{"id":"01KG8AMDKXZCJC021Q3N37F3C6","cid":"bafkreidqthyra57ohzcqqus2yong5re2jdfb5i6grcz4acvqdwp23sqgxy","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":6904,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:36.274Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 3","source_file":"01KG89J19NC56FFGBCM2SWEZZY","start_line":6863,"text":"rising a little, and lying motionless on his back to breathe—little but\r\nhis nose exposed. The buoy gained, he cuts the skins adrift, ties them\r\nround his body, and in the same adroit manner makes good his return.\r\n\r\nThis feat is very seldom attempted, for it needs the utmost caution,\r\naddress, and dexterity; and no one but a super-expert burglar, and\r\nfaultless Leander of a swimmer, could achieve it.\r\n\r\nFrom the greater privileges which they enjoy, the “_forward officers_,”\r\nthat is, the Gunner, Boatswain, etc., have much greater opportunities\r\nfor successful smuggling than the common seamen. Coming alongside one\r\nnight in a cutter, Yarn, our boatswain, in some inexplicable way,\r\ncontrived to slip several skins of brandy through the air-port of his\r\nown state-room. The feat, however, must have been perceived by one of\r\nthe boat’s crew, who immediately, on gaining the deck, sprung down the\r\nladders, stole into the boatswain’s room, and made away with the prize,\r\nnot three minutes before the rightful owner entered to claim it.\r\nThough, from certain circumstances, the thief was known to the\r\naggrieved party, yet the latter could say nothing, since he himself had\r\ninfringed the law. But the next day, in the capacity of captain of the\r\nship’s executioners, Yarn had the satisfaction (it was so to him) of\r\nstanding over the robber at the gangway; for, being found intoxicated\r\nwith the very liquor the boatswain himself had smuggled, the man had\r\nbeen condemned to a flogging.\r\n\r\nThis recalls another instance, still more illustrative of the knotted,\r\ntrebly intertwisted villainy, accumulating at a sort of compound\r\ninterest in a man-of-war. The cockswain of the Commodore’s barge takes\r\nhis crew apart, one by one, and cautiously sounds them as to their\r\nfidelity—not to the United States of America, but to himself. Three\r\nindividuals, whom he deems doubtful—that is, faithful to the United\r\nStates of America—he procures to be discharged from the barge, and men\r\nof his own selection are substituted; for he is always an influential\r\ncharacter, this cockswain of the Commodore’s barge. Previous to this,\r\nhowever, he has seen to it well, that no Temperance men—that is,\r\nsailors who do not draw their government ration of grog, but take the\r\nmoney for it—he has seen to it, that none of these _balkers_ are\r\nnumbered among his crew. Having now proved his men, he divulges his\r\nplan to the assembled body; a solemn oath of secrecy is obtained, and\r\nhe waits the first fit opportunity to carry into execution his\r\nnefarious designs.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 3"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJS3273YPPET2Q8S3ZWFQ","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J19NC56FFGBCM2SWEZZY","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AMDKSNKR4WK2AXJZ20F9Q","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AMDKXYABWTWZ0GM24FW4Z","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:36.477Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:48.354Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}