M_Boats: Rigging

As I said in my introductory message, my wife and I are taking up sailing late in life. We need some help with the running rigging. From the pictures on the web site, it looks like the topping lift is shackled to the end of the boom, goes up to where? And then to where? Are the jib sheets run inside or outside the shrouds? What is the line on the front of the mast that is cleted to the mast, then runs upward to the hounds, and then back down and has a shackle on it? I am not talking about the jib halyard. Any help you can give us would be appreciated. Phil