the vessels consequent thereon, has been given succinctly, in the hope that it may interest the present generation.

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Preface

HE best apology which the Author of this work can offer, for ushering his book into the world, is the absolute want of some treatise, arranged as an instruction book for youth, on the subject of which it treats.

When in the society of children, he has frequently heard such expressions as these: "Mamma, I wish you would buy me a ship!" "Papa, is there not any book that tells about ships; how they are built, and rigged, and how they sail ? I wish you would get me one ; I should so much like to read it!" Another would say, "Oh, mamma, William Talbot has a large ship, but he does not know the name of any part of the rigging ; and, when he sails it, he gets it frequently upset, because he does not know how he should set the sails and the rudder, to make her steer properly- "What a pity it is that there is not a book to explain to us how we should do all this !" Another young gentleman will be reading a work on naval matters, and he

PREFACE.

will get puzzled by the following expressions : — "Haul in the weather main-brace " — " Let go the lee " — " Man the clue garnets " — " Let the main-sheet fly." Of such terms as these, many may ask their parents in vain for an explanation.

The Author hopes that the following pages will, in some degree, remove this bar to the attainments of youth.

For the sake of rendering the whole plain and easy of comprehension to the juvenile reader, numerous illustrations and diagrams are interspersed throughout the work ; nor is the Author aware that he has overlooked anything which would tend to render his work both useful and entertaining.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Title.

PAGE

PAGE

LlNE-OF-BATTLE SHIP, TIME OF

The Undaunted sinking . . .

Geoege I

Fruit Schooner

The Launch . . .

Timber Ships in Dock . . .

Alongside the Sheeb Hulk . .

Launching the Life-boat . .

Diagram of Rigging— Old . .

Pirates

Evening at Sea ...

The Main Truck

Funeral at Sea ....

Prince of Wales passing the

Portrait of Nelson ....

"Needles ....

Ship in full Sail

Slaver Brig hove-to . . .

A First-rate of 120 Guns . .

Olympus in Chase

A Clipper Brig

Chinese Salt Boat. . .

The Nero off the Owers . .

Merchant Steam-ship— Paddle

Atalanta on the Rocks . . .

•i „ Screw .

The Raft ....

Great Eastern .....

Devastation . . . .

*

Contents

CHAPTER I. page

Grandpa relates a circumstance that occurred in his younger days— What induced him to write this work — Grandpa's grandchildren introduced to the reader— What joy and excitement they displayed on hearing that grandpa was going to write a book about ships 1

Chapter II

Contains a little information about the ships used in the reigns of Kings Richard III., Henry VII., and Henry VIII. ; also of bombs and fireships -—The state of the Navy at the death of George I.— The framework of the Prince of Wales described— Why the bottoms of the ships are coppered— A little touch of natural philosophy about the ribs (of the ship)— Description of the midship section— Description of the longitudinal section— The stocks — The cradle — and the launch of a seventy-four gun-ship 13

Chapter III

Gives a description of the building-shed— A dry dock— The method of getting the masts on board ; also a list of the officers and men of a first-rate — The shear-vessel described— The rates of men-of-war— All the standing, and some parts of the running rigging of the Prince of Wales described ... 30

Chapter IV

Description of a mast— A topmast — How it is hoisted— The main-truck, or the leap for life — The top-gallant mast — Royal and sky-sail masts— Method of supporting the masts — The shrouds — The channels — The knight-heads — The ratlines — Tackles — The bowsprit — The jib-boom — The danger of a ship, if any accident happens to her bowsprit 42

Chapter V

The fore-stay— The round-tops, and their uses— Description of the mizen-top —The cross-trees— Method of hoisting the lower yards— The Prince of Wales going to sea— Her sails described— Sails of a modern ship 63

Vlll CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VI. page

Contains a description of the anchors— Letting go the anchor— The bits— The stoppers— Weighing the anchor— The messenger, and hauling in the cable The Dippers— The capstan— Cables— Ropes— Chain cables— The Indiaman losing her anchor— The windlass— The anchor fouled— In what manner the anchor holds a ship ^0

Grandpa leaves home, and joins the Prince of Wales, as midshipman— Parting with his mother— Departure— Sailing from Portsmouth— Ships in company —Grandpa's messmates— Tom Britain and Charley Stanhope's quarrel— Its happy termination 97

Chapter X

Course through the Bay of Biscay— Why no soundings have been obtained there— Mountains and valleys on land and in the sea— Falling in with the Nero— A calm— Appearances of the weather— The storm— The cable parted —Guns of distress— Brig a-head— Running athwart-hawse— Loss of the jib-boom and topmast, with the hands that were in the rigging— Unsuccessful effort of a sailor to save a boy— The ships separate — A jury-topmast— Frigate weighs, and arrives in port . . ; . no

Chapter XI

The Trade Winds— Atlantic Ocean— The Gulf Stream— Loss of the Atalanta — Value of discipline — Loss of the Medusa — The raft— Wreck of the Alceste 12q

Chapter XII

Arctic regions— Description of icebergs— The white bear— Greenlanders and their canoes— West India Islands— Sea-birds 135

CONTENTS.

IX

CHAPTER XIII. page

Squadron starts to cruise on the east coast of North America — The Undaunted strikes on a sunken rock — Gets off again, and makes sail to rejoin the squadron — A fothered sail to stop the leak— Chain pumps at work — The water gains on her ; she is sinking — Her crew get off in the boats — The Undaunted founders — Description of press-gangs — Ned Stokes, the pressed boy, afterwards a post-captain — The tender ........ 147

Chapter XIV

Havanna, in Cuba — Description of the island — Difficulties of navigation— Capture of the island by the English — Florida — Grandpa joins a store-ship with powder on board— The ship on fire — Hoisting out the boats — Providential preservation — The bulkheads — Furling sails — Wearing round — The explosion— Admirals' rank — Loss of the Queen Charlotte by fire — Nelson as a school-boy 163

Chapter XV

Grandpa returns to the Prince of Wales— The Juno joins the squadron, and is sent to cruise among the West India Islands — Grandpa joins her — A sail upon the weather-bow — Orders to chase — Two other sail discovered, with a fleet of merchant ships under convoy — The disappointment — The Juno bears up in chase of the enemy — Breakers ahead, and land upon the lee-bow — Method of heaving the lead — The life-boat 182

Chapter XVI

The Juno overtaken by a squall — The mainmast sprung half-way through — Fishing the mainmast — Increase of the gale — Double-breeching the guns — Battening down the hatchways — Water in the hold— The pumps manned — Dangerous situation of the ship — The Juno scudding — Gale suddenly abates — Safe arrival at Port Royal 191

Chapter XVII

Pirates reported in the neighbourhood — A man-of-war schooner sent to search for and destroy them — Virginia pilot-boat — Curious phenomena— The flying-fish and the dolphin — The alarm given by Grandpa's dog — Attack of the pirates — Their capture and fate — Wreck discovered on a reef near Cuba — Boat sent to board her — Horrors of shipwreck — Only two passengers saved . 203

Chapter XVIII

Grandpa returns to Port Royal— Rejoins the Prince of Wales, which is ordered to join Lord Hood's squadron in the Mediterranean Sea — Fore-reaching — To heave-to — Weather and lee — Sailing close to the wind — Lee-way — The starboard tack, and the larboard tack— The compass, latitude and longitude, and their uses— The log— A knot—A side wind, and difficulty of steering— Relieving tackles to the tiller 21V

X

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XIX. pagb

Pilots — Frigate in distress — Signal for a pilot — Pilots going off — Perilous situation — Reaching the frigate — Manner of getting pilot on board — Fireships — A man overboard — The life-buoy — Death on board — A funeral at sea — Lines on the occasion — Sea-weed banks — Gibraltar — Attempts of the allies to retake the fort . 226

Chapter XX

Arrival at Malta — Join Lord Hood's squadron — Falling in with the French fleet — The action — Curious manner of taking a prisoner — Pat Donegan's mistake— Grandpa loses his leg — The cheer — The seventy-four on fire — Blowing up—Result of the battle—Ordered for England — Description of Malta — Volcanic island — Gun-boats— Siege of Calvi— inspection— Church service — Arrival at Spithead . . . 243

Chapter XXI

The convoy — The East India Company— Sloop-of-war— Merchant ships— -Indiamen — Madeira — The Indiaman attacked by a privateer — Hailing the ship, &c. — The rescue — The privateers taken — Barbadoes— Sail lor Pensacola— Nelson in the Albemarle — Breakers a-head — Curious agitation of the water — The water-spout 266

Chapter XXII

The slaver— Mutiny of the slaves — Its result — The captain of the forecastle and the drowning boy — Arrival at Jamaica— The Prince of Wales joins the squadron — Ordered to the East Indies — Crossing the line— The Souffleur — Adam's Peak at Columbo, Ceylon— The Pearl Fishery— Bay of Bengal- Catching dolphins— The squall, and its effects — Jury masts — The Olympus — Madras — Massulah boats 280

Chapter XXIII

The Prince of Wales returns to England— Funchal, Madeira — Eddystone lighthouse— Plymouth Sound — Breakwater— Section of stone vessel — Dockyard — Hamoaze— Victualling yard — The guard-ship— Sold out of the Service to be broken up— Her End 295

Chapter XXIV

Papa promises information about the Steam-engine— James Watt's invention — Application of steam to ships — The Marquis de Jouffrey — llumsey and Fitch —The Charlotte Dundas— The Comet— The Steam-tug— Paddle Wheels— The Screw Propeller— Captain Ericsson's Invention — Progress — The Great Britain 305