As soon, therefore, as he was within a hundred yards of her stern, he ordered the helm to be put a-starboard, and the driver and after-sails to be brailed up and shivered; and, as the ship fell off, gave the enemy her whole broadside. ❋ Southey, Robert, 1774-1843 (1993)
As the battle was fought, I doubt if the loss of the brig's main-yard had much effect on the result; had it been her object to keep on the wind, or had the loss of her after-sails enabled her antagonist to cross her stern (as in the case of the _Argus_ and _Pelican_), the accident could fairly be said to have had a decided effect upon the contest. ❋ Theodore Roosevelt (1888)
Two or three minutes afterward the _Argus_ lost the use of her after-sails through having her preventer-main-braces and top-sail tie shot away, and fell off before the wind, when the _Pelican_ at 6.18 passed her stern, raking her heavily, and then ranged up on her starboard quarter. ❋ Theodore Roosevelt (1888)
He gave his port broadside to the "Levant," then braced aback his after-sails, and so went astern towards the ❋ Unknown (1877)
The main topsail-yard of one of the brigs was cut through, and the frigate lost her after-sails. ❋ Thomas Barnes Cochrane Dundonald (1873)
Still the ship glided on; the after-sails were trimmed, and again she was clear of another threatened danger. ❋ William Henry Giles Kingston (1847)
The ship had paid off before the wind and was rapidly gathering way: her after-sails were let fall, her topgallant sails hoisted, and under a crowd of canvas she majestically glided out of the Sound. ❋ William Henry Giles Kingston (1847)
The after-sails were brailed up, and the ship falling off, our broadside was brought to bear on the retreating enemy. ❋ William Henry Giles Kingston (1847)
The after-guards are stationed on the quarter-deck, and have to tend the spanker and other after-sails, and to haul the main brace. ❋ William Henry Giles Kingston (1847)
The after-sails were quickly lowered, and as she righted away she flew before the gale, leaving the port for which we were bound far astern. ❋ William Henry Giles Kingston (1847)
The after-sails were furled: on she flew steadily before the gale. ❋ William Henry Giles Kingston (1847)
The headsails quickly filled, the wind blew out of the harbour; the after-sails were set, and the "Young Crusader" glided rapidly towards the ocean. ❋ William Henry Giles Kingston (1847)
But the captain ordering the helm to be put up to larboard, and the starboard head-braces hauled aft and the after-sails clewed up, she glided on, carrying away a portion of the soft rock on which she had struck. ❋ William Henry Giles Kingston (1847)
But the jib is occasionally employed by itself, -- sometimes the jib and foresail, or a double-reefed foresail, and not unfrequently the after-sails, are made use of. ❋ Edgar Allan Poe (1829)
In a few short minutes, the stranger, having secured most of his lighter canvas, came sweeping up to the wind; and then, as his after-sails, squared for the purpose, took the breeze on their outer surface, the mass of his hull became stationary. ❋ James Fenimore Cooper (1820)
By this time, he was just forward of our weather beam, a position that did not enable him to carry studding-sails on both sides; for, had he kept off enough for this, he would have fallen into our wake; while, by edging away to close with us, his after-sails becalmed the forward, and this at the moment when every thing of ours pulled like a team of well-broken cart-horses. ❋ James Fenimore Cooper (1820)
Marble suggested that by edging gradually away, we should bring the Leander so far on our quarter as to cause the after-sails to conceal what we were about forward, and that we might steal ❋ James Fenimore Cooper (1820)
Presently the ship fell off so much, that the after-sails hid him from my view. ❋ James Fenimore Cooper (1820)
