Marco Paul's Voyages and Travels; Vermont

at

f eight to man the boat properly: six oarsmen, a bowman, and a coxswain. Marco pronounced this word as if it was spelt coxen. This is the proper way to

nd you can be coxswain, and then w

t my duties will be," said Forester, "fo

der," said Marco. "He

learned to manage a boat with six oars, man-of-war fashion, I should like to be coxswain sometimes very much. And it seems to me," add

earn easily enough together. I ca

ll their parents that we are going out in a boat, and tell them that I am going too." Marco did this. The boys all gladly accepted the invitation. They came fi

seats being all in their places. The oars, however, were not there. Forester recommended to Marco to send a detachment of his men, to go to the wagon-maker's shop and get them. So Marc

take the oars, and they all advanced

ard without an order. I'm coxswain; you must wait till I

he boys waited on the bank. Marco then told them to put the oars in. The boys began to pitch

o; "that isn't the way

er," said John. "Let

hwarts," said Marco,

e middle of the thwarts so as to leave room to sit by the side of them. Th

d Marco, in a

tand that order, and of

rco; "when I say Aboard, you

rd the boat as fast as they could. There was much confusion among them in getting their seats. Sever

"until I say Toss. Then you must take

the boys, named J

scarcely heard a

, and don't stop to ask how,

ways there might be of tossing up an oar. The proper way is, when the command is given, for each oarsman to raise the blade of his oar quick, but gently, into the air, l

fall, all exactly together, by the crew of a ma

, some of the boys sat still, looking at Marco, and not knowing what to do; others raised their oars into the air, some one way and some another; and Joseph, who was a little discomposed by the rebuff he had met with, concluded that he would obey as literally as po

os

ow to proceed to recover the lost oar. The boys whose oars were still left, thrust them confusedly into the water, and began pushing, poking, and paddling with them, in

ster said that he would remain where he was, on the bank, until Marco had tried his oarsmen a little. So Marco went on

ow you mustn't speak a word. You must hold your oars out over the water and have them all ready, the handles in your hands, and when I say

the boat, their faces were toward the stern, and therefore the one who sat farthest aft could be seen by the rest. This is the reason why the thwart which is farthest aft is made the seat of the best oarsman, and the others are required to make their motions keep time with his. For the oars in a boat that is fully manned are so close toge

ith the stroke-oarsman, and to begin when he gave the order, "Give way." Accordingly, after all were silent again, the oars being ex

crossed each other, and made all manner of confusion. Some could not get into the water, and others could not get out; and Joseph's oar, which somehow

Ro

aid Marco

hile others kept on, banging the blades of the oars against one another, and plashing the water, but produced no effect wha

ce of a colonel at the head of his regiment

"Stop!" In a few minutes all was still again. The boys

any thing with oars. I'd rather have one

found he was almost as awkward in managing a paddle, as the other boys were in working oars. He succeeded, however, at last, in getting

very well, Marco," said For

y crew. They don't kn

fault is in the comm

y, I ordered them right,

you had had a trained crew. But you don't ma

ry, then, cousin Fo

objection to try. Boys, are you

es, sir," said

ike me. But I will try. I don't want quite so many oarsmen to begin with; I should rather teach a f

l wished to practice first. Thi

thin out my crew. As fast as I find that you

n't understand?" s

and then you will know another time. When you have got any thing to teach, the art consists in di

noticed their meaning, and thus he was prepared to manoeuver the boat as far as Marco had gone in giving his orders. He accordingly stepped into t

is Attention, the crew must be silent; what is the

ease" s

can, but ask no questions and give me no advice, nor speak to one another, till I say, Crew at ease. Then you can talk again. Perh

d every boy determined that he woul

n!" said

was a dead silence on board the boat. Not a boy spoke a word; and when, at last, Forester stopped paddling, the boat floated on

The boys laughed, changed the

rtunity when you are all busy talking, and say, Attention, suddenly; then you will not all stop in an instant, but

ntion, as it put them all upon their guard. Presently the word of command came very suddenly--"Attention!" Every v

de into the air, and hold it perpendicularly, with the end of the handle resting on the thwart

in the manner directed, t

in," said Forest

ase," said

as before. He then ordered another boy to toss his oar, then another, and so on, until he had taught the movement to each one separately. He gave to each one such explanations as he needed, and when necessary he made them perform the evolution twice, so as to be sure that each one understood exactly what was to be done. Then Fo

ure was. He had not realized how entirely ignorant all these boys were of the whole mystery of managing an oar and of acting in concert; and besid

middle of the oar come into the row-lock, while he held the handle in his hands ready to row. Then, without letting them row any, he ordered them to toss again; that is, to raise the oars out of the water and hold them in the air, with the end of

ld them that perhaps they had had drilling enough for one day, and if they chose he would not require any thing more of the

ively, so as to be ready when their turn should come. At length, when they had rowed separately, he tried first two, and then four, and then six together, and finally got them so trained that they could keep the stroke very well. While they were pulling in this manner, the boat would shoot ahead very rapid

s was wrong; they must finish the stroke, he said, if they had commenced it, and then all take the oars out of the water regularly together. Forester was

whenever any oars began to interfere, or any other difficulty or accident occurred, he would immediately give the order, "Oars." This would instantly arrest the rowing, before the difficulty became seri

Row

familiar with the stroke. He found, as is, in fact, universally the case with beginners in the art of rowing, that they were very prone to row faster and faster, that is, to accelerate their strokes, instead of rowing regularly, keeping continually the same time. They gradually improved, however, in respect to this fault, and by the middle of the a