Seamen, first class or able-bodied seamen, have three rows of braid.

Seamen, second class or ordinary seamen, have two rows of braid.

Seamen, third class or landsmen, have one row of braid.

The watch mark for the enlisted men not petty officers consists of a stripe of braid on the sleeve close to the shoulder.  For the seaman, white on blue clothes, blue on white clothes.

For the engineer force, red on both white and blue clothes.

The watch mark indicates the watch of which the wearer is a member.  The starboard men wear it on the right arm, and the port men on the left.

TAKING SOUNDINGS.

HEAVING THE LEAD.

The man using the “lead line” (as the sounding-line weighted with lead is called) stands on a grating that projects over the side.  This is placed near enough so that the steersman can hear the man who “heaves the lead” when he calls out the number of fathoms of water.  This he tells by the marks on the “lead line” as follows: 

2 fathoms, twelve feet, 2 strips of leather.
3    "                  3 strips of leather.
5    "                  white rag.
7    "                  red rag.
10    "                  leather with hole in it.
13    "                  3 strips of leather or blue rag.
15    "                  white rag.
17    "                  red rag.
20    "     2 knots.
25    "     1 knot.
30    "     3 knots.
35    "     1 knot.
40    "     4 knots.
9    "     are called mark.
11    "      "    "    deeps.

The leadsman stands on his little grating and swings the lead so it just clears the water.  When it is swinging well he lets it fly in the direction in which the ship is moving and then notes the depth by the strips of leather or rags.  The result is shouted out so the steersman can hear and keep the vessel in the channel.

THE BOATSWAIN’S CALLS.

The boatswain’s calls or “pipes” are very difficult to reduce to a musical scale, because the pitch of the instrument depends entirely on the amount of energy expended by the blower.  The novice, after a few trials, would probably assert that the primitive little whistle had only one note—­and not very much of that; but he would be surprised indeed at the volume of sound, the range, and the command over the instrument which a veteran boatswain would soon make everyday matter to him.  Not only do these experts sound the regular calls with ear-piercing exactness, but actual tunes are often included in their repertoire.

The pipe or whistle is held with the bulb in the centre of the palm, the hole being towards the wrist.  The lobe to which the ring and lanyard are attached, serves simply as a handle.

In the diagram given, the black line indicates the “pipe” or call; the four faint horizontal lines, the notes, and the vertical bars, the time.

The roll indicated by the wavy line in the diagram is made by rapidly opening and closing the hand.  The gradual rise and fall is effected in the same way, but slowly.  The rattle is done by a quick movement of the tongue.