Page:The Naval Officer (1829), vol. 3.djvu/107

 "What's the matter?" said the first lieutenant, calling to me, who was at my station on the forecastle.

"Something foul of the topsail-tie," I replied.

"Whats the matter forward?" said the captain.

"Topsail-tie is foul, my lord," answered the first lieutenant.

"D—n the topsail-tie! cut it away. Out knife there, aloft! I will have the topsail hoisted; cut away the topsail-tie."

For the information of my land readers, I should observe that the topsail-tie was the very rope which was at that moment suspending the yard aloft. The cutting it would have disabled the ship until it could have been repaired; and had the order been obeyed, the topsail-yard itself, would, in all probability, have been sprung or broke in two on the cap.

We arrived at Halifax without falling in with an enemy; and as soon as the ship was secured,