Vine and Olive by Oliver Optic

While Professor Mapps was giving his lecture, or his "talk" as he preferred to call it, in the grand saloon of the steamer, quite a number of boats were pulling around the steamer, and the other vessels of the squadron, some of them containing boatmen looking for a job, and others, people who were curious to see the ship and her consorts. The several craft were not men–of–war or merchantmen; and they seemed to excite a great deal of curiosity. Not a few of the boats came up to the gangway, their occupants asking permission to go on board; but they were politely refused by the officers in charge.

Some of the boats carried lateen, or leg–of–mutton sails, which are used more than any other on the Mediterranean. A long yard, or spar, is slung at an angle of forty–five degrees, on a short mast, so that one–fourth of the spar is below and the rest above the mast. The sail is triangular, except that the part nearest to the tack is squared off. It is attached to the long yard on the hypothenuse side. On the larger craft, the sail is hauled out on the long spar, sliding on hanks, or rings. It is a picturesque rig; and some of the students who had a taste for boating were anxious to try their skill in handling a sail of this kind.