Word: capstan
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...crew of Captain Cook. Under his nerveless, hypnotic brown eyes, the men heaved 50 tons of equipment overboard, worked the pumps until they dropped, and strained mightily at the capstan so that on the second high tide, the Endeavour was pulled free. Even then the ship would have sunk to the bottom if Cook had not been canny-and humble- enough to accept a timid midshipman's suggestion that he draw a dung-and-oakum-smeared sail under the ship and over a shattered spot in the bottom. Pressure clotted the sail to the hole, and the Endeavour...