Tom Cringles Log | Page 4

from the weather by what is technically called a south--west, pronounced sow--west,--cap, which is in shape like the thatch of a dustman, composed of canvass, well tarred, with no snout, but having a long flap hanging down the back to carry the rain over the cape of the jacket. His chin was embedded in a red comforter that rose to his ears. His trunk was first of all cased in a shirt of worsted stocking--net; over this he had a coarse linen shirt, then a thick cloth waistcoat; a shag jacket was the next layer, and over that was rigged the large cumbrous pea jacket, reaching to his knees. As for his lower spars, the rig was still more peculiar;--first of all, he had on a pair of most comfortable woollen stockings, what we call fleecy hosiery--and the beauties are peculiarly nice in this respect--then a pair of strong fearnaught trowsers; over these again are drawn up another pair of stockings, thick, coarse, rig--and--furrowed as we call them in Scotland, and above all this were drawn a pair of long, well--greased, and liquored boots, reaching half--way up the thigh, and altogether impervious to wet. However comfortable this costume may be in bad weather in board, it is clear enough that any culprit so swathed, would stand a poor chance of being saved, were he to fall overboard. The wind now veered round and round, and baffled, and checked us off, so that it was the sixth night after we had taken our departure from Harwich before we saw Heligoland light. We then bore away for Cuxhaven, and I now knew for the first time that we had a government emissary of some kind or another on board, although he had hitherto confined himself strictly to the captain's cabin.
All at once it came on to blow frorn the north--east, and we were again driven back among the English fishing boats. The weather was thick as buttermilk, so we had to keep the bell constantly ringing, as we could not see the jib--boom end from the forecastle. Every now and then we heard a small, hard, clanking tinkle, from the fishing--boats, as if an old pot had been struck instead of a bell, and a faint hollo, "Fishing--smack," as we shot past them in the fog, while we could scarcely see the vessels at all. The morning after this particular time to which I allude, was darker than any which had gone before it; absolutely you could not see the breadth of the ship from you; and as we had not taken the sun for five days, we had to grope our way ahnost entirely by the lead. I had the forenoon watch, during the whole of which we were amongst a little fleet of fishing--boats, although we could scarcely see them, but being unwilling to lose ground by lying to, we fired a gun every half hour, to give the small craft notice of our vicinity, that they might keep their bells agoing. Every three or four minutes, the marine drum--boy, or some amateur performer,--for most sailors would give a glass of grog any day to be allowed to beat a drum for five minutes on endi--beat a short roll, and often as we drove along, under a reefed foresail, and close reefed topsails, we could hear the answering tinkle before we saw the craft from which it proceeded; and when we did perceive her as we flew across her stern, we could only see it, and her mast, and one or two well--swathed, hardy fishermen, the whole of the little vessel forward being hid in a cloud.
I had been invited this day to dine with the Captain, Mr Splinter, the first lieutenant being also of the party; the cloth had been withdrawn, and we had all had a glass or two of wine a--piece, when the fog settled down so thickly, although it was not more than five o'clock in the afternoon, that the captain desired that the lamp might be lit. It was done, and I was remarking the contrast between the dull, dusky, brown light, or rather the palpable London fog that came through the skylight, and the bright yellow sparkle of the lamp, when the second lieutenant, Mr Treenail, came down the ladder.
"We have shoaled our water to five fathoms, sir--shells and stones.--Here, Wilson, bring in the lead."
The leadsman, in his pea--jacket and shag trowsers, with the raindrop hanging to his nose, and a large knot in his cheek from a junk of tobacco therein stowed, with pale, wet visage, and whiskers sparkling with moisture, while his long black hair hung damp and lank over his fine forehead and the stand--up cape of his coat, immediately presented himself at the door, with the lead in his claws,