We had just sent down the top-gallant yards, and made
all snug for a boisterous winter's night. As it became necessary to have
lights to see what was done, several signal lanterns were placed on the
break of the quarter-deck, and others along the hammock railings on the
lee-gangway. The whole ship's company and officers were assembled, some
on the booms, others in the boats; while the main-rigging was crowded
half way up to the cat-harpings. Over-head, the mainsail, illuminated
as high as the yard by the lamps, was bulging forwards under the gale,
which was rising every minute, and straining so violently at the
main-sheet, that there was some doubt whether it might not be necessary
to interrupt the funeral in order to take sail off the ship. The lower
deck ports lay completely under water, and several times the muzzles of
the main-deck guns were plunged into the sea; so that the end of the
grating on which the remains of poor Dolly were laid, once or twice
nearly touched the tops of the waves, as they foamed and hissed past.
The rain fell fast on the bare heads of the crew, dropping also on the
officers, during all the ceremony, from the foot of the mainsail, and
wetting the leaves of the prayer-book.
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