The use of it is to keep the waves from dashing
into the boat when it lies with its head to the shore to take in salt:
for here commonly runs a great sea; and when the boat lies so with its
head to the shore the sea breaks in over the stern, and would soon fill
it was it not for this bulkhead, which stops the waves that come flowing
upon the deck and makes them run off into the sea on each side. To keep
the boat thus with the head to the shore and the stern to the sea there
are two strong stanchions set up in the boat, the one at the head, the
other in the middle of it, against the bulkhead, and a foot higher than
the bulkhead. There is a large notch cut in the top of each of these
stanchions big enough for a small hawser or rope to lie in; one end of
which is fastened to a post ashore, and the other to a grappling or
anchor lying a pretty way off at sea: this rope serves to haul the boat
in and out, and the stanchions serve to keep her fast, so that she cannot
swing to either side when the rope is hauled tight: for the sea would
else fill her, or toss her ashore and stave her. The better to prevent
her staving and to keep her the tighter together there are two sets of
ropes more: the first going athwart from gunwale to gunwale, which, when
the rowers benches are laid, bind the boats sides so hard against the
ends of the benches that they cannot easily fall asunder, while the
benches and ropes mutually help each other; the ropes keeping the boat's
sides from flying off, and the benches from being crushed together
inwards.
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