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'Luck of the Gods,' he said. 'Five--four--years ago I might have been waiting for you anywhere in the Long Puddle with fifty River men--and no moon.' Baeticus lifted a moist eye to the slip-hooks on his yardarm, that could hoist and drop weights at a sign. 'You might have had a pig or two of ballast through your benches coming alongside,' he said dreamily. 'And where would my overhead-nettings have been?' the other chuckled. 'Blazing--at fifty yards. What are firearrows for?' 'To fizzle and stink on my wet sea-weed blindages.

I do not understand the meaning of "send round my kit."
I am glad if some one would kindly teach me.

This is from "The Manner of Men" by Rudyard Kipling. https://www.telelib.com/authors/K/KiplingRudyard/prose/LimitsRenewals/mannermen.html

I do not understand the meaning of
through your benches coming alongside,

I am glad if some one kindly teach me.

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    "send round my kit" is not included in your example
    – Tashus
    Dec 22, 2018 at 0:39

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A "pig of ballast" was a piece of iron or lead weighing a hundred pounds or more; many of these were carried in the lower part of a ship's hull as ballast to improve her stability.

Baeticus uses these pigs as an offensive weapon: he hoists them up to the yardarm and as he comes alongside an opposing vessel swings them over her and drops them from a considerable height hoping to smash a hole through the benches, deck, and the hull itself.

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  • StoneyB, thank you so much for your answer!!! Your teaching is always a great help for me! Again, I appreciate your kind support.
    – Hiroshi Inagaki
    Dec 22, 2018 at 2:16
  • @HiroshiInagaki I'm always excited when students read Kipling!
    – StoneyB on hiatus
    Dec 22, 2018 at 2:50

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