Various devices were tried in vain by the sailors, whose strength, if it could have been brought to bear, would have proved much more than enough for the task.

In process of time, no doubt, they would have fallen upon some method of accomplishing their purpose; but while they were discussing various projects, one of the superintendents said he thought his party of native coolies or labourers could lift the anchor and carry it to any part of the yard.

This proposal was received by our Johnnies with a loud laugh; for the numbers of the natives did not much exceed their own, and the least powerful of the seamen could readily, at least in his own estimation, have demolished half-a-dozen of the strongest of these slender Hindoos.
To work they went, however, while Jack looked on with great attention.

Their first operation was to lay a jib-boom horizontally, and nearly along the shank of the anchor.

This being securely lashed to the shank, and also to the stock, the whole length of the spar was crossed at right angles by capstan bars, to the ends of which as many handspikes as there was room for were lashed also at right angles.