LANGUAGE STUDY.

I. Write the analysis of: contentment (tenere); courage (cor); record (cor); equal (æquus)..

Write the analysis of: sinewy; useful; employment; whiten; weariness; heirship.

What expression (1) means courage? Explain "king of two hands” (1). "Wishes o'erjoyed," etc. (2); i.e., desires that are more than satisfied, etc.

II. Select a declarative sentence; an interrogative sentence; an imperative sentence.

III. Notice the structure of this poem, as exemplified in the first three stanzas. The poet, in each, begins by asking a question; then develops the details of the "heritage," and ends with a refrain. (See Definition 23.) What figure of speech in the expression "to toil-worn merit" (2)? (See Definition 7.) What is meant by "six feet of sod" (6)? What is the figure of speech? (See Definition 8.) Best crop" (4): what is the figure of speech? (See Definition 3.)

27.- First Impressions of a Young Sailor.

ĕx'e-cut-ed, carried out.

in-differ-ent, not very good. lit'er-al-ly, according to the very meaning of the words.

nau'tie-al, maritime, seafaring.

|rōadş, place where ships may lie at

anchor a distance from the shore. strains, tones, chant.

un-in-tĕl'li-ġi-ble, not under

stood.

PREPARATORY NOTES.

This is an extract from "Two Years Before the Mast," by Richard Henry Dana, jun. (1815–1881), a native of Cambridge, Mass., and son of the American poet of the same name. In 1834 Mr. Dana made the voyage described in "Two Years Before the Mast" to California, then an almost unknown region; and as a result of his experiences wrote this exceedingly interesting narrative, depicting in its true colors the real life of the common sailor.

(1) "With all my imperfections," etc.: a quotation from S speare's "Hamlet."(6) watch: that is, the men who attend to aging a ship for an allotted time, -four hours.- (8) eight bells means twelve o'clock at night.

1. "With all my imperfections on my head," I jo the crew; and we hauled out into the stream, and to anchor for the night. The next morning was S day; and, a breeze having sprung up from the so ward, we took a pilot on board, hove up our an and began beating down the bay.

2. I took leave of those of my friends who cam see me off, and had barely opportunity to take a look at the city and well-known objects, as no tin allowed on board ship for sentiment. As we down into the lower harbor we found the wind a in the bay, and were obliged to come to anchor in roads. We remained there through the day and a of the night.

3. About midnight the wind became fair, and ing called the captain I was ordered to call all ha How I accomplished this I do not know; but I quite sure that I did not give the true, hoarse, swain call of "A-a-ll ha-a-a-nds! up anchor, a-hoIn a short time every one was in motion, the loosed, the yards braced, and we began to heave up anchor, which was our last hold upon Yankee-land

4. I could take but little part in these preparat My little knowledge of a vessel was all at fault. U telligible orders were so rapidly given, and so imm

ately executed, there was such a hurrying about, and such an intermingling of strange cries and stranger actions, that I was completely bewildered. There is not so helpless and pitiable an object in the world as a landsman beginning a sailor's life.

5. At length those peculiar, long-drawn sounds, which denote that the crew are heaving at the windlass, began; and in a few minutes we were under way. The noise of the water thrown from the bows began to be heard, the vessel leaned over from the damp night breeze, and rolled with the heavy ground swell, and we had actually begun our long, long journey. This was literally bidding "good-night" to my native land.

6. The first day we passed at sea was the sabbath. As we were just from port, and there was a great deal to be done on board, we were kept at work all day; and at night the watches were set, and everything put into sea order. I had now a fine time for reflection. I felt for the first time the perfect silence of the sea. The officer was walking the quarter-deck, where I had no right to go; one or two men were talking on the forecastle, whom I had little inclination to join; so that I was left open to the full impression of everything about me.

7. However much I was affected by the beauty of the sea, the bright stars, and the clouds driven swiftly over them, I could not but remember that I was separating myself from all the social and intellectual enjoyments of life. Yet, strange as it may seem, I did

then and afterwards take pleasure in these reflections, hoping by them to prevent my becoming insensible to the value of what I was leaving.

8. But all my dreams were soon put to flight by an order from the officer to trim the yards, as the wind was getting ahead; and I could plainly see, by the looks the sailors occasionally cast to windward, and by the dark clouds that were fast coming up, that we had bad weather to prepare for, and had heard the captain say that he expected to be in the Gulf Stream by twelve o'clock. In a few minutes eight bells was struck, the watch called, and we went below.

9. I now began to feel the first discomforts of a sailor's life. The steerage in which I lived was filled with coils of rigging, spare sails, old junk, and ship stores, which had not been stowed away. Moreover, there had been no berths built for us to sleep in, and we were not allowed to drive nails to hang our clothes upon.

10. The sea, too, had risen, the vessel was rolling heavily, and everything was pitched about in grand confusion. I shortly heard the raindrops falling on deck, thick and fast; and the watch evidently had their hands full of work, for I could hear the loud and repeated orders of the mate, the trampling of feet, the creaking of blocks, and all the indications of a coming.

storm.

11. When I got upon deck, a new scene and a new experience were before me. The little brig was close

hauled upon the wind, and lying over, as it then seemed to me, nearly upon her beam ends. The heavy head sea was beating against her bows with the noise and force almost of a sledge hammer, and flying over the deck, drenching us completely through. The topsail halyards had been let go, and the great sails were filling out and backing against the masts with a noise like thunder. The wind was whistling through the rigging, loose ropes flying about; loud, and to me unintelligible, orders constantly given, and rapidly executed; and the sailors "singing out" at the ropes in their hoarse and peculiar strains.

12. In addition to all this, I had not got my "sea legs on," was dreadfully sick, with hardly strength enough to hold on to anything; and it was pitch dark. This was my state when I was ordered aloft, for the first time, to reef topsails.

13. How I got along I can not now remember. I "laid out" on the yards, and held on with all my strength. I could not have been of much service, for I remember having been sick several times before I left the topsail yard. Soon, however, all was snug aloft, and we were again allowed to go below.

14. This I did not consider much of a favor, for the confusion of everything below, and that inexpressible sickening smell caused by the shaking-up of the bilge water in the hold, made the steerage but an indifferent refuge from the cold, wet decks. I had often read of the nautical experiences of others, but I