Round the lower mastheads are platforms called tops; and round the topmast-heads are skeleton platforms called crosstrees.  These platforms are required not only to take the lower ends of the topmast and topgallant rigging, but also to enable the crew to strike and get up the masts and yards and work the sails.  The crosstrees are fitted with outriggers pointing outward aft to enable the topgallant-backstays to give a better support to the topgallantmast than they otherwise would do.

Besides stays and backstays, the masts have “shrouds” to strengthen them.  The topgallant shrouds come from the head of the topgallant-rigging to the crosstrees, the topmast shrouds come from the hounds just under the crosstrees to the top, and the main, fore or mizzen shrouds, as the case may be, come from just under the tops to the vessel’s side.

To take the pull off the tops, the shrouds are continued round to the mast as “futtock” shrouds, on the same principle as the foretopmast-stay finds its continuation in the bobstay.

The shrouds are “rattled down;” that is to say, thin lines are fastened across them to make a ladder for the men to go aloft.  These lines are the “rattle-lines” or “ratlines.”  The foremost shroud of the lower rigging has only a “catch ratline;” that is, one ratline in about six continued to the shroud that lies furthest forward.

And this is one of the signs by which you can tell a man-of-war from a merchantman, for in war-ships the catch ratline is on the aftermost shroud instead of on the foremost.  In a man-of-war, too, the topgallant-rigging is never rattled down, as a Jacob’s ladder leads from the topgallantmast-head down to the crosstrees; but this Jacob’s ladder arrangement is found in many clippers.

Another detail in which a man-of-war differs from a merchantman is in the rigging of the bowsprit, the man-of-war generally having whiskers, and the merchantman taking the pull of the shroud direct from the forecastle along the catheads, the whiskers being the spars across the bowsprit, which take the purchase of the bowsprit shrouds as the dolphin-striker takes the purchase of the stays.

On each mast the lower yard, lower topsail-yard, and lower topgallantsail-yard do not hoist up and down; the others do.  The “lifts” by which the yard is hung and “topped” run from the yardarms—­the ends of the yards—­to the head of the mast which the yard crosses.

From the yardarms also come the “braces,” by means of which the yards are swung so as to set the sails at the proper angle.  These braces come down to the ship’s sides, or to the heads of the masts fore and aft of those on which the yard is swung; all the mizzen-braces working on the mainmast; the maintopgallant, mainroyal and skysail braces working on the mizzenmast; and the foretopgallant and foreroyal braces working on the mainmast, as is clearly shown in our illustration.  The yards and jibboom and flying-jibboom are fitted with foot-ropes for the men to stand on.