The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

It takes some time for Charlotte to convince Fisk of her sincerity. He decides to put it to the other crew members. They go to the forecastle, where Grimes, Dillingham, and Foley listen to her request to stand in for Mr. Johnson on watch. They are skeptical, calling her a mere “pretty girl” and “gentlewoman” who’s of no use to them. They also fear that, once the captain learns of it, he’ll want her back.

They decide to test her: If she can climb the rigging to the top of the main mast and return in one piece, they’ll let her take on the duties of a sailor. Back at the galley, Fisk warns her that, if she falls into the sea, she’ll be lost, and if she hits the deck, she’ll break her neck.

They take her to the main mast. She looks up: The royal yard, the sail at the very top, flaps 130 feet above her. Terrified, she thinks: “If I succeeded I’d gain the opportunity of making the climb fifty times a day” (119). The men encourage her with a few words of advice.