Antonino stood up in his boat so as to lessen the distance and make himself more easily recognisable.

Then a hand appeared beside the head and made a gesture, then dived down and came up again with the end of a rope, lowering it down into the boat.

Antonino gave the line to Ruggiero and then stepped off upon the great hook on the martingane's side to which the chain links for beaching, got hold of the after shroud and swung himself on board.
Now it may be as well to say here what a martingane is.

She is a good-sized, decked vessel, generally between five-and-twenty and a hundred tons, with good beam and full bows, narrow at the stern and rather high out of water unless very heavily laden.

She has one stout mast, cross-trees, and a light topmast.