16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
lead against the frigate's side. The rhythmic
noise broke in on Jack's calculations and he
called out, 'Mr Reade. Mr Reade, there. Pray
attend to your duty.'
His duty materialized in the next two minutes,
when the afternoon watch came on deck and
those hands who had been told off for the
sounding took up their stations, each with a
coil of the stout waterlaid line in his hand.
Reade walked out on the larboard cat-head
swinging the twenty-eight pound lead in his
one hand, watched with infinite anxiety by the
seamen lining the side, dropped it into the water,
calling, 'Lead's away,' and walked back
without a stumble. From forward aft each man
holding twenty fathoms in his hand, sang out,
'Watch, there, watch,' as he let the last coils
go. Each of the ten repeated the call, except
for the last, in the mizen chains, who held the
fag-end tight – no coils left at all – looked up