Page:The history of yachting.djvu/390

 186 The rest of the fleet fall in their proper stations, and keep their line in the same manner as the King's ships. This fleet is attended by a prodigious number of boats which, with their colours flying, drums beating, and trumpets sounding, forms one of the most agreeable and splendid sights your lordship can conceive.'

"There is an evident inaccuracy in a portion of the above statement, as the Water Club rules state (No. 1) that their meetings take place once every spring-tide, instead of once a year as the English tourists appear to have believed.

"The sailing orders for the Water Club fleet are equally interesting: they are twenty in number, and contain many curious regulations. Signal by gun-fire appears to have been the favorite method of numerical communications; for instance, if the Admiral wished to speak with any private captain, he would hoist a pendant at his derrick (gaff), and fire as many guns as the captain was distanced from him, and from the same side. Again, 'When the Admiral will have the whole fleet to chase, he will hoist Dutch colours under his flag, and fire a gun from each quarter; if a single boat, he will hoist a pendant, and fire as many guns from the side as a boat is distanced from him.' From this it may be inferred that much gunpowder was used upon the sailing days; and we find two rules, the infringement of which was punishable by fines, which fines were appropriated for the purchase of gunpowder for the fleet. No. 18 resolves,