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CONTENTS^*.

PREFACE.

      In this great maritime country, with the exception of the present work, the first edition of which has been for a number of years out of print, there is no modern Dictionary of maritime terms.

      The latest work of the kind is Dr. Burney's edition of Falconer's Dictionary of the Marine, published at a time when the learned editor thought that steam vessels, which had been 'invented and introduced by a native of Scotland,' and successfully navigated on some of the American rivers at six knots an hour, ° might be of use in our navigable rivers and canals and on the Scotch and Irish lakes,' and that, 'even in a military point of view, advantage might be obtained from this invention.'

      Now, the ocean in every quarter of the globe is traversed by merchant steamers, and almost every ship of war is provided with steam machinery as a moving power. The recent progress of improvement in the building and equipment of ships, and many other causes, have likewise wrought material and most extensive change in the language of seafaring men..

      This Dictionary has been framed chiefly for the compiler's own use in performing the duties of a practical and consulting awera,ge adjuster.

      In the first edition, published in 1846, the nautical language was therefore defined with especial reference to merchant shipping.

      Prior to the year 1854 that edition was rendered more extensively applicable to ships of war. Numerous additional terms, including obsolete words, were also defined, and the information regarding legislative enactments, and the treatises on shipping and marine insurance law and average, along with other matter of a peculiarly fluctuating character, were withdrawn. Care, however, has been taken to give necessary effect to statutory regulations and legal decisions, as well as to the usages of shipowners, merchants, and underwriters, in defining the relative terms.

      The additional manuscript prepared at that time has now been subjected to a thorough revision, and every effort made to adapt the book to the present condition of nautical science. It is confined mainly to the purpose of definition, but some interesting and instructive general information will be found scattered through its pages.

      The original matter relating to shipbuilding and seamanship has been mostly derived from the extensive knowledge of Mr. Brisbane, who was a thoroughly experienced shipwright and seaman, several years in command of coasting steamers, and afterwards accustomed to prepare specifications of repairs to sailing vessels and steam ships, and who latterly became surveyor for the New York Board of Underwriters and for the American Lloyd's in the port of Liverpool.

      The compiler has the grief of intimating Mr. Brisbane's death, which took place shortly after he had, revised the manuscript of the present edition. He was a most friendly, able, and intelligent adviser in everything relating to nautical affairs.

      In particular, either in the preparation of the first edition or during past years in its extension and correction, many contributions and suggestions were obtained, in matters relating to the Royal Navy, from Vice-Admiral W. H. Smyth, Vice-Admiral W. J. Mingaye, Rear-Admiral H. T. Austin, C.B., Captain Robert D. Aldrich, R.N., and Mr. John Bathie, Gunner, R.N.; and on other subjects from Mr. George Bayley, Surveyor of Shipping in London, an experienced shipbuilder; Mr. R. Bruce Bell, Glasgow; Mr. Wm. Clark, Teacher of Navigation; Mr. David Dickie, Shipwright, and Captain Luckie of the Merchant Service, Dundee.

      Acknowledgement of useful assistance formerly rendered is likewise due to Mr. Brown, late of the firm of Messrs. James Watt & Co., Engineers, London; Mr. David Crighton, Surveyor of Shipping, Dundee; Captain George Duncan of Dundee, now Ship and Insurance Broker, London; Mr. Mather, Engineer, Dundee; Mr. James Maxwell, Gunner, R.N.; Captain James Neish, late of Bombay; Messrs. Ritherdon & Carr, London; Captain Reid, and Captain Sturrock, of the Davis' Straits Whale Fishing, Dundee; Mrs. Janet Taylor, of London; and to many others.

      It might appear ungrateful to omit special notice also of the constant attention and facilities afforded at the Navigation Warehouse and Naval Academy of Mr. Charles Wilson (late J. W. None & Wilson), Leadenhall Street.

      In defining the language of seamen, it is often more convenient and clear, if indeed not absolutely necessary, to make use of technical expressions.

      To simplify the definitions, therefore, and to impart a greater interest to the general reader, they are now, to a large extent, illustrated by woodcuts, chiefly from sketches by an eminent artist.

      The Screw Propeller, in several of its leading varieties of form, the Armstrong Gun, some of the Admiralty models of ships of war, and various nautical inventions, are likewise similarly illustrated; and at the end of the book there are engraved plates of a steam ship, with the side lever condensing engine, formerly in general use for marine purposes, and not yet wholly superseded, and of several kinds of merchant vessels, along with sectional sketches of their frame.

      Each of the engraved plates has an index prefixed to it. That prefixed to the plate of the steam ship forms also an index to the description of the marine engine, given under the title Steam Engine.

      The introduction of French words in the Dictionary, and of a French vocabulary, by way of supplement, is intended to give, to a certain extent, a more accurate groundwork for the study of the French nautical language than the ordinary French and English dictionaries afford. Those who wish more extensive information should refer to the able and comprehensive Naval and Military Dictionary of the French Language, by Lieut.-Colonel Burn.

      The accuracy of the vocabulary has been tested by a careful examination of the definitions in the Dictionnaire de Marine d voiles, par MM. Le Baron de Bonnefoux et Paris, published at Paris in 1848, 'under the auspices of M. Le Vice-Amiral Baron de Mackau, Ministre de la Marine et des Colonies.' Other information of an interesting and useful character has been also derived from that work.

      They constitute a comparative example of the use of the French and English languages on an important nautical subject, and they contain information immediately required by every able seaman and officer in the Merchant Service and Royal Navy.

      LONDON: 1863.

      ABACA (Fr. Abaca). A kind of banana tree, abounding chiefly in the Philippine Islands, with the fibres whereof they make cordage. This cordage, like coir, has the property of floating in water; and it does not require to be tarred, as it is not subject to rot in water.

      ABACK. The position of the sails of a vessel when their surfaces are pressed aft by the force of the wind. All aback implies that all the sails are aback. The sails are laid aback (Fr. coiffé) when they are intentionally adjusted in the above manner, either to stop the ship, to deaden her way, or to make her move astern. They are taken aback (Fr. coiffé) when suddenly thrown aback by a change of wind, or through the negligence of the helmsman. See Brace aback and Full.

      When the action of a marine engine is reversed, so as to urge the steam-vessel astern, the machinery is said to work aback.

      ABAFT. Behind; nearer or towards the stern of a vessel. This term is not used with reference to things out of the ship.

      ABAFT THE BEAM. See Bearing.

      ABANDONMENT (Fr. Abandonnement), in Marine Insurance, implies the yielding up to the insurer all that may be saved of the property insured, when some misfortune, for the consequences of which he is responsible, has taken place, and the circumstances are such as to entitle the assured to recover as for a total loss.

      ABEAM of any vessel: the same as On her beam. See the article Bearing. Guns are said to be pointed abeam when they are pointed in a line at right angles to the ship's keel.

      ABLE SEAMAN. See the article Seaman.

      ABOARD, or ON BOARD. Within or on the deck of a vessel. It also means into the ship. See also Keep the Land Aboard, and Tack.

      Fall Aboard of (Fr. Aborder). To run foul of; to strike or drive against another ship.

      ABOUT SHIP! The order to tack, or 'go about' (Fr. Revirer). See Tack.

      Ready About! An order to the crew that all hands be at their stations, ready for tacking, or 'putting the ship about.'

      ABREAST of any place, means off or opposite to it. One vessel is said to be abreast of another when directly upon the 'line of her beam,' that is, of her midship beam. In this sense it is the same as abeam; but the term Abreast is more peculiarly applicable when the sides of the vessels are parallel to each other and one ship on the line of the other's beam.

      A-BURTON. Casks are said to be stowed a-burton when placed athwartships in the hold.

      ABUT. The same as to Butt.

      ACCOMMODATION-LADDER. See Ladder.

      A-COCK-BILL. The anchor is a-cock-bill when it hangs down by its ring from the cathead. To cock-bill the anchor is to

bring it into this position previously to dropping the anchor.

      Yards are said to be a-cock-bill when they are topped up at an angle with the deck.

      ACTION (Fr. Action), in a naval sense, an engagement, a fight between ships or fleets.

      ADJUSTMENT, in Marine Insurance, the final arrangement of claims for loss or damage, to be settled by the underwriters.

      An Adjuster of Averages, or Average Stater, is an individual employed to adjust, that is, to make out, statements or adjustments' of such claims, whether of average or of salvage loss. He commonly acts also as an arbitrator in cases of dispute.

      The adjustment of a ship's compasses is noticed under the title Compass.

      ADMIRAL (Fr. Amiral), in the Royal Navy, an officer of the highest rank in a fleet, distinguished by a square flag, which is carried above the main-mast. Next to him is the Vice- Admiral, whose flag is carried above the fore-mast. Next, the Rear-Admiral, whose flag is carried above the mizeli-mast.

      The Admirals, Vice-Admirals, and Rear-Admirals of Her Majesty's Navy are classed into three squadrons, named after the colours of their respective flags, viz., the red, the white, and the blue. These have precedence in the order here noted.

      The Admiral of the Fleet is the officer of highest rank in

the naval service. The Union flag is worn by him, as his proper flag, at the main top-gallant-masthead.

      ADMIRALTY (Fr. Amirauté). The office and jurisdiction of the Lord High Admiral, or rather of the Lords Commissioners appointed for executing the duties of his office (which is now extinct), in taking the general management of maritime affairs, and of all matters relating to the Royal Navy, with the government of it in its various departments.

      THE High Court Of Admiralty is a supreme tribunal wherein cognisance is taken by the Judge of the Admiralty of maritime cases, whether civil or criminal. He has jurisdiction to decide questions as to the title or ownership of any vessel, or the proceeds thereof, remaining in the registry of the said Court, arising in any cause of possession, salvage, damage, wages, or bottomry, instituted in that court – to take cognisance of all claims for salvage or towage, and for necessaries supplied to foreign vessels – and of all claims and causes of action in respect to any mortgages of vessels arrested by process issuing from the court, and questions relating to booty of war which Her Majesty may refer to its judgment '– and so on.

      From the judgments of the High Court of Admiralty an appeal may be made to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

      Vice Admiralty Courts are, for the like purposes, instituted in several of our Colonies. There is also a High Court of Admiralty of Ireland. The Admiralty Court of Scotland was abolished by the Act 1 Will. IV., c. 69, and the cases of which it took cognisance are now prosecuted in the Court of Session, or Sheriff's Courts if civil causes; and 'if of a criminal nature, in the Court of Justiciary or the inferior Courts of Judicature, instituted for the trial of the less important offences.'

      Droits of the Admiralty. Vessels improperly captured before a declaration of hostilities are considered Droits of the Admiralty, implying 'that they are not given as lawful prize to the captors, but claimed and applied as droits (rights) of the Sovereign.' Goods found derelict, or under the denomination of flotsam, jetsam, or lagan, if not claimed within twelve months, are also deemed to be Droits of the Admiralty.

      Receivers of Droits of Admiralty, now called Receivers of Wreck. Persons appointed under special regulations of the legislature to take the custody of wrecked property, and to inter-

pose in matters of wreck or salvage for the benefit of the shipping interests. The office of the Receiver-General, who took the general superintendence of such matters, is now abolished, and his duties are now merged in the Board of Trade.

      ADRIFT. A ship or boat, or anything on board of a ship, is said to be Adrift, when broken loose from her anchors or moorings, or from its lashings.

      ADVANCE NOTE. An Advance Note is an order to pay a seaman, or to his order, a sum of money in part of his wages, (an advance, Fr. Avance), within a certain number of days after the sailing of the ship for which he is hired, provided he sail by the vessel. This bill is endorsed by the seaman and may be discounted for him by any person, who will then be entitled to recover it, in a summary manner, from the shipowner or his agent.

      ADZE (Fr. Herminette). A species of hatchet, having a thin arching blade with its edge at right angles-to the handle. It is used in shipbuilding where the axe or ordinary hatchet cannot be conveniently applied.

      AFFREIGHTMENT. See Charter-Party, Freight.

      AFLOAT (Fr. À flot). Borne up by the water.

      AFORE. Before: towards or nearer the bow of a vessel, spoken of things in the ship. Abaft is the opposite term.

      AFT. Behind or nearer the stern of a vessel, spoken only of things in the ship. Also, towards the stern (Fr. â l'arrière).

      To haul aft a sheet means to pull it more towards the stern. This phrase implies the trimming of a sail so as to come nearer to the wind. To ease off the sheet is the reverse. See Fore and aft.

      AFTER. A term applied relatively as an adjective, to signify next to or nearer the stern. The reverse of Fore.

      The AFTER-END of a vessel (Fr. Arrière) is her stern.

      After-Peak. The aftermost part of the hold of a vessel. See Fore-Peak.

      The After Sails comprehend all those sails which are abaft the centre of the vessel; those upon the fore-mast and bowsprit being termed the head-sails.

      AGENT. A person employed to transact business with another; the person so employing him is termed the principal. See Factor and Brokers.

      Navy Agent. An agent employed for behoof of officers or

seamen in the Royal Navy, to receive their pay, &c., and to apply it as they may direct.

      AGROUND. The situation of a vessel when her bottom rests upon the ground.

      AHEAD (Fr. Avant). Before a vessel's head; farther in advance of her. Astern is the opposite term. The terms are used with reference to the relative position or motion of other objects, and to the movement of the ship herself. See Bearing and Reckoning.

      AIR-CONE. See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 19.

      AIR-PUMP (Fr. la pompe à l'air), with its appendages. See description of Steam Engine, Sects. 14 to 19.

      A-LEE (Fr. Envoyez! Put the helm a-lee). The position of the helm when the tiller is put down to a vessel's lee-side, which makes her head come up in the direction of the wind. A-weather is its position when the tiller is put up in the direction whence the wind blows, which makes the ship's head move to leeward. See Helm.

      ALLOTMENT NOTES, or MONTHLY ALLOTMENT NOTES, often termed simply Monthly Notes, are orders on a shipowner, by the master or other authorised officer of a ship, to pay any portion of the monthly wages of a seaman, until further advice, to such person as the seaman may direct.

      ALLOWANCES. The quantum of provisions, &c., served out to seamen on board of a vessel. Also, a term for refreshments given to shipwrights, labourers, or other workmen. See also Chaps. 29 and 30 of The Queen's Regulations as to Allowances for Clothing, Instruments, &c., and Passage Allowances, that is, allowances made for passengers carried at the public expense in ships of war.

      ALMADY (Fr. Almadie). A name given to a kind of large Indian canoe in some parts of Africa. On the coast of Malabar the Almady was a very sharp-bottomed vessel, pointed at both ends. (Dict. de Marine à Voiles.)

      ALMANACK (NAUTICAL). See Nautical Almanack and Astronomical Ephemeris.

      ALOFT. Anywhere up in the rigging, or about the masts or yards of a vessel, particularly above the lower masts.

      ALONG-SIDE. Side by side.

      ALTITUDE (Fr. Altitude) of a celestial object: an arc of a vertical circle, contained between the centre of the object and the

horizon, in other words its elevation above the horizon. When an object is on the meridian its altitude is called Meridian Altitude. By observations of these, the latitude of any place may be ascertained.

      Altitudes of the sun or moon, taken at sea, require four corrections in order to obtain the true altitude of their centre. These are for semidiameter of the body, dip, refraction, and parallax. The altitude of the sun, or moon, or of a planet, can be observed only at the edge of its disc, not at the centre, hence the necessity for taking the semidiameter into account. But the fixed stars, being at such an infinite distance, appear to us but as luminous points; their semidiameter, therefore, does not require to enter into the calculation in finding the latitude at sea.

      AMIDSHIPS. In the middle of a vessel or boat, with reference to her length; as, the enemy boarded us amidships; or, with reference to her breadth, as, put the helm amidships, that is, put it in a line with the keel.

      AMMUNITION. A general name for all kinds of warlike stores, more especially powder and shot.

      AMPLITUDE of any celestial object: an arc of the horizon contained between the east or west point of the horizon and the centre of the object at the time of its rising or setting. It is termed eastern or western amplitude according as it relates to the rising or setting of the object. When the observation is made with a compass, the result obtained is termed magnetic amplitude, and this will be affected by the variation of the needle. The difference between this observed amplitude and the true amplitude ascertained by calculation thus shews the variation of the compass. See Astronomy (13) and Azimuth Compass.

      ANCHOR (Fr. Ancre). A well-known instrument, by which, when it is dropped to the bottom of the water, with a cable attached, a vessel is held fast. In this situation she is said to be at anchor.

      To Anchor, or to Cast Anchor (Fr. Ancrer, mouiller), is to drop or 'let go' an anchor, that the ship may ride thereby.

      1. The anchor consists of two hooked arms, for penetrating and fixing themselves into the soil, attached to one extremity of a long bar, the shank, having a ring at its other end, to which the cable is made fast, and the stock, which is attached at right angles to this end of the shank. When the anchor is dropped, the stock serves to direct one of the points of the arms downwards into the soil; the weight of the anchor then causes the point to penetrate

more or less, according to the softness or hardness of the bottom; and the action of the vessel on the cable has a tendency to fix it deeper. When the stock is made of wood, it consists of two pieces clamped together by strong hoops, binding them to the shank, and the end of the shank is made square to receive and hold it steadily in its place without turning. To keep the stock from shifting along the shank, there are raised on the latter, from the solid iron, or welded on it, two square tenon-like projections, called nuts. That end of the shank which is next the stock is called the small round; the point where the arms and shank unite, the crown; and the rounded angle at its junction with each of the arms, the throat. A distance equal to that between the throat of one arm and its bill, marked on the shank from the place where it joins the arms, is called the trend. The arms are made either round or polygonal for about half their length; the remainder of each arm consisting of three parts – the blade, the palm, and the bill. The blade, or wrist, is merely the continuation of the arm in a square or rounded form towards the palm or fluke, which is a broad, flat, triangular plate of iron, fixed on the inside of the blade, the use whereof is, by exposing a broad surface, to take the greater hold of the ground. The bill, or pea, is the very extremity of the arm, where it is tapered nearly to a point, for the purpose of penetrating readily into the soil. (Encyclopædia Britannica.)

      2. There are statutory regulations requiring the manufacturer of bower, stream, or kedge anchors, to place his name or initials, together with a progressive number and also the weight of the anchor, in legible characters, on the crown, and also on the shank, under the stock of each anchor manufactured by him.

      3. Lieut. Rodger, R.N., has made great improvements in the construction of anchors, giving them increased strength and holding power; he says 'that the inefficiency of the large palm is owing to its loosening the ground in front of it, and to its liability to get "shod," and consequent tendency to rise out of the ground; and when this takes place, no dependence can be had on its again taking hold, and therefore another anchor must be let go, when it would otherwise have been desirable to ride by one.

      'The small palm, however, does not disturb the ground, which, on the contrary, passes freely over it, and this is to be attributed to its making a more favourable angle with the resisting medium,

which gives the anchors thus constructed a natural tendency to penetrate deeper, and without the least liability to get "shod." This being the case, a ship will never run away with an anchor with small palms, of the form represented by the accompanying drawing, which, if dragged by riding too short, will again hold on with a sufficient scope of cable; for it has no tendency whatsoever to rise out of the ground.'

      He has also made important improvements in the construction of the arms and stock. The advantages of his Pickaxe Kedge Anchor are that 'it holds much better than the kedges of the usual construction, and having no palms, there is no danger of tearing out the gunwale, or capsizing the boat in throwing it.'

      4. In Porter's Patent Anchor, the arms are formed by a bar extending from pea to pea without any crossing or welding, joined to the shank by a bolt forming a pivot, whereon they have free motion towards the shank on either side; near the extremity of each arm there is attached outwardly a spur, horn, or toggle, one of which spurs strikes the ground first when the anchor is dropped, and acts as a fulcrum in bringing the bill also upon the ground; the continued strain of the cable then causes the upper arm to descend and close upon the shank, above which it forms an arch. This kind of anchor is not subject to get foul by the cable when slack, entangling itself about the upper fluke of the anchor, and it is said to bite quickly, and to bear a greater strain, as well as to be less liable to be broken by sudden jerks, than anchors of the ordinary construction, combining simplicity, strength, and security in an eminent degree. It is said by Captain Boyd, late of the Royal Navy, not to bite readily, and is therefore 'not a favourite' when necessary to bring up short. (United

Service Magazine. Practical Mechanic and Engineer's Magazine. Boyd's Naval Cadet's Manual, 236.)

      Trotman's Anchor is an improvement on Porter's Anchor; it is, as the French term it, a Porter's Anchor brought to perfection.

      The following is a sketch of Trotman's Anchor shown at the moment when the strain on the cable is acting on the anchor when it is on the ground.

      Martin's Anchor is a further modification of the same principle, making the stock to be stopped by the projecting sector B,

martin's anchor when just dropped.


martin's anchor when it has
taken hold of the ground, or is imbedded.

when the chain begins to raise it from the ground, instead of its being stopped by the shank. In Martin's Anchor both the

flukes take hold of the ground, instead of only one as in all other anchors.

      This anchor has very great holding power. It is an improvement on Piper's Anchor, patented in 1822. Sketches of the Admiralty Anchor are given by Captain Boyd, in his Naval Cadet's Manual.

      Further information on this subject may be obtained in the Treatise on Ships' Anchors, by Mr. George Cotsell.

      The anchors carried in ships of war and merchant vessels are distinguished (without reference to their construction) by the following names:—

      5. The Sheet Anchor, the largest of all the anchors; it is a spare anchor kept in reserve for cases of great emergency. Vessels under 200 tons burden are not furnished with a sheet anchor.

      6. The Bower Anchor, viz. the best Bower Anchor, the second in point of size, seldom used on board of merchantmen but when the working anchor is not thought sufficient, or does not hold, or when some accident befals it; and the small Bower Anchor, which in ordinary weather is generally used alone as the working anchor; its cable is usually kept bent and rove through one of the hawse-holes to be in readiness, except in long voyages. All vessels of 200 tons and upwards should be provided with at least three bower anchors. The spare anchor is an additional bower anchor carried in large vessels or in ships of war; in the latter it is called the Waist Anchor.

      7. The Kedge, a small anchor which is put out by means of a boat, for various purposes; as, to haul by during calm weather in a river, (an operation which is termed Warping or Kedging); or to keep a vessel clear of her anchor, &c. A small vessel has generally two or more kedges; a ship of great burden carries four kedges or upwards.

      8. The Stream Anchor, which is of a size between the small bower anchor and the kedge. It is also used for warping and like purposes, and sometimes as a lighter anchor to moor by with a hawser.

      9. See Floating Anchor, Grapnel, Ice Anchor, and also the articles A-cock-bill, A-peek, A-stay, A-trip, A-wash, A-weigh, Jury Anchor, and Under foot.

      10. Back an Anchor. To carry out an anchor beyond the one by which a vessel is riding, in order to take off some of the strain, and so prevent it from being dragged.

      11. Cast Anchor. The same as to Anchor.

      12. Cat the Anchor. See Cathead.

      13. Cock-Bill the Anchor. See A-cock-bill.

      14. Come Home. An anchor is said to come home, when it is dislodged through the violence of the wind, &c., straining the cable so as to tear up the anchor from the bed into which it had sunk, and is dragged along; this is especially liable to take place if the ground be soft and oozy, or rocky. In such a case the ship is said to drag her anchor.

      15. Come To An Anchor. To anchor a vessel.

      16. Drag the Anchor. See above explanation of Come Home.

      17. Fish the Anchor. See Fish.

      18. Foul Anchor. The anchor is said to be foul, or to be fouled, when it hooks some other object under the surface of the water, or when, by the wind suddenly shifting, or the tide turning, the vessel slackens her strain, and swinging round the bed of the anchor, entangles her slack cable above the upper fluke of it. To prevent the latter occurrence, which might have the effect of dislodging the anchor from its bed, it is usual, in light winds, as she approaches the anchor, to draw the slack of the cable into the ship as fast as possible. In ships of war, so great a scope of cable is veered out, except when there is a lee tide, that the anchor will not foul in this way.

      19. Ride at Anchor. See Ride.

      20. Sheer the Ship to her Anchor, To steer her towards the anchor while weighing it, so as to keep the wind or current ahead and thus lessen the friction on the hawse-pipe.

      21. Shoe of the Anchor. See Shoe.

      The anchor is said to be Shod, when, in breaking out of the ground a quantity of firm soil adheres to it between the fluke and shank, so as to prevent it from again taking hold. In order to avoid this, the flukes may be greased before letting the anchor go.

      22. Sweep for an Anchor. See the article Sweep.

      23. Trip the Anchor. See Atrip.

      24. Weigh the Anchor. To heave it up from the ground by the cable, in order to prepare for sailing. See Capstan and Windlass.

      To weigh the anchor by the long boat is performed by hauling on the buoy-rope with a tackle over the boat's davit, To weigh

it by under-running is done by placing the cable over the boat's davit head, and under-running the cable till the anchor is nearly apeek, when it is tripped by means of the buoy-rope; this is adopted only when the ship cannot get near her anchor for want of water.

      25. The following is a Table of the proportional dimensions and weights of anchors and chains for merchant vessels. Compare with those given in Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping. For those of ships of war reference is made to Boyd's Naval Cadet's Manual, 246, 248.

      ANCHOR-DAVIT. See Davits, 1.

      ANCHOR-HOOPS. See Anchor, 1.

      ANCHOR-LINING. The same as Bill-boards.

      ANCHOR-RING (Fr. Cigale, Organeau). See description of Anchor.

      ANCHOR-STOCK. See description of Anchor.

      Anchor-Stock, in Shipbuilding, the term applied to a mode of working planks by fashioning them in a tapering form from the middle so as to resemble the stocks of anchors, and placing them so that the broad or middle part of one plank shall be immediately above or below the butt of two others. Top and Butt implies a method similar to this.

      ANCHOR-STOCK-TACKLE. The same as Fish-Tackle.

      ANCHOR-WATCH. See Watch (Anchor).

      ANCHORAGE, or ANCHORING-GROUND. A bottom suitable, from its depth and the nature of the ground, for casting anchor upon. Clay is considered to be of the best holding nature. Anchorage also implies a duty charged against ships for the use of a roadstead or harbour.

      ANEMOMETER (Fr. Anemomètre). An instrument for registering the varying forces and directions of the wind. These are marked by means of a pencil guided by mechanism over a cylinder covered with paper.

      AN-END. To strike any piece of wood an-end is to drive it in the direction of its length.

      A spar is an-end, when it is perpendicular to the plane of a vessel's deck.

      ANEROID BAROMETER. See Barometer.

      ANGLE-IRON (Fr. Cornière). See Iron.

      ANTARCTIC. See Zone (Frigid).

      A-PEAK, or A-PEEK. An anchor is a-peak, when the cable has been drawn in till the ship is almost directly over it, and the vessel is then said to be hove a peak. See A-stay. A yard or gaff is a peak, when it hangs obliquely to the mast.

      APHELION. That point of the earth's or any planet's orbit, which is at the greatest distance from the sun. That point which is nearest the sun is called the Perihelion.

      APOGEE. That point of the moon's orbit which is furthest from the earth. The point at which she is nearest to the earth is called the Perigee. The moon is said to be in Apogee or in Perigee when at one or other of these points. The terms Apogee and Perigee are also applied to the like points of the sun's apparent orbit.

      A-PORT. The helm is a port, when the tiller is put to the ship's port side: a-starboard, when put to the starboard side.

      APPARENT denotes things as they appear to us, in contradistinction from their true situation or description. Thus we speak of the apparent distance, motion, or magnitude of a heavenly body. See also the article Mean Time.

      To find the true distance – that is, to clear the observed distance (or in other words, the apparent distance ascertained by observation) from the effects of refraction and parallax, is a very intricate calculation in navigation.

      APPRENTICES TO THE SEA (Fr. Elèves, Novices). Youths who are bound, by a writing called an Indenture, to serve under the master of a vessel for a certain period.

      APRON, or STOMACH PIECE. A piece of curved timber which is bolted on the inside of a vessel's main-stem to strengthen it and to give shifts to its scarphs. The lower end of the apron is scarphed to the fore deadwood-knee. The fore-ends of the bow planking are bolted to the apron. Plate IV. 13.

      Apron also signifies a square piece of metal used as a cover for the vent and lock or the detonating hammer of a gun, in order to keep it dry.

      The Apron of a dock is 'that portion of the structure under and in front of the gates, upon which the sill (the piece of wood against which the gates shut) is fastened down.'

      ARCH-BOARD. A plank across a vessel's stern immediately under the knuckles of the stern-timbers; on this, or more commonly on a board called the name-board, fitted above it, the ship's name is painted. (Plate II fig. 5.)

      ARCHIMEDEAN SCREW. See Screw Propeller.

      ARCHIPELAGO (Fr. Archipel). A considerable number of islands grouped together.

      ARCTIC. See Zone (Frigid).

      ARCTIC POLE. The North Pole of the world. See Zone (Frigid).

      The Arctic Expeditions to discover a north-west passage, impracticable for all useful purposes of navigation, through the frozen waters of the Arctic Seas, have now terminated. To use the words of Sir Charles Wood, the objects to be attained by such an expedition to the Arctic Regions cannot justify the Government in exposing the lives of officers and men to the risk inseparable from it.

      The fatal expedition of Sir John Franklin and his companions, the melancholy traces of which were successively found by Captain Ommanney, R.N., Captain Penney, and Dr. Rae, and finally reduced to certainty by Captain M'Clintock, R.N., has accomplished the discovery of one north-west passage. Another passage through these icy regions has been discovered by Captain M'Clure, R.N. It may be hoped that, with the humane efforts of our own country and of the United States of America in prosecuting the search for Sir John Franklin's ships, all voyages of this description cease.

      The screw steam yacht 'Fox' in which Captain M'Clintoch prosecuted his adventurous and successful search, was, according to his own account, 'externally sheathed with stout planking and internally fortified by strong cross beams, longitudinal beams, iron stanchions and diagonal fastenings, fitted with a massive iron screw propeller, and the sharp stem cased in iron until it resembled a ponderous chisel set up edgeways.' The expenses of the expedition exceeded 10,000l.

      ARDENCY. A term used to denote the tendency of a vessel to gripe. If the ship have this tendency, she is accordingly said to be ardent. (Fr. Ardent.)

      ARM. The extremity of a yard, beam, or bracket. See also description of Anchor.

      ARM of the Sea. A portion of the sea running into the land, or dividing an island from the main land adjacent. An estuary.

      ARMADILLA. A small squadron of Spanish ships which was stationed at different points off the coast of Peru and Chili, before these provinces were declared independent states. (Dict. de Marine a voiles.)

      ARMAMENT OF A SHIP OF WAR. The number and weight of all the guns which she carries. The disposition of the armament on the different decks is explained in Peake's Rudimentary Treatise on the Practice of Shipbuilding, p. 99.

      ARMED SHIP. A merchant vessel taken into the service of Government at any time during war, and fitted out as a ship of war.

      ARMOUR PLATED, ARMOUR CLAD, IRON CLAD, or IRON CASED, SHIPS, are ships of war fitted with iron plates on the outside to make them shot proof. The casing of iron is called Armour plating. See Cupola Ships, Shield Ship, and Ericsson's Floating Battery.

      ARMOURER OF A SHIP OF WAR. A petty officer, whose duty is to repair and clean the small arms, namely muskets, pistols, tomahawks, and boarding pikes. He used to do all kinds of smith work on board, but men of war now carry a blacksmith for this purpose.

      ARMSTRONG GUN. See Gun.

      ARSENAL (NAVAL). A magazine or place of deposit for ammunition and other naval stores. The principal Arsenals in this country are Woolwich Arsenal and the Gun Wharfs at Portsmouth and Plymouth.

      ARSENIC. This poisonous mineral substance is mixed with coal tar, or both coal and vegetable tar and sulphur, thinned with naphtha to reduce it to a proper consistency, for paying the bottoms of vessels, as a temporary protection to the plank from worms.

      ARTICLES OF WAR. Certain regulations for the better government and discipline of the Royal Navy. They are established by Act of Parliament.

      ARTILLERY (ROYAL MARINE). See Marines.

      ASCENSION. The right ascension of a celestial body is an arc of the equinoctial contained between the first point of Aries (viz. the point where the equinoctial and ecliptic intersect each other at the vernal equinox) and that point of the equinoctial which is cut by a meridian passing through the body. See the articles Astronomy, 9, and Declination; and the Nautical Almanack, p. 516.

      The Ascensional Difference is an arc of the equinoctial intercepted between the sun, fixed star or planet's meridian, and that point of the equinoctial which rises with the object.

      The Oblique Ascension or Descension is the sum or difference of the right ascension and ascensional difference. (Norie's Epitome.)

      ASHORE. On the shore or land. Aground.

      ASLEEP. The canvass is said to be asleep when there is just as much wind as to fill the vessel's sails and keep them from shaking.

      ASSURANCE. See Insurance.

      A-STARBOARD. See A-port.

      A-STAY. The anchor is a-stay when, in heaving it, the cable forms an acute angle with the water's edge. This is called a long stay peak or a short stay peak according as the anchor is further from or nearer to the ship, When almost up and down it is said to be apeak.

      ASTERN. Behind a vessel's stern; further in that direction. See Ahead and Bearing.

      To Drop astern, or to Full astern, is to lessen a ship's way, so as to allow another to get ahead of her, whether intentionally or otherwise.

      ASTRONOMY (NAUTICAL) (Fr. Astronomie Nautique). The science which treats of the heavenly bodies so far as relates to the purposes of navigation. See the articles Navigation and Nautical Almanack.

      The following diagram of the celestial sphere, contributed by Mr. William Clark, Teacher of Navigation in Dundee, illustrates the definitions of many astronomical terms throughout this dictionary.

      4. vs ♋ the ecliptic; n its north pole, m its south pole.

      5. ♋ ♋ the tropic of Cancer (parallel to the equator), the sun's greatest
north declination.

      6. vs vs, the tropic of Capricorn (parallel to the equator), the sun's
greatest south declination.

      7. z v c n (or z w n'), an azimuth circle, or vertical circle [z a n' the
prime vertical].

      8. a ☉, the sun's longitude, an arc of the ecliptic measured from Aries.
(Note. In this and following cases the sun is supposed to be in some part
of the horary circle n g o s.)

      9. a g (or a b, if the sun were in the horary circle n l w b), the sun's right
ascension an arc of the equinoctial.

      10. g ☉, sun's south declination, an arc of a meridian (the sun being
supposed at ☉).

      11. b o', the sun's north declination (the sun being supposed at ☉').

      12. g a ☉ (or b a ☉'), the obliquity of the ecliptic, or the angle formed by
the equinoctial and the ecliptic (expressed also by the arcs e vs and ♋).

      13. a c (or a w), an amplitude.

      14. c o (or h c), an azimuth.

      15. l r, the latitude of a star, its distance north from the ecliptic (the star
being supposed at l).

      Notice may here be taken of a publication by Mrs. Janet Taylor, London, which appears to be a very useful one: namely, A Planisphere of the Stars on a black ground: exhibiting a view of the heavens in three maps, with the distances, magnitudes, and relative positions of the fixed stars; accompanied by a book of directions to assist the student in acquiring a knowledge of them, containing various problems, and a short sketch of the planetary system, &c.

      For the use of seamen there is published a set of Celestial maps by Mr. J. W. Norie in one volume, with a book of explanations for acquiring a knowledge of and finding the principal fixed stars in the heavens. It is peculiarly adapted to the purpose of finding the stars proper for ascertaining the latitude and apparent time at sea, the longitude by lunar observations, &c.

      On this subject generally the leading work in the catalogue of nautical publications is A Cycle of Celestial Objects, for the use of Naval Officers and private Astronomers, observed, reduced, and discussed by Captain (now Vice Admiral) W. H. Smyth, R.N.

      A-TAUNT, or A-TAUNTO. See Taunt.

      ATHWART-HAWSE expresses the transverse position of a vessel when driven across the fore-part of another, whether they come into collision or not; it is most commonly applied to the case of a vessel under sail coming across another which is lying at anchor. The sailing vessel is said to come athwart-hawse of the other.

      ATHWART-SHIPS. Across the ship. The reverse of Fore-and-Aft.

      ATHWART THE FOREFOOT is a phrase applied to a shot being fired across a vessel's way, a little ahead of her, as a warning to bring to, or to drop astern.

      ATMOSPHERIC, or SINGLE ACTION, ENGINE. A condensing steam engine (Fr. Machine à, Vapeur Atmosphérique) in which 'the downward stroke of the piston is performed by the pressure of the atmosphere acting against a vacuum.' (Murray's Treatise on Marine Engines, 16.) See Double Acting Engine.

      A-TRIP. The position of an anchor when it is raised clear of the ground. A-weigh has the same meaning. The operation itself is called tripping the anchor.

      The topsails are said to be a-trip, when they are just started from the cap in hoisting. In like manner, an upper mast is said to be a-trip, when by means of the tripping-line it is started, preparatory to being sent down.

      AUGER. A tool, consisting of a long iron shank having at one end a cross socket into which a wooden handle is fitted, and at the other end a grooved piece of steel somewhat resembling a bit, welded to the shank. It is used for boring large round holes.

      AUGMENTATION OF THE MOON. The increase of her apparent diameter occasioned by an increase of altitude.

      AUTOMATIC BLOW OFF APPARATUS. See Steam Engine, Sect. 45.

      AUXILIARY AND RESERVE RUDDER (Mulley's). See Rudder.

      AVAST. Enough; stop; cease.

      AVERAGE (Fr. Avarie). There are three kinds of average, viz. General Average, Particular Average, and Petty Average. The term, however, is mostly used with reference to the two former, and in its original acceptation it denoted only general average.

      When a ship has put into a port in distress, she is said to have arrived 'under average.'

      Petty Average is now obsolete; it is what is referred to in the printed part of a bill of lading, by the words 'average as customary;' but this clause is superseded by the agreement that the stipulated freight shall be in lieu of port charges and other expenses, which are the things originally denominated 'Petty

Average.' Any charges of an ordinary nature, such as port dues, &c., incurred incidentally and not through sea perils in the course of a voyage, are denominated petty average.

      General Average arises in consequence of any sacrifice being voluntarily made under circumstances of danger, or extraordinary expenses incurred, in the course of a sea adventure, for the joint preservation or benefit of ship and cargo; and it implies an assessment or contribution levied on all the parties interested in the ship, freight, and cargo, to make good the loss which has thus fallen upon one or more of them.

      Particular Average is a term used to signify damage or partial loss unavoidably happening to any of the individual interests, whether ship, cargo or freight, by one of the perils covered by a policy of marine insurance.

      Particular Average on Ship. Under this head are included damage sustained from being driven ashore, or from coming into collision with another vessel – by lightning or accidental fire- plunder or damage in consequence of capture by pirates or an enemy – damage to the ship's upper works, &c., by shipping heavy seas – and similar losses.

      Particular Average on Goods. This term, according to its ordinary acceptation among merchants and underwriters, denotes loss by depreciation in the value of the goods sustained by their being sea-damaged, calculated upon the amount insured. It has also been virtually and properly applied in practice to charges incurred for the purpose of staying the progress of sea-damage. A more extended meaning has been lately applied to the expression by two of our courts of law, but without proof being had of the commonly accepted interpretation of it, the case not having been brought forward as a trial by jury, but in the form of a question for the opinion of the judges.

      Particular Average on Freight, says Mr. Stevens, can arise only from a total loss of part of the cargo, and it is therefore correctly termed a partial loss on freight. This may arise either from the article of which the freight is insured being washed out of the package which contained it, or from its being lost in bulk by one of the perils insured against. (Stevens' Essay on Average, p. 174.)

      AVERAGE ADJUSTER (Fr. Dispacheur), Average Stater, or Adjuster of Averages. An individual engaged in the business of making up statements to show the proper

application of loss, damage, or expenses incurred in consequence of perils or accidents in the course of a sea adventure, whether as between the shipowner and merchant, or between either of them and his insurers. It is necessary that he should have an extensive knowledge of maritime law, of the practice and usages of marine insurance, and general and particular average, and of the phraseology used by shipwrights and seamen. He ought not to be a shipowner, merchant, underwriter, or marine insurance broker. He usually acts as an arbitrator in cases of dispute under the order of any court of law or otherwise when required.

      AVERAGE AGREEMENT. A written agreement signed by the consignees of a cargo, binding themselves to pay any proportion of general average that may justly arise against them in consequence of some accident with which the ship has met. It is not drawn up in the form of a bond, and ought not to contain an arbitration clause.

      AVERAGE STATER. See Average Adjuster.

      A-WASH. At the surface of the water. Heave and a-wash is an encouraging call given during the act of heaving, when the anchor-ring is just out of the water, and the stock is seen to stir the surface.

      A-WEATHER. See A-lee.

      A-WEIGH. The same as A-trip when applied to an anchor.

      AWNING (Fr. Tente). A canopy or covering of canvass over a ship's deck, or over a boat, as a protection from the sun, rain, or night dews. In a ship, the edges of the awning are supported by iron stanchions fixed in the rail, and it is suspended from the middle by a crowfoot, which is formed by a number of small lines rove through a circular piece of wood with holes in it, called the euphroe, hung by a whip from the masthead. Side awnings are termed curtains.

      In East India ships, the awning also signifies part of the poop deck which is continued forward beyond the bulkhead of the cuddy. (Norie's Epitome.)

      AXIS OF THE EARTH. In Astronomy, an imaginary line passing through the centre of the earth, round which axis it revolves once in twenty-four hours; the extremities of this line are termed the poles, the one the North, or 'Arctic' Pole, and the other the South or 'Antarctic' Pole.

      Around this line, extended both ways to the sphere of the fixed stars, the heavenly bodies appear, by the motion of the

earth on its axis, to perform their diurnal revolutions: it likewise determines two fixed points in the celestial sphere, the north celestial pole, and the south celestial pole. The star nearest to the north celestial pole is called the pole-star.

      Of the two poles of the earth, that which is above the horizon of an observer is relatively termed the elevated pole; and the other, the depressed pole. See Astronomy, 1.

      AZIMUTH (Fr. Azimut) OF A CELESTIAL BODY. An arc of the horizon contained between the azimuth circle or vertical circle passing through the centre of the body and the north or south point of the horizon; in other words, the angle formed at the zenith by this vertical circle and the meridian of the, place of an observer. See Astronomy, 14.

      The most favourable moment for the observation of the azimuth of a celestial body is in general that which approaches nearest to its rising or setting. But the body must have sufficient altitude, at least six degrees, above the horizon, to enable the refraction to be estimated exactly, and the corrected altitude of the object observed, at the same moment, to be deduced with precision.

      If the azimuth be ascertained by means of an azimuth compass, this will be affected by the variation of the magnetic needle, and it is termed the observed or magnetic azimuth. By comparing it with the true azimuth, the variation of the compass, therefore, is obtained.

      Azimuth Circles, called also Azimuths, or Vertical Circles, are great circles of the celestial sphere passing through the Zenith and Nadir, and consequently intersecting the horizon at right angles. That vertical circle which passes through the east and west points of the horizon is termed the prime vertical. See Astronomy, 7.

      THE AZIMUTH COMPASS (Fr. Compas Azimutal) is an instrument similar to the steering compass, but of superior construction. It is adapted to observe the magnetic azimuths or amplitudes of the sun in order to ascertain the variation of the compass, and is fitted with vertical sight vanes for the purpose of observing objects elevated above the horizon. (Norie's Epitome, and Raper's Practice of Navigation and Nautical Astronomy, &c.)

      AZIMUTH DIAL (Captain Toovey's). A modification of the dumb-card, showing, when determining the error of the compass, 'both the amount of error and its direction, i. e. the course

by ship's head and the true course on the same card. The instrument consists of a double disc of metal, swinging freely on a tripod, and is of sufficient weight to be always horizontal, whatever may be the list of the ship. The outer rim of the disc is graduated to the points (or degrees) of the compass, and turning on the same centre is a second disc similarly graduated. There

is a small pointer for indicating the direction of the ship's head; and it is also fitted with a style for obtaining the sun's shadow, but this can be removed, and the ordinary telescope and sight vane applied in the usual mode of taking an azimuth of an object.' (Practical Mechanic and Engineer's Magazine.)

      AZOGA. A name given to the Spanish vessels which carried into America the quicksilver to be used in working the gold mines. (Dictionnaire de Marine à voiles.)

      BACK AN ANCHOR. See Anchor, 10.

      BACK ASTERN, in rowing, means to reverse the action of the oars (or, as it is called, to back the oars) so that the boat may move astern. The oars may be backed also on one side only, in order to assist in bringing the boat's head speedily round in this direction. A sailing vessel is backed by means of the sails; a steamer, by reversing the paddles or screw propeller, or in other

words by backing the engine. See Steam Ship and description of Steam Engine, Sect. 36.

      BACK AND FILL. Alternately to back and fill a vessel's sails. This is practised when driving in a narrow tideway, in order to keep the ship in the channel without the operation of tacking, the vessel being thus forced alternately ahead and astern by the trimming of the sails.

      BACK THE SAILS (Fr. Coiffer les voiles). To throw them aback.

      BACK OF A PIECE OF KNEE TIMBER. See Belly.

      BACK-ROPES. See Martingale.

      BACKSTAYS (Fr. Galhaubans). Ropes extended from the topmast, topgallantmast, and royal mast heads to the after part of each channel for the support of these masts. They are distinguished by the name of Standing-Backstays. (Plates III and IV.)

      Breast-Backstays are those set up with a tackle, and extending from the head of an upper mast, through an outrigger bolted on the side of the top, down to the channels before the standing back- stays: they are used chiefly for topgallant and royal masts; and in large ships for the topmasts also.

      BACKSTAY-STOOLS. See Stools (Backstay).

      BAGGALA. A large Arabian ship remarkable by the elevation of its stern, which is ornamented with carved work like the ancient ships of Europe. It has a very high poop. The bows are low and have a great rake. This vessel carries guns on the upper deck, and sometimes on two decks. (Dict. de Marine à Voiles.)

      BALANCELLE. The French name for a boat used in the Mediterranean, especially at Naples. It is generally sharp at both ends, somewhat like a French fishing boat. It is rigged with a lateen sail, and navigated also with oars. (Dictionnaire de Marine à voiles.)

      BALANCE-FRAMES. See Frames, 2.

      BALANCE-REEF. See Reef.

      BALCONY. See Gallery.

      BALE A BOAT. To throw water out of her.

      BALISTIC PENDULUM, in Gunnery, an instrument for finding the force and velocity of a cannon ball. The gun from which the ball is fired is suspended in a gun pendulum for measuring its recoil, opposite to the balistic pendulum, which is 'an iron cylinder suspended so as to spring back easily; it is filled with sand and has in front a cover of lead which the bullet strikes and

passes through it. The cylinder swings back, and by means of a small catch indicates how far it has moved, and so measures the force and velocity of the shot.'

      BALK. See Baulk.

      BALLAST (Fr.Lest). Heavy materials, such as stones, pig-iron, sand, &c., placed in the bottom of a vessel's hold to lower the centre of gravity, and thereby to increase her stability, so that she may not be liable to cant over too much, or to be overturned by the impulse of the wind and waves, as well as to present a greater lateral surface to the resistance of the water when sailing on a wind and thereby check her from falling to leeward.

      When a vessel has no cargo on board, but only stores for the use of the ship's company, and ballast, she is said to be in ballast. To ballast a ship, or a boat (Fr. Lester), is to put the needful quantity of ballast on board of her.

      Unless stones, metal, or other such material, cannot be obtained, it is not considered proper, nor perhaps warrantable, to take sand ballast, which is apt to get to the pumps and choke them, even when every precaution is used by clearing the limbers, by protection with matting and otherwise. (Lorimer's Letters to a Young Master Mariner.)

      The impropriety of taking sand ballast is the greater when the ship has a perishable cargo on board.

      The advantages of water ballast are treated of in Grantham on Iron Shipbuilding, p. 83. See Water Ballast Platform.

      In ships of war, pig-iron alone is used for ballast. See Kentledge and Limber-Kentledge.

      BALLASTAGE. A rate levied for supplying ships with ballast. In the river Thames ballast is put on board of ships by means of ballast lighters fitted for the purpose; this is subject to special regulations of the port, under the superintending control of the Ballast Master.

      BALLAST MARK. See Water Lines.

      BALLAST PORTS. Ports cut in the sides of a vessel for taking in and unloading ballast, &c. See Port.

      BALLAST SHOVEL. An iron shovel generally formed with a square spoon, used in heaving ballast.

      BALSA, and BALZA. A sailing canoe of Ceylon. A name given to certain kinds of boats, or rather rafts used as boats on the West Coast of South America.

      BANDS. Strips of canvass sewed across a sail to strengthen

it; such as reef-bands, which are put on in the way of the reef- points. See also Rudder-Bands.

      BANIAN DAYS. The name which was given to those three days of the week on which, according to former custom on board of ships, the sailors had no flesh meat served out to them. So called after Banians in India.

      BANK (Fr. Danger). An accumulation of sand or other soil, either elevated somewhat above the surface of the sea, or over which there is shoal water. On charts, banks are indicated by dots and reefs by crosses. See Double Bank and Fog Bank.

      BANKA. A canoe of Manila. It is made of a single piece.

      BANKER. See Banking.

      BANKING. A term applied to fishing on the banks of Newfoundland. A vessel so employed is called A Banker (Fr. Banquier, Terreneuvier).

      BAR. A bank or shoal at the entrance of a river or harbour. See also Capstan and Hatch-Bars.

      BAR SHALLOW. A term sometimes applied to a portion of a bar with less water on it than on other parts of the bar.

      BARCA-LONGA. A Spanish gun-boat, having many sweeps for impelling her.

      BARE POLES. A ship at sea is said to be under bare poles when she has no sail set; as in scudding during a severe storm.

      BARGE (Fr. Acon, gabare). A general name for boats of state or pleasure. A large double-banked boat used by an Admiral or Captain in the Royal Navy.. See Boat, 1.

      Also a flat-bottomed vessel of burden, used in loading or unloading ships, &c. In vessels of this description (Fr. gabares), when employed for the carriage of goods on a river, or through a canal, the mast, if needful, is made to work upon a hinge, so that it may be lowered in passing under bridges, and hoisted again by means of a tackle made fast to the stem or by the fore-stay. See Lee-Board.

      Crane-Barge. A low-built barge having a flat bottom, and either square or rounded extremities. It is decked, and is made of great breadth, in order to give stability sufficient to counteract the strain upon the crane with which it is fitted for the purpose of lifting the stones, piles, &c., carried on its deck, to be used in the building of sea walls, timber or stone jetties, and similar erections.

      BARK. A popular name for any small vessel. See also Barque.

      BARNACLE, or BARNICLE (Fr. Bernacle). A species of small shell-fish often found adhering to the surface of a vessel's bottom. These are not injurious to the plank, but tend to deaden the ship's way. They are found occasionally even on coppered vessels, particularly if the popper has been paid over with coarse oil, which on drying leaves a rough surface; or if the vessel has lain long in still water in a hot climate.

      BAROMETER (Fr. Baromètre). A well-known philosophical instrument for measuring, by means of a column of mercury in a glass tube, the comparative weight or pressure of the atmosphere. This is called the Mercurial Barometer. The Aneroid Barometer, invented by M. Vidi, measures the variation of the atmosphere by the pressure of the atmosphere upon a metallic box hermetically sealed. It is described by Mr. Belville in his Manual of the Mercurial and Aneroid Barometer 1858. Marine barometers are constructed in such a manner as to check the oscillations and vibrations of the mercury, which might be occasioned by the motion of the ship. With a view to that important object, they ought always to be hung by the arm which is prepared for this purpose, and not by the upper ring only.

      The barometer is subject to slight daily variations, particularly towards noon and midnight; but if at any time the mercury fall considerably from its usual height, some material change may be expected to take place, and when it falls very low, for instance in our climate to 29 inches or below that mark, a gale is sure to follow.

      This instrument is peculiarly useful in high latitudes, and even near the tropics. But within 9 or 10 degrees of the Equator, though storms of long duration are almost invariably prognosticated by the barometer, yet whirlwinds and squalls of a few hours' continuance are said to be sometimes experienced without any fall of the mercury.

      In the evidence given some years ago by Captain (now Rear Admiral) Fitzroy before the Committee of the House of Commons on Shipwrecks, he attributed the loss of many vessels to the neglect of the use of this instrument, whereby they have either closed the land when at sea, or put to sea at improper times, and so been overtaken by bad weather coming on suddenly. Every vessel,

he observed, ought to have either a barometer or a sympiesometer, which is an efficient substitute for it.

      Important information on this subject is contained in the Introduction to Horsburgh's India Directory (from which some of the above particulars are extracted), in Lieut. Jenning's Hints on Sea Risks, and in Mrs. Taylor's Diurnal Register for the Barometer, Sympiesometer, and Thermometer.

      The Barometer Manual published in 1861 by Rear Admiral Fitzroy, Chief of the Meteorological Department at the Board of Trade, contains an explanation of his Storm Warning Signals in use at different stations in the British Islands, and of the Weather Tables now published daily in the Times, &c. The Weather Book since published by Admiral Fitzroy is a Manual of Practical Meteorology, explaining the use of meteorological instruments, such as weather glasses on land as well as at sea, and giving full details of the present system of 'Meteorologic Telegraphy.'

      BARQUE, or BARK (Fr. Barque). A three-masted vessel having her fore and main masts rigged like those of a ship, but her mizen mast rigged like a schooner's main mast. (Plate III.)

      BARRATRY (Fr. Baratérie). Any fraudulent or illegal act on the part of the master or mariners, or criminal conduct in breach of the trust reposed in them, to the prejudice of the owners of a vessel, and without the consent or privity of the latter. A master who i3 part owner can commit barratry against his co-owners, or against the freighters.

      BARREL-BULK, in Shipping, a measure of capacity for freight, equal to five cubic feet. Eight barrel bulk are equal to one ton measurement. (Waterston's Cyclopcedia of Commerce.)

      BARRICADE. A wooden fence at any part of a vessel formed by rails and stanchions.

      BARTON, or properly BURTON. 'A small tackle is usually called a jigger: a larger one a Barton.' (Boyd's Naval Cadet's Manual.) See Burton.

      BASIN (Fr. Bassin). The same as a Wet Dock. The term basin is also applied to a portion of a tide-harbour, having a narrow entrance, and forming an inner harbour sheltered and commodious for shipping.

      BATTENS. Long narrow slips of wood nailed to the coamings of a vessel's hatches in order to secure the tarpaulins which are placed over the hatches when required. This is called battening

down the hatches. Bands of iron are sometimes used for the purpose instead of wooden battens, especially in coasters.

      Battens (sometimes called in cant phrase Scotchmen, but properly Chafing-Boards) are also seized upon rigging to prevent its being chafed. Battens are likewise nailed for this purpose on the after side of the yards.

      In Shipbuilding, battens are used for applying on the side of the vessel in order to determine the sheer, as well as to fair the ship; and for drawing lines by in the moulding loft. See Deals.

      Hammock-Battens. See Hammock-Racks.

      BATTERIES (FLOATING). Vessels fitted for harbour defence. Seealso Floating Battery.

      BAULK, or BALK. In Shipbuilding, a piece of plank nailed across each of the frames to keep them at their proper breadth till the vessel is planked outside. They also get the name of Cross-Spales or Cross-Pawls. See Bilgeways and Spaling.

      The name of Balks is also given to short pieces of timber, from five to twelve inches square, imported from certain places abroad.

      BAY (Fr. Baie). A kind of small gulf not running very deep into the land.

      Sick Bay. See that title.

      Bays, in a ship of war. The starboard and port sides between decks before the bitts. (Darcy Lever.)

      BAYDAR. A hark or canoe of the north coast of Siberia, Kamtschatka, and the north-west coast of America. It is made of the skins of seals joined together by flat seams sewed with the sinews of these animals, and is kept at its proper stretch by a frame of wood work. (Dict. de Marine à Voiles.)

      BAY-ICE. See Iceberg, 3.

      BAZARAS. A large flat-bottomed pleasure-boat in use on the Ganges; navigated with sails and oars. (Dict. de Marine à Voiles.)

      BEACH. The sea-shore, the strand. See Careen.

      TO BEACH (Fr. Ensabler) is a term used to denote the act of intentionally running a vessel ashore in order to preserve her from sinking after having sprung a leak, or when she is otherwise placed in circumstances of inevitable danger. See Stranding. It is also applied to the act of running a vessel up on the beach for the purpose of loading her, &c., at a place where there is no other accommodation.

      BEACHMEN. A term applied to boatmen, &c., who land

people on a beach, especially in places where there is a heavy surf. See Catamaran.

      BEACON (Fr. Balise). Any mark or sign erected on the coast, or over rocks or shoals, for the safe guidance of vessels.

      BEACONAGE. A payment levied for the use and maintaining of beacons.

      BEAMS (Fr. Baux). In Shipbuilding, strong pieces of timber resting on the clamps or shelf-pieces, and extending from the timbers on one side to those on the other side of the vessel; they are secured to the timbers by means of knees, and bind the ship together, besides acting as the support of her decks. (Plate II. fig. 6.)

      1. A vessel is said to be on her beam ends, when heeled over so that her beams are vertical or nearly so.

      On the Beam, or Abeam. See Bearing.

      2. Break Beams. Beams introduced at the break of a deck.

      3. Breast Beams. Those beams at the fore part of the quarter-deck, and after part of the forecastle, in a vessel which has a poop and a top-gallant forecastle.

      4. Half Beams, or Fork Beams. Short beams introduced to support the deck where there is no framing, as in those parts where the beams are kept asunder by hatchways. When these do not exceed one half the dimensions of the beams, and are not fastened at their ends by knees or T plates, they get the name of ledges, or in some places, cross-carlings.

      5. Hold Beams. The lowest range of beams in a merchant vessel. When there is an orlop-deck, as in the case in large ships of war, these beams support that deck, and hence get the name of the Orlop Beams. (Plate II. fig. 6.) There is in the between decks of a merchant vessel space used as a hold for cargo, &c.; the hold beams are often termed the lower hold beams, in contradistinction from the orlop beams, and the deck beams, that is the beams in the between decks.

      Paddle Beams. See Paddle Wheels.

      BEAM ENDS. See Beams, 1.

      BEAM FILLINGS. See Filling.

      BEAN-COD. A Portuguese boat.

      BEAR. A name given to a large holystone with ropes attached to drag it along the decks for the purpose of scrubbing or cleaning them; and also to a coir mat filled with sand used in some ships for the same purpose.

      An object bears so and so when it is in such a direction from the person looking. With reference to the wind it is said to bear N. or N.E. &c. according to the quarter whence it blows. See Bearing.

      BEAR A HAND. To make haste.

      BEAR AWAY, or BEAR UP (Fr. Arriver, larguer). To make a vessel's head recede from the wind when she is sailing close-hauled, or with a side wind: in either case, this is done by putting the helm up, that is, by putting the tiller up in the direction whence the wind is blowing.

      BEAR DOWN UPON A VESSEL. To approach her from windward.

      BEAR IN WITH and OFF FROM the land, imply respectively to steer a vessel towards and from the land.

      BEAR OFF. To keep anything, in the act of being hoisted or lowered, from chafing against the ship's side. To thrust off.

      BEAR UP, or BEAR UP THE HELM. The same as to Bear away.

      BEARDING, in Shipbuilding, diminishing the edge or surface of a piece of timber or plank, &c., from a given line.' (Shipwright's Vade Mecum.)

      BEARDING LINE. A curved line made by bearding or reducing the dead-wood to the form of the ship's body. The lower points of the timbers come down to this line, which is often called the stepping-line.

      BEARING. The situation of one object from another with reference to the points of the compass.

      Also, the situation or direction of any object, or of the wind,

estimated from some part of the ship. These bearings are either On the beam (or abeam), as the lines a and b: Before the beam,

as the arcs a d and d b: Abaft the beans, as the arcs a c and c b: On the lee or weather bow, as the lines e e: On the lee or weather quarter, as the lines f f: Ahead, as the line d: or Astern, as the line c. (Seamanship both in Theory and Practice.)

      BEARINGS OF A VESSEL. The widest part of her below the planksheer; that part of her which is on the water-line when she sits upright with a full cargo on board.

      BEAT TO WINDWARD (Fr. Louvoyer). To sail against the direction of the wind by means of alternate tacks.

      Working to windward and Turning to windward are terms synonymous therewith.

      BECALM (Fr. Abner, Cacher, Déventer). A vessel is becalmed when there is not a breath of wind to fill her sails. Any object becalms a vessel, or one sail becalms another, when it prevents the wind from reaching it.

      BECKET. A piece of rope, sometimes with a knot at one end and an eye in the other, sometimes with its two ends spliced together, used for confining pump gear, oars, or spars together, and for other purposes.

      A piece of wood in the form of a cleat seized on a vessel's fore or main rigging for the sheets and tacks to lie in (while they are not required) in order to avoid chafing.

      A ring of rope or iron fixed to the bottom of a block for the standing end of the fall to be made fast to.

      BED. A flat thick piece of wood, two of which are lodged under the quarters of any cask that is stowed in a vessel's hold, in order to keep it bilge free. Casks are steadied upon the beds by means of wedges called Quoins. See Bilge of a cask.

      Beds for Guns are pieces of wood for the breech of the gun to rest on. Beds for Mortars, or Bomb-Beds, are solid frames of timber whereon the mortars in a bomb-vessel are supported.

      BEES (Fr. Violons). Pieces of hard wood bolted to the outer end of a vessel's bowsprit to reeve the fore-topmast stays through.

      BEETLE. A wooden maul hooped with iron used for driving reeming irons and treenails. See Maul and Reeming.

      BEFORE THE BEAM. See Bearing.

      BELAY (Fr. Amarrer). To make fast any running rope by turns round a pin or coil without hitching or seizing: chiefly applicable to running rigging.

      BELAYING PINS are wooden or iron pins, fixed in different parts of a vessel for belaying ropes to. They are illustrated

under the titles Rack, Spider-hoop, No. 2, and Topsail sheet bitts, No. 3.

      BELFRY. An ornamental frame fixed on the top of the pawl-bitt or elsewhere, in which the ship's bell is hung.

      BELL-BUOY. A kind of large can-buoy (or cone-shaped pontoon) placed in a lofty erection of wicker work containing a bell with several tongues to sound by means of the heaving of the sea. See Buoy, 4.

      BELLS. See Watch.

      BELLY OF A SAIL, when inflated by the wind or of a curved timber, is the inside of its curve. The outside of a curved piece of timber is called the back.

      BEND. To make fast. To fasten two ropes together.

      To Bend the Cable (Fr. Etalinguer), means to make it fast to the anchor ring; a chain cable is secured to the ring by means of a shackle. See Cable Bends.

      To Bend the Sails (Fr. Enverguer), is to extend and fasten them to their proper yards or stays.

      BEND. A species of knot by which a rope is made fast to any thing or one rope to another.

carrick bend.

hawser bend.

sheet bend.

      The key to the above sketches, and to most of the sketches of hitches given under that title, is contained in Darcy Lever's old but standard work, The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor.

      BENDS, or WALES (Préceintes), in Shipbuilding, the thickest strakes of plank put round the outside of a vessel between the blackstrakes. See Wales.

      BENTICK-BOOM. See Boom (Plate IV. 68).

      BERMUDA SCHOONER-RIGGED BOAT, and BERMUDA SAILS. See Schooner-rigged Boat.

      BERTH. The place which a vessel occupies alongside of a quay or elsewhere.

      To berth a vessel means to fix upon and put her into the place she is to occupy. See also Hawse, 2.

      BERTH (Fr. Cabane) also means a small room in a vessel set apart for the use of any officer, seaman, or passenger. Their beds, or the places where hammocks are slung, are likewise called berths.

      To berth a ship's company means to give each man the allotted space in which to sling his hammock.

      To give the land (or any object) a wide berth is to keep at a due distance from it.

      BERTH AND SPACE. See Timber and Room.

      BERTHING. 'The term now-frequently, perhaps most generally, used by seamen to denote the bulwark of a merchant ship. In naval architecture, it denotes the planking outside above the sheer-strake, and is called the berthing of the quarter-deck, of the poop, or of the forecastle, as the case may be. It is also applied to

denote the close boarding between the head-rails, in which case it is called the berthing of the head; this is frequently termed by seamen the head boards.'

      BETWEEN-DECKS, or 'TWIXT-DECKS (Fr. Entrepont). The space between any two decks of a vessel.

      BEVELLED. Not square: formed with an acute or obtuse angle. The term is derived from an instrument called a bevel, by which such angles are taken.

      Hence, the bevelling of a timber implies the angle contained between two of its adjacent sides: if an acute angle, it is termed an under bevelling (or bevel), and if an obtuse angle, a standing bevel. We also speak of a timber having a square bevel, that is, having its adjacent sides at right angles to each other, but this is an incorrect application of the term.

      BIGHT. A bend in the shore forming a small bay or inlet.

      BIGHT OF A ROPE. Its middle part, or some fold of it between the two ends. When any such parts of a vessel's rigging, as of the braces of yards, are slack, the braces are said to hang in bights.

      BILANDER (Fr. Bélandre). 'A name almost indiscriminately applied to small coasters.' It formerly denoted a two-masted vessel with a peculiar form of mainsail 'bent to the whole length of a yard hanging fore and aft,' with an upward inclination of about 45 degrees:' a mode of rigging which came to be confined mostly to Dutch vessels.

      BILBOES. Iron shackles to secure the feet of prisoners or offenders.

      BILGE OF A CASK. Its middle part, which has the greatest diameter. See Chime. A cask when stowed in a ship is said to be Bilge Free, if properly set upon beds so as to prevent its bilge, which is the weakest part, from resting on anything.

      A ship is said to be bilged, when any part of her bottom or bilge is driven in by violence. When such an injury occurs to the upper portion of her hull, she is said to be stove.

      BILGE, in Shipbuilding, that part of a vessel's bottom which begins to round upwards, at the point where the floors and second futtocks unite, and whereon the ship would rest if laid aground. It is strengthened outside and inside by thick planks, termed the bilge planks, a security which along with extra bolting is the more required, as the shiftings of the timbers at this part are generally shorter than elsewhere.

      BILGE COAD. See Bilge Keels and Launching Ways.

      BILGE KEELS, also called Bilge Pieces or Bilge Goads, are pieces of timber fayed on the bottom of a vessel edgeways, which, by their resistance to the water, serve to prevent the ship from rolling heavily, as well as from drifting to leeward. They should be wrought on parallel to the main keel, and in such - a position that when the ship is sailing close-hauled, the one on the lee-side may be nearly vertical. In iron vessels, angle iron plates are in like manner used for the same purpose.

      In a sharp-bottomed vessel such pieces are sometimes put upon the bilge for her to rest upon when aground, in order to prevent her taking too great a list.

      BILGE KEELSONS. See Keelson.

      BILGE PLANKS. Thick planks which run round a vessel's bilge in a fore and aft direction, both inside and outside.':(Plate II. fig. 6.) See the article Ceiling.

      BILGE PUMPS (Fr. Pompes d'épuisement de cale). See Pump.

      BILGE TREES. A name given in some places to Bilge Goads.

      BILGE WATER. Water which, by reason of the flatness of a vessel's bottom, lies on her floor and cannot go to the well of the pumps. Not being drawn off, it acquires an offensive smell. This is most apt to accumulate in very tight vessels. When the ship is listed over, it may be removed by means of the bilge pumps. In some vessels a pipe is inserted through the side with a cock, which gets the name of a sweetening cock, fitted to its inner end, for admitting water to mix with the bilge water.

      BILGE WAYS. See Launching Ways.

      BILL, or PEA. The extremity of the arm of an anchor, where it is tapered nearly to a point.

      BILL BOARDS, or ANCHOR LINING. Pieces of board or plank fixed between the projecting planks of the bow (sometimes having iron plates called Bill-board Plates nailed to them) – and likewise pieces attached to the bulwarks – to guide the bill of the anchor past these projecting planks.

      BILL OF HEALTII. A document obtained from the consul or other proper authority, certifying the state of health in the place she sails from and of the ship's company at the time of her departure from it. See Quarantine.

      BILL OF LADING (Fr. Connaissement). A document whereby the master of a vessel acknowledges the receipt of goods shipped on board of it, and binds himself (' dangers and accidents of the seas, fire, enemies, &c. excepted') to deliver them in like good order and condition to the party to whom they are addressed, upon payment of the stipulated freight. The holder of a bill of lading may transfer it by indorsement, and it is a negotiable instrument.

      BILL OF SALE. An instrument in writing, by which the property of a vessel, or shares thereof; are transferred to a purchaser.

      BILL OF SIGHT, or BILL OF VIEW. A form of entry at the Custom House, by the best description that can be given of goods, which, upon importation, cannot be correctly described by the importer or his agent; whereupon a warrant is granted for their being provisionally landed and examined by him in presence of the proper officers.

      BILL OF STORE. A Custom House document which may be issued by the searcher, permitting goods which had been shipped for foreign ports, but not sold there, to be re-imported duty free, at any time within six years after they were exported, upon a declaration being signed by the proprietor that at the time of re-importation he still continues to hold the property in such goods, and that since their entry for exportation they had not been sold or disposed of to any other person.

      BILL (VICTUALLING). See Victualling Bill.

      BILLET-HEAD, or BOLLARD. A round piece of wood, fixed in the bow or stern of a whale fishing boat, about which the line is veered when a whale sets off at full speed after being harpooned. See also Head.

      BILLY BOAT. 'A kind of half decked river boat.'

      BILLY BOAT. 'A kind of half decked river boat.'BILLY BOY. A flat-bottomed vessel built for the navigation of the Humber and its tributaries. Those which go to sea are generally clincher built and sloop rigged. Many of them have still a square topsail which was formerly considered as an indispensable portion of the complete equipment of a sea-going billy boy. 'Some of them are schooner rigged and carvel built. They all draw very little water in proportion to their burthen; and to enable them to hold a good wind, those employed on short coasting voyages are fitted with lee boards which are unshipped when they have to proceed inland to Leeds or Wakefield: the

masts of these are fitted into a strong trunk on the deck called a tabernacle, which forms a kind of hinge to enable them to lower the mast when going under bridges.'

      BINDINGS, in Shipbuilding, a general term for the beams, knees, clamps, shelf-pieces, keelson, water-ways, breast-hooks, transoms, wales, and other principal connecting parts of a vessel.

      BINDING-STRAKES The principal strakes of plank in a vessel, especially the sheer-strake and wales, which are bolted to the knees and shelf-pieces.

      BINNACLE (Fr. Habitacle). A turret-shaped case or box on the deck of a vessel near the helm, containing the compasses, by the aid of which she is steered. It is commonly fitted with two compasses, having a light placed between them for night service, but it is thought better to have only a single compass in it. Some compasses are more sensitive, quicker in their action than others, and one of this nature is suitable to be used during calm weather: in a heavy seaway, it may be replaced with one of a slower action. Reflectors fitted on each side of the binnacle, at a proper angle to throw the light upon the cards, assist greatly in keeping the compasses well illumined, even when the ship labours. This plan is said to have been adopted and found advantageous, by Captain Cox, of H. M. revenue cutter 'Lapwing.' There is a new kind of binnacle lamp, invented by Mrs. Janet Taylor, 104 Minories, London, having a parabolical reflector placed above it, which throws the light brilliantly over the compass card; this lamp is said to burn with a steady light, and to save about two- thirds of the oil usually consumed.

      We understand that there are compasses made of amber for night service.

      BINS. A sort of large chests, or erections, 'generally made of rabbeted deal, with lids on the top 'for containing a vessel's stores.

      BITE. An anchor, when dropped, is said to bite if it take hold of the ground.

      BITTACLE. Properly Binnacle.

      BITTS. Strong upright pieces of timber let down through a vessel's deck and bolted securely to the beams: as the Windlass Bitts and Winch Bitts, which respectively support the windlass and winch near their ends, and the Riding Bitts, to which, when

at anchor, the cable is made fast in a vessel that weighs its anchor by a capstan, See Cross-Piece and Topsail-Sheet-Bitts.

riding bitts of a ship of war.

      To BITT (Fr. Bitter) is to place the bight of a cable or any rope over the bitts.

      Bowsprit-Bitts. See Partners.

      Gallows-Bitts. See Gallows.

      Pawl-Bitt. A strong piece of timber placed vertically at the back of the windlass for its security, and on which the pawl-plate of the windlass is fitted. Its lower end rests on the keelson or on the keelson-rider.

      Topsail-Sheet-Bitts. See that title.

      BITTER END of a cable or warp when run out front a vessel, means the extreme end of it within board. Hence the chain or rope is said to be paid out to the bitter end when you can let no more go.

      BLACKENED. A local term, having the same meaning as sewed.

      BLACKING DOWN, or BLACKING. A term commonly applied to the tarring of rigging, or to the operation of blacking a ship's bends or bottom with tar, &c.

      BLACK-STRAKES. The strakes of plank in a ship's side one or more immediately above and below the wales. See Strake, and Plate IV. 32, 34.

      BLACKWALL HITCH. See Hitch.

      BLADE. See descriptions of Anchor, Oar, and Screw Propeller.

      BLAIR. A mixture of hair and Archangel tar, made into a kind of paste, used for tightening the seams of boats.

      BLAST ENGINE. Schiele's Blast Engine or Ventilator is a machine to draw off the foul air from the cabin or hold of a ship and induce a current of fresh air into it. The inventor describes the machine as suited 'for ventilating the holds and cabins of passenger and cattle steamers, transports, &c., for cooling firing rooms and urging deficient draughts, especially in hot climates, for exhausting explosive gases in coal vessels, and noxious vapours arising from cargo, for blowing the furnaces in gun boats, &c., and to avoid the necessity of funnels.'

      BLOCK (Fr. Poulie). Apiece of wood with one or more sheaves or wheels in it, through which a rope may be rove to obtain a convenient or increased purchase. There are blocks made of iron for reefing chains through. Blocks are termed single, double or treble, &c., according to the nu mber of sheaves which they contain. Wooden blocks are either built or morticed. A Built Block consists of four parts: the shell, or outer case wherein the sheave traverses; the sheave, on which the rope runs; the pin, (Fr. Essieu) on which, as an axle, the sheave revolves; and the strop (or strap) either of rope or iron which encircles the whole. (See the article Strop.) The space in the shell where the sheave revolves is termed the jaw. The sheave is generally strengthened by letting in,at the centre a circular piece of iron or brass, called a bush. A Morticed Block is formed of a single piece of wood 'morticed' out to contain one or more sheaves. The illustrations of blocks given below are drawn partly after Lieut. Nares and partly after Darcy Lever. For a variety of information on this subject reference may be made to Nares on Seamanship, pages 26, 47.

      1. CANT BLOCKS. A name given to large purchase blocks, used in ships at the Davis' Straits' fishing, for canting the whales during the process of flensing.

      2. CAT BLOCK. See Cathead.

      3. CLUMP BLOCKS. A name given to any blocks that are made thicker or stronger than ordinary blocks.

      4. FIDDLE BLOCKS, or LONG TACKLE BLOCKS, have two sheaves of different sizes placed one above the other. These are used chiefly for the runner-and-tackles of sloops.

      5. FLY BLOCK. Any block which, forming part of a tackle, shifts its position when hauled upon.

      6. JEWEL BLOCKS are small blocks suspended from the extremities of any yard-arm to lead the studding-sail-halyards through.

      7. LEADING BLOCKS. A general name for those blocks which are used for guiding the direction of any purchase; they may be distinguished into three kinds:—

      8. Hook Blocks, which are leading blocks iron-stropped, with a hook at one end.

      9. Sister Blocks. Two single blocks or bull's eyes formed in one piece of wood. In the Merchant Service they are used

mostly for the buntlines and leachlines of the courses in large ships; in ships of war they are seized between the two foremost shrouds of the topmast rigging for the reef tackles and topsail lifts to lead through. (See Lieut. Nares on Seamanship, page 47.)

      10. Snatch Blocks (or Notch Blocks), which are single blocks with a notch cut in one cheek, to receive the bight of a rope or fall, so as to save the trouble of reeving and unreeving the whole.

These are used sometimes for leading a rope fair to the winch or windlass, and for various similar purposes.

      11. Tail Blocks are single blocks, rope stropped, having an end or ° tail' of the rope left by which they may be lashed to the rigging, or made fast at any other part where they happen to be required.

      12. PURCHASE BLOCKS. See Purchase.

      13. SHOULDER BLOCKS are 'made with a projection left on one side of the top of the shell to prevent the falls from being jammed.'

      14. TOP BLOCK. See Mast Rope.

      15. Bowline Blocks, Brace, Brace pendant, Brail, Bunt-line, Clue garnet, Clue-line, Fore-sheet, Girt-line, Halyard, Jear, Leech- line, Lift, Main-sheet, Main-tack, Peak-halyard, Reef tackle, Stay- tackle, Throat-halyard, Topping Lift, Topsail-sheet, Tye, and Yard-tackle blocks, &c., are all named respectively after the ropes or chains which are rove through them.

      See Bull's-eye, Clamp, Dead-eye, and Plumber-blocks.

      BLOCKS, termed keel-blocks, also signify short ends of logs of timber, piled upon each other, to lay the keel of a vessel upon while building, or to place her upon for repairs.

      Sliding Bilge Blocks are those made to slide under the bilge of the ship in order to support her.

      BLOCK AND BLOCK. The situation of a tackle when the blocks are hauled close together. See Chock-a-block.

      BLOCKADE. To blockade a seaport is to station cruisers before it, in order to prevent any communication therewith by sea. To raise a blockade is to put an end to it.

      According to the rules of international law, a port cannot be said to be blockaded unless there be ships stationed to keep up the blockade, in such force as to cut off all access of neutral ships, to render it imminently dangerous to attempt to enter or quit the port.

      BLOCKMAKER (Fr. Poulieur). A manufacturer of blocks.

      BLOW OFF APPARATUS (AUTOMATIC). See Salinometer.

      BLOW OFF PIPE (and cocks) and BLOWING OFF. See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 45.

      BLOW THROUGH VALVE (Fr. Soupape à purger l'air). See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 12.

      BLUE PETER. A flag having a blue ground with a white square in the middle. When hoisted at the fore-topmast head, it is the signal for sailing.

      BLUFF. Broad and full. Thus a ship is bluff-bowed when her bows are made very full and flat. Lean is the reverse term. The reverse of full is sharp: applied to the build of ships or boats.

      BLUFF. A high abrupt projecting point of land.

      BOARD (Fr. Bordée). The stretch which a vessel makes on each tack in beating to windward. The ship is said to make a good board, when on either tack she sails well up to the line of her desired course – a long board, when she stands long on one tack – a short board, when she is put about soon – a stern board, when, on either tack, she fetches sternway instead of gaining ground.

      To Board or to Haul aboard the fore and main tacks, means to haul them forward, and down to the chestrees on the weather side of a vessel, when sailing on a wind. See Tack.

      To board a ship (Fr. Aborder). To enter an enemy's or pirate's vessel in order forcibly to take possession of lier. The men appointed either to make or repel such an attack are called boarders; in the former case, they carry each a cutlass, a tomahawk, and two pistols; in the latter they are armed with boarding-pikes. It also means simply to go on board of any vessel. To board customs officers on a vessel means to put them on board of her. See By the Board and Out-Board.

      BOARD OF TRADE. 'The Committee of Her Majesty's Privy Council appointed for the consideration of matters relating to trade and foreign plantations.'

      BOARDERS. See Board a ship.

      BOARDING-NETTINGS. See Nettings.

      BOARDING-PIKE. A weapon used in defending a ship against being boarded.

      BOAT (Fr. Bateau, Canot, Chaloupe, Embarcation). A small open vessel adapted either for rowing or sailing. See Oar, Stern-Sheets, Thwart, &c.

      1. The boats taken to sea in a ship of war are as follows:— (1) The launch, or long-boat, which is the largest on board, and is built full, flat, and high, so as to carry a great weight. (2) The barge, next in size, of a slighter frame, rowed with ten or twelve oars, and intended for carrying commanding officers to and from the ship. (3) The pinnace, of a similar form, but somewhat smaller than the barge, pulling six or eight oars; it is for the accommodation of the lieutenants and subordinate officers, &c., or is used instead of the barge for the smaller classes of ships. (4) The yawl, a boat of the same description as the pinnace, but somewhat smaller. The above mentioned boats used to be all carvel built. Captain Boyd, in his Naval Cadet's Manual (284), mentions that in the Navy, launches, barges, pinnaces, and paddle-box boats (for steamers), are now diagonally built and mostly made of mahogany. (5) Cutters, which are clinker built, and are shorter and broader in proportion to their length than the long-boat; they are used for the conveyance of stores, &c. (6) The jolly-boat, similar to that of a merchant vessel. (7) The gig, a long narrow boat, also clinker built, adapted for rowing expeditiously, and also for sailing; it usually belongs to the captain.

      2. The boats belonging to a merchant vessel are:— (1) The launch or long-boat, already described. (2) The skiff next in

size: used for towing, running out a kedge, &c. (3) The jolly- boat or yawl, the third in size: kept for shore purposes, and other light work. It is very commonly called the stern-boat, if hung to davits over the ship's stern. (4) The quarter-boat, which is so called from being hung to davits over the ship's quarter; it is longer than the jolly-boat. Some vessels are provided with only one quarter-boat; others have a boat over each quarter. (5) The captain's gig frequently forms one of the quarter boats. Reference may here be made to the following heads: Barge, Coble, Fly-boat, Life-boat, Paddle-box boat, under the title Paddle-wheels, Punt, Skiff Whale Fisheries, Wherry, and Yawl.

      Mr. Nathan Thompson, of New York, has recently introduced into this country his system of boat building by machinery worked by a steam engine.

      BOAT BUOY, for giving increased buoyancy to any kind of boat. See Life-Boat, 3.

      BOAT'S CHOCKS (Fr. Chantiers d'embarcation). Clamps of wood for a boat resting upon when stowed on a vessel's deck.

      BOAT HIRE. The charge for the use of a boat.

      BOAT HOOK. A well known instrument, consisting of a pole with its end fitted into an iron socket, which has two prongs formed upon it, the one straight, and the other hooked. This is used in a boat, or in the rafting of timber, for pushing off from and holding on by anything.

      BOAT'S GRIPES. Bars of iron with lanyards, rings, and hooks, whereby a boat is lashed to the ring-bolts in a vessel's deck. See Gripes.

      BOAT LOWERING APPARATUS. Among the many inventions for lowering a ship's boat into the water the first and most successful is Clifford's Boat Lowering Apparatus.

      'By this one of the crew in the boat can, by one act, instantly and safely, unlash from the ship's side, lower evenly, and entirely disengage a boat when laden with any number of persons, and when the ship is moving rapidly through the water. The principal other inventions of the kind have been by Messrs. Lacon, Russell, Jefferys, Cornish, Gladstone, Webb, Clarke, Watson, Taylor, Kynaston, and Wood and Rogers. The first three of

these lower the boat with pendants by machinery in the ship, and when it is near the water detach both ends of the boat simultaneously, whilst all the others lower the boat by the falls as heretofore and detach it in like manner though with differently designed apparatus, on the principle of the ordinary slip hooks or stoppers, and provide no means for preventing the descent of one end of the boat before the other; and all require two or more men in the ship for lowering, and one or more men in the boat for disengaging it; but in Clifford's to unlash the boat, to lower it down evenly end by end, so that it cannot cant, and to disengage it entirely from the ship, are the simple act of one man in the boat.'

side view.

cross view.

      On slacking off the lowering line b, the roller a revolves, and the pendants cc are unwound evenly as the boat descends into the water, when the pendants being tapered at the ends, overhaul themselves, and the boat is perfectly free. The controlling power is obtained by the blocks dd, which act like a sailor's 'turn and a

half' in the boat on each pendant: the nip of the blocks exists only when they sustain the weight of the boat, and ceases when it reaches the water. This power in the block to decrease the weight of the boat, and thus enabling the man attending the lowering line

to control the descent, whatever the weight may be, but yet allowing all to run free the moment the lowering line is let go, is its chief feature, and that which befits it for the purpose to which it is here applied, and for which it was specially designed.

      Instructions for Lowering. One of the boat's crew takes charge of the lowering line b, and with one round turn on the sleet, slackens it off slowly. The lashings release themselves by the thimbles passing down the prongs ii. When the boat reaches the water, the lowering line is let go, the pendants overhaul themselves, and the boat is perfectly free.

      Thus by this one simple act of the one man, the boat is unlashed, lowered, and released from the ship.

      BOATMAN. A sailor having charge of a boat.

      BOAT-SKIDS. See Skids.

      BOAT-SLINGS. See Slings.

      BOATILA. A flat-bottomed boat of the Gulf of Manar. The stern is very sharp, the stem curved.

      BOATSWAIN. An officer who has charge of a ship's cordage, rigging, anchors, &c., and calls or 'pipes' the crew to their different duties,

      BOBSTAY (Fr. Sous-barbe). A chain (formerly a rope) used to confine a vessel's bowsprit down upon or towards the stem or cutwater, counteracting the upward strain of the stays. The upper end of the bobstay is attached to the bowsprit by a hoop or 'collar' of iron, and the lower end to the stem by means of iron plates termed the bobstay plates. Most vessels of war, however, still use rope bobstays, (those of chain having been found to spring the bowsprits of large ships on the upper part) the upper end of the bobstay and the iron collar having each a heart or dead eye attached to it, with a lanyard rove through them for setting up the bobstay. (Plates III.,IV., and V.)

      BODY-PLAN and BODIES. See Shipbuilding, 5.

      BODY POST. An additional stern post introduced at the fore part of an aperture cut in the dead wood in a ship fitted with a screw propeller. (Fincham's Outlines of Naval Architecture.)

      BOILER OF A MARINE ENGINE. See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 37, &c.

      BOLD. A bold shore is one which rises abruptly from the margin of the water. It generally indicates that the shore is 'steep-to.'

      BOLLARDS, or BOLLARD-HEADS. A name given to stancheons, the heads of which project above the rail of the ship

bollard heads in a ship op war.

so much as to allow ropes to be made fast to them. See also Billet-Head.

      BOLSTERS. Pieces of soft wood clothed with tarred canvass, placed on the trestle-trees for the eyes of the shrouds and back- stays to rest upon. See also Hawse bolsters.

      BOLT. To fasten any parts of a vessel together by means of bolts. See Copper fastened.

      BOLTS (Fr. Chevilles, Boulons). Cylindrical bars of iron or copper, which are used to fasten pieces of timber, &c., together: square bolts also are often used in Shipbuilding to fasten the frames together for their better security, while being laid on the keel. See Mastre.

      1. Workmen have sometimes a custom of dipping the ends of bolts into tar to make them drive more freely. As tar is injurious to the bolts, oil should rather be used for this purpose.

      2. All Butt-Bolts, that is, bolts driven into the butt-ends of the planking, 'ought to be cut and properly headed in the smithy. A safe and substantial head cannot be formed in driving the bolt.' This remark is not applicable to through copper bolts.

      3. Barb-Bolts. The same as Rag-pointed Bolts.

      4. Channel-Bolts or Chain-Bolts. See Chain Plates.

      5. Clinch-Bolt. A bolt that is clinched by means of a ring, or an iron plate, at its point.

      6. Copper-Bolts. See Copper fastened.

      7. Drift-Bolts are commonly made of steel; they are used for driving out other bolts.

      8. Dump-Bolt. A short bolt driven into the plank and timber, as a partial security, previous to the through fastenings being put in. The butt-ends of the outside planking should have at least one through bolt in each.

      9. Eye-Bolts are bolts which have an eye or opening in one end. They are fixed in various parts of a vessel's hull for hooking tackles and fastening ropes to.

      10. Rag-pointed Bolts, Rag-Bolts, or Barb-Bolts, are such as have their points jagged or barbed, to make them hold the more securely: these are used chiefly where common bolts could not be clinched. Dump-Bolts are sometimes rag-pointed.

      11. Ring-Bolts have an iron ring of about three, four, or five inches in diameter, passing through an eye or opening in one end of the bolt. In Shipbuilding, they are used with the wrain-staff in the ring, for setting to the planks. A few ring-bolts are fixed in the ship's deck for lashing the boats, &c.; in ships of war, span-shackle bolts are used for this purpose.

      12. Saucer-Head-Bolts are bolts with very flat heads.

      Span-Shackle-Bolts. See Span Shackle.

      Throat-Bolts. See Throat.

      Through-Bolts. See Through.

      BOLT-ROPES. Ropes sewed round the edges of a sail. The bolt-rope along each of its sides is called the leach-rope; that on the upper edge, the head-rope; and that on the lower edge, the foot-rope.

      BOLT-STRAKE, in Shipbuilding, a name sometimes given to certain strakes of plank which the beam fastenings pass through.

      BOMB, or BOMB-SHELL, now called simply Shell(Fr. Bombe). A hollow iron ball or shell filled with gunpowder, having a vent or fuze-hole into which a fuzee is fitted to set the powder on fire after the shell is thrown out of a mortar. This destructive missile is intended to do injury both by its force in falling, and by bursting after it falls.

      BOMB-BEDS. See Bed.

      BOMB-SHELL. See Bomb.

      BOMB-VESSEL (now called Mortar-Vessel). A ship of war fitted for firing shells from mortars. It is strongly fortified to withstand the shocks of the mortars when throwing shells. In our navy steam-ships are now sometimes employed in this way as being peculiarly suitable for the purpose.

      BOMBARD (Fr. Bombarder). To attack a town or fortress, whether from land or sea, by firing bombs into it. This mode of attack is termed bombardment.

      BONNET. An additional piece of canvass made to Iace on to the foot of a sail. An additional piece of canvass laced to the bonnet gets the name of a Drabler.

      BOOANGA. A Malay vessel, having sometimes as many as three banks of oars besides those pulled by the men, who are seated on a kind of raft on each side, forming part of the double 'outrigger with which the vessel is fitted. (Dict. de Marine à voiles;)

      BOOBY HATCH. See Hatch.

      BOOM (Fr. Bome). A spar used to extend the foot of a fore- and-aft sail, or of a studding sail. See Swinging-boom. The Bentick-boom is that which stretches the foot of the foresail in colliers and many small square-rigged Merchant vessels. Other booms, such as the Driver-boom (or Spanker-boom), the Jib-boom, Studding-sail-booms, &c., are named respectively after the sails for which they are used. The Main-boom is that which stretches the foot of the mainsail in a fore-and-aft rigged vessel. (Plates III., IV., and V).

      Boom is also the name for a strong beam stretched across the

mouth of a river, or the entrance of a harbour, in order to secure it against the approach of an enemy. A cable Is sometimes used for this purpose. See also Fire-booms and Guess-warp-boom.

      BOOM-IRONS. Iron rings on a vessel's yards, through which the studding-sail booms traverse.

      BOOM-MAINSAIL. The mainsail of a fore-and-aft rigged vessel, so called from being spread by the main boom. See Main.

      BOOMS. A space in a vessel's waist, set apart for the boats and spare spars.

      BOOPAA. A small canoe with a single outrigger, of the neighbourhood of Tongatabou. (Dict. de Marine à Voiles.)

      BOOT-TOPPING. A term formerly used to denote the scraping a ship's bottom, or that part of it near the surface of the water, and paying it over with a mixture of tallow, sulphur, rosin, &c., as a temporary protection to the plank from worms.

      The term is now used to signify the sheathing a vessel's outside planking with wood from the termination bf the copper fastenings of the bottom, or beginning of the iron fastenings to a height sufficient to protect the iron fastenings of the wales. By means of boot-topping which is put on over felt, the metal sheathing may be carried to any required height.

      BORE. A great rush of water in a river or tideway. BORE, in Gunnery. See Gun.

      BORROW. When a vessel is sailing through a channel, she is said to borrow' if she diverges a certain distance towards either side in order to save tacking, or for some other purpose. A vessel may get ashore by borrowing too much. The term is sometimes also applied to sailing very close to the wind.

      BOTH SHEETS AFT, expressed of a square-rigged vessel, implies that the yards are squared, and the ship is running before the wind.

      BOTTOM (Fr. Fond), The ground under the water.

      BOTTOM of a ship. That part which is below the wales, (Plate II. fig. 6.) Hence the term bottom is applied to denote the ship itself; thus, we speak of goods imported or exported in foreign bottoms, that is, in foreign ships.

      In like manner, the bottom of a boat is that part of her which is below water.

      BOTTOM-PLANK. See Stroke.

      BOTTOMRY (Fr. Bomerie, Contrat à la Grosse). The contract of bottomry, which is always in writing, commonly in the form of a bond, is one whereby a ship is pledged in security of money advanced for the purposes of her voyage; a high rate of interest, termed Maritime Interest, or Bottomry Premium, being charged, under the stipulation that if the ship be lost, the lender shall lose his whole money, including this premium, but that, if she reach her intended port in safety, the ship, or the ship, freight, and cargo, as well as the person of the borrower, shall be liable for the money lent, and for the maritime interest thereon. Where the master of the ship is the borrower, the owner is not personally liable to the lender. It is only in cases of necessity, where the master cannot communicate with the owners, and has no means of obtaining funds on their personal credit to enable a ship to complete her voyage, that the master has power to borrow money on bottomry. '.

      BOUND. Destined. Outward Bound is expressed of a vessel destined for a foreign port. Homeward Bound, of one returning to the country to which she belongs. A vessel leaving any port is outward bound in contradistinction from those coming to it, which are inward bound. See also Ice Bound, and Wind Bound.

      BOW (Fr. Devant). The fore end of a ship or of a boat. We speak of the starboard and larboard bows, the weather and lee bows.

      On the Bow. See Bearing.

      BOW-BY. When a vessel is in stays, the helm being a-lee and it has not sufficient power to bring her round, so that the ship's head falls away back again off the wind, she is said to be bow-by, or to fall bow-by.

      BOW-CHASERS. See Chase.

      BOW-FAST. See Fast.

      BOW-GRACE. 'A frame of old rope or junk laid round the bows, stern, and sides of a vessel, as a fender to prevent her being injured by ice.'

      BOW-LOG TIMBERS. A local name given, in Ireland, to the hawse-wood.

      BOW-MAN. (See Oar.

      BOW-TIMBERS. See Timbers.

      BOWER. An abbreviation for Bower Anchor. See Anchor, 6.

      BOWLINE (Fr. Bouline). A rope fastened by a cringle to the bowline-bridles near the middle of the leach of a square sail, and

rove through a block fixed at some convenient part before the sail; it is used to hold the leach well out and steady, when sailing close hauled, in order to enable the ship to keep near the wind. Hence, she is said to stand on a bowline, or on a taut bowline, when close-hauled.

      BOWLINE-BRIDLES. Spans of rope attached to the leach of a square sail; to which, as already explained, the bowline is made fast.

      BOWLINE-KNOT (Fr. Noeud de bouline), and BOWLINE ON A BIGHT. See Knot.

      BOWSE (pronounced bowce). To pull upon a tackle.

      BOWSPRIT (Fr. Beaupré). A large and strong spar which runs out from a vessel's bow: to this all the stays of the fore-mast are secured, except in sloops and schooners whose fore-stay is secured to the stem-head. (See Partners.) It also supports, by means of the Bowsprit-Cap and Bowsprit-Heart, the jibboom which runs out over its top. (Plates III., IV., and V.)

      A standing bowsprit is one that is fixed permanently in its place; a running bowsprit (used for sloops and smacks) is one that can be eased in like a jibboom.

      BOWSPRIT-BITTS. See Partners.

      BOWSPRIT-CAP. See Crance.

      BOWSPRIT-HEART. See Heart.

      BOWSPRIT-HORSES. Ridge-Ropes.

      BOWSPRIT-NETTING. See Netting.

      BOWSPRIT-RACK, or BOWSPRIT-RAIL. 'The pin- rail, or -rack, over the bowsprit, for belaying the running gear about the bowsprit.'

      BOWSPRIT-SHROUDS. Strong ropes leading from nearly the outer end of the bowsprit to the luff of the bow, to support and strengthen the bowsprit. We may here notice that the ropes used in a similar way for the jibboom are termed Jib-guys, (Plates III., IV., and V.)

      BOX THE COMPASS. To repeat the 32 points of the compass in their order.

      BOX-HAULING, or Boxing a Vessel Off, is performed by bracing to the head-yards, that is, hauling in their weather braces, until the head sails are brought aback and by their operation pay the ship's head off to leeward when she would not otherwise answer the weather-helm. It is further explained in Seamanship by Lieut. Nares, page 157.

      BOXING See preceding article, and Dowells.

      The Boxing of the Stem is the part where the stem is joined to the fore end of the keel by a side scarph of a peculiar form.' The stem is said to be boxed into the keel when so united with it. It is said to be stepped upon or into the keel when it is connected with the top of the keel by a tenon or dowell.

      BRACES, or RIDERS, in Shipbuilding, strops of iron which are used to bind a vessel efficiently; such as those which are bolted to the ship's sides over the ceiling, and reach from the heads of the floors to the clamps of the lower deck between the hold-beams, or else are connected with the hanging knees of these beams. Of the various methods of placing iron knees or braces in a ship's hold in order to obtain the greatest binding and security, Mr. Brisbane recommends the following: that they should be put on vertically along the whole range of the floor in midships, with their tails running down so as to get at least one bolt into the floor timber and diagonally only on a few of the foremost and aftermost beams, with their tails running forward and aft respectively, the effects of' the pitching motion being most felt in these places, as the rolling motion is most felt along the middle of the ship. See also Trussing (Diagonal) and Rudder Bands.

      Braces also denote ropes by which yards are turned about to trim the sails to the wind. They are fastened to, or rove through blocks at, the yard-arms. (Plates III., IV., and V.)

      To brace a yard (Fr. Brasser). To turn it about horizontally by means of the braces.

      To counter-brace the yards, means to brace a vessel's head yards one way and the after yards another.

      BRACE-ABACK. To brace the yards so as to lay the sails aback.

      BRACE-ABOUT. To brace the yards round in any direction, either for the purpose of tacking, or in consequence of a change of wind.

      BRACE-BY. To brace the yards in contrary directions to each other on the different masts, which has the effect of stopping the vessel.

      BRACE-PENDANTS. See Pendants.

      BRACE-ROUND. The same as Brace-About.

      BRACE-SHARP. The same as Brace-Up.

      BRACE-TO. To brace the head yards a little aback by easing off the lee braces and hauling in the weather ones, in order to assist the motion of the ship's head in tacking.

      BRACE-UP, or Brace sharp up. To lay the yards more fore and aft, by easing off the weather braces and hauling up the lee braces; which makes the ship sail closer to the wind.

      BRACKETS. Short triangular pieces of wood or metal fixed under anything as supports. They are sometimes plain, sometimes ornamented with scrolls.

      BRAGOZO. An open fishing-boat of the Adriatic, carrying two masts with lug sails.

      BRAILS (Fr. Cargues). Ropes made fast to the outer leach of a fore and aft sail, and passing through leading blocks on the mast or gaff down to the deck, to assist in taking in the sail.

      The stowing of a jib at sea is frequently attended with much danger; and brails (for spilling it during this process) have been introduced into some vessels; they are made fast to the head of the jib and are led down through a lizard sewed about the middle of each side of the sail and through blocks fixed to the jibboom. These deserve to be strongly recommended for general adoption. See Traveller (Jib).

      To brail up a sail, means to haul it in by means of the brails. Throat-Brails. See Throat.

      BRAKE. See Pump."

      BRANCH PILOT. See Pilot.

      BREACH. The sea is said to make a breach over a vessel when a wave breaks over her.

      BREAD-ROOM. A place parted off below-deck for containing bread or biscuit. It should be lined with tin or some similar metal in order to exclude vermin. In a ship of war, the bread room is in the lowest and aftermost part of the ship.

      BREADTH (Fr. Largeur). See Shipbuilding 6, and Straight of Breadth.

      BREAK, in Shipbuilding, any sudden termination and rise of a deck, such as the termination of the main deck, in some merchant vessels, where the quarter deck commences.

      BREAK-BEAMS. See Beams, 2.

      BREAK-BULK (Fr. Dêsarrimer). To begin to unload a vessel. See Bulk.

      BREAK-GROUND. To weigh anchor in order to quit any place.

      BREAK-SHEER (Fr. Embarder). To swerve from the proper direction in which a vessel should be when at anchor. (Darcy Lever.) Thus 'when a ship is riding at anchor with

the tide setting to windward, the wind blowing on one of the quarters, and the vessel being sheered by the helm either to windward or leeward of her anchor – in such a case she is said to break sheer if any change in the strength of the wind or tide should have the effect of bringing the ship round with the wind on the other quarter, and forcing her to the opposite side of her anchor; which is frequently the means of fouling it.

      BREAKAGE, in speaking of the stowage of a vessel, implies the leaving of empty spaces.

      In Marine Insurance, the term Breakage alludes to damage occurring to goods by breaking.

      BREAKWATER. Some erection or object sunk at the entrance of a harbour, or any projection from the land into the sea – as a mole, pier, or jetty – so placed at the entrance, that it may break the force of the waves as they roll inwards. Reference may here be made to the Parliamentary Report on Floating Breakwaters.

      BREAKER (SHIP). See Ship-Breaker.

      BREAKERS (Fr. Brisants). Billows that break in foam over rocks or sand-banks rising nearly to the surface of the sea.

      Breakers. Small casks used for bringing water aboard in boats. They are often made of an oval shape in order to stow snugly in a boat. Gang-Casks are of a larger size, and are used for the like purposes.

      BREAM. To clean a vessel's bottom by burning off the filth, &c., and sweeping it with a broom.

      BREAST-BEAMS. See Beams, 3.

      BREAST-FAST. See Fast.

      BREAST-HOOKS (Fr. Guirlandes). Large crooked pieces of timber bolted horizontally athwart a vessel's bow inside, connecting the stem and the timbers and planks of the bow, and thus binding the sides of the ship together forward, as the transoms secure them abaft. In very sharp vessels, where wood cannot be made available, the breast-hooks are wholly of iron. The breast- hook whereon the ends of the upper deck rest is called the Deck-Hook; and that which crosses the hawse-timber above this deck gets the name of a Dowsing-Chock, or Hawse-Hook. (Plate IV. 12.)

      BREAST-RAIL. See Breast-work.

      BREAST-ROPE. A rope put round a man in the chains while sounding.

      BREAST-WORK, or BREAST-RAIL A railing in front of the quarter-deck, or at the after part of the forecastle-deck. The term is but seldom used in the merchant service.

      BREECH (Fr. Culasse). The angular part of knee timber. The solid part of a gun behind the bore. See Gun.

      BREECHING. A rope used to check the recoil of a gun in time of action; and also to lash it when housed during the course of a voyage.

      BREECH-LOADING GUN. A gun which is loaded at the breech instead of at the muzzle. See Gun (Armstrong).

      BREEZE (Fr.Brise) commonly denotes a gentle wind: but this term is more specially applied to a kind of alternating winds generally experienced in settled weather upon coasts or islands situated between the tropics, occasioned by the action of the sun raising the temperature of the land above that of the sea. The land breeze is a current of air which draws off the land during the night; while it lasts, it is very dangerous to sleep in the open air in these hot climates. The sea breeze is one which during the day sets from the sea towards the shore. They prevail during the fair season with remarkable regularity on the Malabar coast. Breezes of this description, particularly sea breezes, occur also in the temporate zones during summer. (Horsburgh's India Directory.)

      See Fanning Breeze and Fresh Breeze.

      BRIDGE, or BRIDGE-BOARD. See Gangway.

      BRIDGE (FLOATING). See Floating Bridge.

      BRIDLES. See Bowline-Bridles, and Towing-Bridle.

      The bridle of moorings is the chain or cable connecting the two mooring anchors, having a swivel in its middle to which the chain is made fast. Mooring-Bridle also denotes the two parts of the mooring chain or rope taken on board through the hawse- holes or on each bow, having usually a swivel at its bight where it is connected with the ring of the buoy or moorings by which the vessel is secured.

      BRIDLE-PORT. See Ports.

      BRIG (Fr. Brig). A square-rigged vessel with two masts. (Plate IV.)

      1. A Brig bends her fore and aft mainsail (or, as it is called, her trysail or boom mainsail) to the mainmast, while a Snow bends it to a trysail mast: in other respects these two vessels are alike.

      2d A Brigantine properly signifies a brig without her square mainsail. The term Brigantine is now applied to what have been hitherto called square-rigged schooners,"or hermaphrodite brigs (Fr. Brigs goëlettes), having the foremast rigged as a brig's, and the mainmast rigged as a schooner's. See Cutter.

      BRIGANTINE. See Brig, 2.

      BRINE GAUGE. An instrument for indicating the density of brine in the boilers of marine steam engines. See Salinometer and Steam Engine, Sect. 45.

      BRINE PUMPS (Fr. Pompes de saumure). See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 45.

      BRING BY THE LEE (Fr. Empanner). The following distinct explanation of this phrase is given in Seamanship both in Theory andPractice:— ' Suppose a ship under great sail to be steering south, having the wind NNW.; then, west is the weather side; east, the lee side. Now if by any accident her head be turned round to the westward, so that her sails are all taken aback on the weather side, she is said to Broach-to, but if, on the contrary, her head decline so far eastward as to lay her sails aback on that side which was the lee side, it is termed Bringing by the Lee.

      BRING TO, or HEAVE TO. To adjust a vessel's sails so as to counteract each other, and thus stop her progress. See Round to.

      BRING UP, or To bring a vessel up, is the same as to cast anchor.

      BRISBANE'S BOAT BUOYING, or LIFE BOAT APPARATUS. See Life-Boat, 3.

      BROACH-TO. See Bring by the Lee.

      BROAD PENDANT. See Pendant.

      BROAD-SIDE. The whole side of a vessel. In reference to a naval engagement it signifies a simultaneous discharge of all the guns on one side of a ship of war. See also End on.

      BROKEN-BACKED. The same as Hogged. The former term, however, seems more properly applicable to the case of a vessel which not only droops at each end, but whose keel and keelson are consequently broken.

      BROKERS (Fr. Courtiers. Courtiers maritimes). Ship Brokers are persons who undertake the management of business matters between shipowners and merchants, in the way of procuring cargoes and charters for vessels, entering and clearing them at the custom house, collecting freights, &c. Ship brokers

very generally act also as Insurance Brokers, in which capacity they get policies of marine insurance effected for their employers, and attend to the recovery of claims under these policies. The merchants or shipowners for whom such insurances or charters are negotiated, 'look to the broker for the regularity of the contract, and for a proper selection of responsible underwriters: to him, also, the underwriters look for a fair and candid disclosure of all material circumstances affecting the risk, and for payment of the premiums of insurance.' (Marshall on Insurance.)

      BROWS. See Stages.

      BRUSH ICE. See Iceberg, 4.

      BUCCANEERS (Fr. Boucanniers). A name originally given to the piratical adventurers who united together against the Spaniards in America; it has also been applied to denote 'sea rovers' or pirates.

      BUCKETS are used on board of ships for washing the decks and for other purposes. They get the name of wash-deck buckets.

      Fire-Buckets are buckets used on board of ships of war in case of fire, and in time of action for holding the fighting lanterns, and for carrying powder.

      BUCKET VALVE of Air Pump. See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 16.

      BUCKLERS. 'Pieces of wood fitted inside a ship's bows in the way of the hawse-holes, to prevent water from rushing in. They are of two kinds: the one termed Riding Bucklers, used when the cable is bent, are in two pieces, which, when placed in contact, have an aperture of sufficient size to fit as closely as possible to the chain or rope cable: the other kind, termed Blind Bucklers, which have no aperture, are usually fitted in the form of strong shutters attached to the inside of the bows under the hawse-holes, so that, when turned up, they may completely close the hawse-holes, and are secured inside by a strong bar of wood or iron, to prevent the sea forcing them open.

      'Bucklers are used instead of hawse-plugs in ships of war and large merchantmen.'

      BUGLA. A particular kind of merchant vessel trading between Bombay and the Persian Gulf.

      BUILT is compounded with other terms to imply the distinguishing form or construction of a vessel, as Frigate-built, Carvel-built, &c.

      A built (or made) mast, or block, means one which is composed of several pieces. The lower masts of large ships are built, but small vessels have their lower as well as their upper masts formed of whole spars.

      BULGE. Bilge.

      BULK. The whole of a vessel's cargo when stowed.

      Goods are said to be stowed in bulk, when they are stowed loose instead of being packed in casks, bags, or the like.

      Break Bulk (Fr. Désarrimer). To begin to unload a vessel. If after the arrival of any ship within a certain distance of the coast of the United Kingdom, any alteration be made in the stowage of the cargo so as to facilitate the unloading of any portion of it, or if any part of it be staved, destroyed or thrown overboard, (except, it would seem proper to add, in the case of jettison,) or if any package of the cargo be opened, such ship is considered as having broken bulk. This is prohibited under heavy penalties until the vessel be duly reported and entry of the goods made at the Custom-house.

      BULKER. A person employed to measure the capacity of goods, in order to ascertain the amount of freight or port dues chargeable against them.

      BULKHEAD, or BULKSHEAD (Fr. Cloison). A partition; in particular, the boarding which separates one part or cabin of a vessel from another. In a merchant vessel, the fore bulkhead separates the forecastle, the after bulkhead separates the cabin, from the hold.

      Some vessels, especially those which are built of iron, are divided into compartments by athwart ship water-tight bulkheads, so that a leak sprung in any compartment may not communicate with the rest of the ship. These bulkheads, in order to resist the pressure of the water, should increase in strength in proportion to their depth below the surface of the water. They tend to strengthen the vessel, and of late years are deservedly coming into more general use. There have been special statutory regulations now enacted as to steamers being provided with watertight bulkheads, which are also required by the rules of Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping.

      The mode of fitting bulkheads in iron ships is explained and illustrated in Grantham on Iron Shipbuilding, page 48.

      Mr. Grantham states that water-tight bulkheads have been for ages in use in China.'

      Bulkheads are also temporarily used to prevent any cargo, such as grain in bulk, from shifting in a vessel's hold.

      See also Screen-Bulkheads.

      BULL'S EYE. A species of block formed of a piece of stout wood having a hole in the centre, without any sheave, for a small stay or rope to reeve through; it has a groove round it for the strop, which is sometimes of iron.

      Also, a round piece of thick glass convex on one side, inserted into the decks, ports, scuttle hatches, or skylight covers of a vessel for the purpose of admitting light. Instead of bull's eyes, patent glasses of a rectangular form are now in common use.

      BULWARKS, or BERTHING (Fr. Pavois). A fencing of boards nailed round a vessel on the outside of the stanchions and timber heads above the level of the decks. See Quarter-boards, Rail, and Waist-boards (Plate IV. 24, 35.)

      BULWARK-NETTING. See Netting.

      BUM-BOATS. Boats of provision dealers, &c., which come alongside of ships in port, not moored at a quay or other landing place.

      BUMPKIN. A short boom of wood or iron projecting from each side of the bow of a square-rigged vessel, used to extend the clue of the foresail to windward, or (in nautical phrase) to board the fore tack to. There are, in like manner, bumpkins projecting over the quarters with blocks at their outer ends to reeve the main braces through.

      BUNT. The middle of a square sail, more particularly when furled to the yard.

      To bunt a sail, means to haul it up to the yard and stow the middle part of it

      BUNT-GASKET. See Gasket.

      BUNTINE, or BUNTING. A kind of thin woollen cloth whereof a ship's colours and signals are usually made.

      BUNTLINES. Ropes fastened to the foot ropes of square sails to draw them up to the middle of the yards, for facility in furling.

      In Darcy Lever's Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor, the following judicious observation occurs, 'As many coasting vessels have no buntlines to their top-gallant sails, it would be well if the necessity of carrying them were strongly enforced: because, when it blows fresh, these sails (generally left to the management of boys) are very heavy to hand; and if there be no buntlines to

spill them, the result may be fatal to those on the yard arm by the sails blowing over to leeward.'

      BUNTLINE CLOTH. A piece of cloth sewed upon a sail to keep the buntlines from chafing the sail. See Lining.

      BUOY (Fr. Bouée). A floating cask, or block of wood, attached by a rope called the buoy-rope to an anchor, in order to show its position after being cast. The buoy-rope is made fast to the anchor by a small chain called the Buoy-Chain, which prevents the rope from being chafed by friction on the anchor. The rope should be of sufficient strength to weigh the anchor in case of need. See Strop.

      1. When it is found necessary to slip a cable, a buoy and buoy- rope are, if possible, bent to the chain outside the hawse-hole, before slipping.

      2. Buoys are also floated over dangerous banks, shallows, or other obstructions to navigation, in order to warn vessels off:

      3. To stream a buoy means to let it drop into the water previously to casting anchor. A buoy is said to watch so long as it appears on the surface of the water.

      4. Bell-Buoy. A kind of large can-buoy (or a kind of pontoon almost level with the water and having its bottom in the form of a cone), whereon is placed a lofty erection of iron wicker work, containing a bell which has several tongues to sound it by means of the heaving of the sea. The tongues are suspended outside of the bell from two beams fitted above it, at right angles to each other. Not only is this contrivance valuable as a signal, during foggy weather, to warn vessels from off the bank or other obstruction over or in the way of which the buoy is placed, but in some of these machines, above the bell there is a large chamber formed also of iron wicker-work, which can be entered by means of ladders within the receptacle for the bell, and is intended as a temporary place of safety for shipwrecked mariners.

      5. Boat-Buoys. For giving increased buoyancy to any kind of boat. See Life-Boat.

      6. Can-Buoys, or more properly, Cone-buoys, from their being shaped like a cone, are generally of a very large size; they are used chiefly for being placed over banks, or any other object which obstructs the navigation.

can-buoy.

can-buoy with rope strops.

      7. Nun-Buoys are somewhat in the form of casks, being large in the middle and tapering towards each end.

nun-buoy.

      8. Life-Buoys, which are of various descriptions, are used to throw overboard for a person who has fallen into the water to lay hold of, and for similar purposes.

      Carte's Life-Buoys, which have long been in general use, are macle of solid cork in a circular form.

      There are also life-buoys made of gutta percha. Mr. Gladstone, Surveyor to the Board of Trade, has contrived an ingenious improvement on life-buoys, to enable them to be more easily seen after being thrown into the water, consisting simply of a bar of wood pivoting at right angles to the periphery of the buoy, and having a small weight at one end to bring the other end uppermost with a piece of buntine attached to this end, which is thus seen floating above the surface of the water.

      9. Wooden Buoys are blocks of wood, of various shapes, generally having a bolt through them, with a ring at each extremity. They are sometimes called Dolphins.

      BUOY-ROPE. See description of Buoy.

      BURDEN, or BURTHEN(Fr. Capacité). The weight which a vessel will carry when loaded to a proper sea trim; it is generally stated in tous. The registered tonnage of a vessel is ascertained by certain fixed rules of measurement, which are noticed under the head Tonnage; and we may observe that the number of tons

register is usually much less than the ship's burden, except in very sharp vessels.

      A vessel of burden is a name given generally to any vessel built for the purpose of carrying cargo.

      The burden of vessels in the coal trade is very frequently stated in Keels.

      BURGOO, or LOBLOLLY. A name given by sailors to gruel made of oatmeal, or groats, seasoned with a little salt, butter, and sugar.

      BURNETISING. A term applied to the impregnating timber, canvass, or cordage, with the solution of chloride of zinc, as noticed under the title Dry Rot.

      BURTON. A small tackle formed by several blocks till the rope becomes three or four fold, and acquires additional power in proportion. It is used for many purposes; especially to set up topmast shrouds, whence it has been called a top-burton-tackle.

      A single Spanish burton has three single blocks, or two

single blocks and a hook fixed to one of the bights of the standing part of the tackle. A double Spanish burton, has one double and two single blocks.

      BUSH. A circular piece of metal let into the sheave of a block. The operation of letting it in is called bushing or cocking.

      The bushes in which the crank-shaft, side levers, &c., of a marine engine work, are commonly made of brass, in order to have little friction.

      The term bushing is also applied to the operation of dove-

tailing a piece of metal into the vent of a gun, particularly of a brass one, when the vent has got too large; such a repair is very insufficient.

      BUSS. A stout built vessel with two masts, employed in the herring fisheries.

      BUTT. The joining of two timbers or planks which unite endways. See Hook-Scarph.

      When a plank has been loosened at one end, by a vessel's weakness, by labouring, or otherwise, she is said to have started a butt.

      Planks or pieces of timber which unite endways, are said to butt or abut against each other; and in like manner, the planks on a vessel's side which run to the stem or to the sternpost, are said to butt against the stem or sternpost respectively.

      Butt also means the larger end of a tapering piece of timber. Hence the phrase top and butt. See Scuttled Butt.

      BUTT-BOLTS. See Bolts, 2, 8.

      BUTTOCK. The rounding part of a vessel's after body, under the counter.

      BUTTOCK-LINES. Longitudinal curves at the buttock and bow representing the ship's, body cut in vertical section.

      BUTTON. See Gun, 20.

      BUXIS. A gratuity (a term used in India).

      BUYSE. A fishing vessel of Holland, whereof the bows are very full; it has three short masts, capable of being lowered abaft, rigged with square sails. These vessels are employed chiefly in the herring and mackerel fishing.

      BY THE BOARD. A mast falling is said to go by the board, when it has given way at or near deck.

      BY THE HEAD. If a vessel draws more water forward than aft, she is by the head. If her stern be lower in the water than her head, she is by the stern.

      BY THE WIND, or FULL AND BY. The same as closehauled, expressing the situation of a vessel when she keeps as close to the wind as can be done without shaking the sails.

      CABIN (Fr. Chambre). An apartment for the accommodation of the officers, crew, or passengers, on board of a vessel. This term is sometimes applied to the berths in which they sleep.

Bed-rooms detached from the main cabin or saloon, get the name of state-rooms.

      CABIN-BOY. A boy employed to serve in the cabin.

      CABLE (Fr. Cable). A large strong rope, or chain, to hold a vessel when at anchor. Most vessels of this country are now supplied with chain cables: the rope cable being almost entirely out of use except in some foreign vessels. Chains have the advantage of not being liable to chafe by friction; in riding by them, also, the weight of the chain causes it to form a bight or curve which makes it rise and fall easily with the action of the sea upon the ship, and serves to prevent any sudden jerk upon the anchor. See Chain and Hawse.

      The Stream Cable, is a hawser or rope used for warping a vessel, or to moor her by means of the stream anchor after coming to anchor in a river or haven. It is the largest of the water-laid ropes of a vessel.

      Bend the Cable. See Bend.

      Bitt the Cable. See Bitts.

      Heave in the Cable, to draw it into the ship by winding about the capstan or windlass.

      See Heave short, Pay out, Range of Cable and Slip.

      CABLE BENDS. Two small ropes for lashing the ends of a rope cable to its own part, in order to secure the knot (or clinch) by which it is fastened to the anchor-ring.

      CABLE-BITTS, or RIDING-BITTS. See Bitts.

      CABLE-LAID ROPE. A rope formed by three ropes of three strand yarn laid up into one. See Rope.

      CABLE'S-LENGTH (Fr. Encablure). A measure of 120 fathoms – the usual length of a hempen cable.

      CABLET. A small rope cable.

      CABONIGRO. A species of palm tree, producing a kind of thick fibre used in the Philippine Islands to make cordage somewhat resembling Abaca cordage. (Dict. de Marine à Voiles.)

      CABOOSE. A cast-iron cooking apparatus used on board of vessels. It is also called a Fire Hearth. See Cook-house.

      CADETS (NAVAL). 'The designation of young officers when they first enter the service of the royal navy, and before they become midshipmen.' They are educated in 'training ships' in harbour or at sea. The rules of the Admiralty in regard to naval cadets are contained in Chapter VIII. of the Queen's Regulations.

      CAIQUE. A small narrow flat-bottomed rowing boat used at Constantinople and neighbouring places. Also, a small vessel of the Levant.

      CAISSON, or CAISSOON (Fr. Forme flottante). A kind of floating dock made of wood or iron, which is sunk to the required depth by letting water into it. It contains an air receptacle, which allows it to sink only to a certain depth, whereupon it is hauled under the ship's bottom, the entrance is closed, the water pumped out, and the ship, after being steadied upon it by shores or sliding bilge blocks, is by this means completely raised out of the water without leaving her moorings. See Dock (Floating).

      A machine for the above purpose, called a Screw-dock, is met with in the United States of America. This apparatus consists of a platform, which is sunk below the water to a sufficient depth, suspended by iron screws from a strong wooden framework; the vessel to be raised is floated over the platform, and, being steadied upon it by means of shores, is lifted high and dry between the frames by the combined power of the lever, wheel and pinion, and screw. There is also a similar machine in use there, called the Hydraulic-dock, the platform whereof is suspended by chains which pass through cast-iron pulleys on the top of the framework, and are connected with a hydraulic engine. (Stevenson's Civil Engineering of North America.)

      Caisson also denotes a vessel used instead of gates for a dry dock. It is usually in the form of a ship divided longitudinally, and is fitted with valves or sluices to admit or eject water as may be required, for sinking it in its place to close the entrance, or floating it to open the dock. This gets the name also of a floating dam.

      CALIBRE of a Gun. The diameter of its bore.

      CALK. See Caulk.

      CALL. A pipe or whistle used by the boatswain in a ship to call or 'pipe' the hands to their different duties.

      CALLIPERS, used for Shipbuilding purposes, a kind of compasses with bowed legs; at that part of the legs next the joint, where they are straight, there is generally a sword in the form of a quadrant fixed to one and running through the other leg, and it is fitted with a screw to fasten it at any stretch. This instrument is used chiefly in mast making to measure the sizes of different logs or of different parts of the same log. 'Also, an in-

strument for gauging the diameter of work in the lathe, &c. Engineers' Callipers are of thin steel; they are used for not only ascertaining the external diameter of cylindrical objects, but likewise the internal diameter of holes, &c.

      CALM (Fr. Calme). A calm is a state of stillness in the atmosphere. It is a dead calm (calme plat) when there is not a breath of wind to inflate a vessel's sails. The wind is said to fall calm (mollir) when it ceases to blow. The sea is calm when its surface is unruffled.

      CALM LATITUDES. That tract of the ocean which is situated near the Equator and subject to calms of long continuance. See Trade Winds.

      CAMBER. In Shipbuilding, a slight arching upwards.

      A vessel whose floor is higher at the middle than towards the stem and stern is said to be cambered.

      Camber is also a name given to a small dock in any of the royal dockyards, used for boats and for loading and discharging timber. There is a Camber dock at Portsmouth.

      CAMBOOSE. See Caboose.

      CAMEL. A machine which has been used for raising ships in the water in order to enable them to pass over a bar on which there is not so much water as the ship draws. It is made in two separate parts which fit and are made fast to the hull of the ship on each side; in the chambers of the camel there are plugs which, after the vessel has been towed to the bar, are taken out till sufficient water is admitted to sink the ship to the ground. The water is then pumped out, and the camel raises the ship sufficiently in the water. Such is the general description of this machine given by some nautical writers. It seems more probable that the plugs would be taken out in order to admit water into the two parts of the camel and sink them beneath the bilges of the ship, so that, the machine being then made fast to the ship and enclosing it on each side, and the water being pumped out, the camel might act with a force like that of empty casks in raising the ship above the ordinary depth of water which she draws.

      The Floating Graving Docks which have to a certain extent been long in use in Scotland, and recently carried out on a more extensive scale in England, are constructed on this principle.

      CAMFERING. See Chamfering.

      CAN-BUOY. A large cone-shaped buoy. See Buoy, 6.

      CAN-HOOKS, or CAN-HOOK SLINGS. Slings commonly made of rope or chain with flat iron hooks at each end. They are

used for hoisting light casks, the hooks being placed on the chimes of the cask, and the tackle hooked to the centre of the slings.

      CANISTER SHOT, or CASE-SHOT. Small balls in a cylindrical case or canister. See Shot.

      CANNON. See Gun.

      CANNONADE. In marine affairs to cannonade means to keep up a continual discharge of the guns of one or more ships of war against some object intended to be taken or destroyed, and this continued discharge of the guns is termed a cannonade.

      CANOE. A peculiar kind of boat used by the natives of America and other parts. It is sometimes formed of the trunk of a tree hollowed, and sometimes of one or more pieces of bark, skin, or the like, fastened together.

      Some canoes are made to carry sail, but they are commonly rowed with paddles.

      CANT. To turn anything over. See also Flensing.

      CANT-BLOCKS. A name given to large purchase blocks used in ships at the Davis' Straits' Fishing. See Block, 1.

      CANT-TIMBERS (Fr. Coltis). The timbers at the bow and stern of a vessel which stand obliquely to the line of the keel.

      CANVASS, or SAIL-CLOTH (Fr. Toile). The cloth of which sails are made.

      It is generally made 24 inches, sometimes 30 inches, wide, in pieces called bolts, varying from 36 to 42, but most commonly 38 to 40, yards in length. A bolt of Navy canvass, which is always of the best quality, is about 40 yards in length. To distinguish the different qualities of canvass, each bolt is numbered, and a bolt 39 yards long and 24 inches in breadth ought to weigh as follows:— No. 1, 46 lbs; No. 2, 43; No. 3, 40; No. 4, 36; No. 5, 33; No. 6, 30; No. 7, 27; No. 8, 25; No. 9, 23; and No. 10, 21 lbs. The two last numbers are not common.

      The term canvass is used also to denote the sails themselves. Thus, a vessel is said either to have all her sails or all her canvass set. Again, a vessel in motion by means of her sails is said to be under canvass.

      CAP (Fr. Chouquet). A strong thick block of wood with two holes through it, the one square and the other round, used to confine together the head of one mast and the lower end of the mast next above it. When made of iron it is called a crance (Plates III., IV., and V.).

      Caps also denote square pieces of wood laid upon the upper blocks on which a vessel is built to receive the keel.

      The term cap is also applied to any covering, such as lead, put over the heads of iron bolts, to prevent their being corroded by exposure to the action of water or copper.

      Bowsprit Cap. See Crance.

      CAP-SQUARES. Crooked clamps of iron forelocked one on each of the trunnions of a gun, to keep it steady in its carriage at sea.

      CAPE. The extremity towards the sea of a high or mountainous promontory. See Promontory.

      CAPSIZE (Fr. Chavirer). To overset.

      CAPSTAN, or CAPSTERN (Fr. Cabestan). A machine

capstan of the 'northumberland' steam ship of war,
now building. (drawn from model)

consisting of a cylinder or barrel, as it is called, which revolves

round a vertical spindle fixed in the deck; the barrel having a broad cylindrical piece of wood, sometimes made of two semicircular pieces, fixed upon its upper extremity, forming what is termed the drumhead, which is pierced with a number of holes to receive the bars or levers, called the capstan bars, whereby it is turned round. In many vessels these holes have ornamental plugs fitted into them, which can be unshipped when required. An iron pin is inserted through the drumhead and each of the bars, in order to prevent the latter from flying out during the revolution of the capstan. The spindle is fitted into a block of wood, called the Step of the capstan, which is fixed securely between two of the ship's beams.

      This machine is used, like a windlass, for weighing the anchor, or generally for a strong purchase in heaving or hoisting. Menof-war and some large merchant ships weigh their anchors by capstans; other vessels use a windlass. Ships of great burden have often two or more capstans, the fore capstan, and the after or main capstan, &c.

      Several capstans of an improved construction are now in use; of these Brown's Patent Capstan is one of the best. A double capstan is one constructed to be worked both on an upper and lower deck on one shaft.

      The following invention, described in the Dictionnaire de Marine à voiles et à vapeur, par MM. Bonnefoux et Paris, appears to have been adopted in the French navy. The lower rim of the capstan is furnished with a very strong cast-iron hoop (called after the inventor the Barbotin or Couronne-Barbotin) having the demi-impressions of the alternate links of a chain-cable indented round its whole periphery, to serve as catches for the chain, which is thereby retained while heaving it in by means of the capstan; the weight of the chain descending into its 'well' being brought to bear so as to keep it close to the capstan rim. The necessity of using a messenger is thereby avoided, and a good deal of time saved in weighing the anchor. But, as in the case of Rendall's Chain Ferry Boat, it will probably be found that in the course of use the links of the chain gradually become unsuited in their length to the impressions or indentations on the cast-iron hoop.^* See Drumhead, Messenger, Pawls, and Swift.

      Come up the Capstan. To slack off the rope or cable on which they had been heaving.

      Heave the Capstan. To move it round by means of the bars, in order to create the required purchase upon the chain or rope that is wound around its barrel.

      Rig the Capstan. To fix the bars in the capstan holes in order to prepare for heaving.

      Surge the Capstan. To slacken the rope which is round the barrel while heaving, in order to let it fly up towards the smaller end, and so prevent its parts from riding or getting foul.

      CAPTAIN (Fr. Capitaine). The commander of a vessel. In merchant ships, he is commonly called the Master. In the Royal Navy, the title of Captain is properly given only to post captains, i.e. to those who have been posted to the rank of Captain, which is next above that of a Commander, R.N. The term post captain, however, is now in disuse.

      In the Royal Navy, captain is also a designation given to the principal seamen of particular gangs of men, as captain of the forecastle, of the hold, of the main, fore, or mizen top, &c.

      CAPTAIN OF THE FLEET. 'A temporary appointment given through the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to a captain. All the orders of the Commander-in-Chief are issued, and all returns made, through the Captain of the Fleet.' (See the Queen's Regulations, p. 35.)

      CAPTURE (Fr. Prendre), as applied to maritime affairs, is the taking forcible possession of ships or goods belonging to the subjects of one nation by those of a hostile nation. The ship which captures is called the captor (Fr. capteur), and the captured ship (preneur) is called a prize.

      CARAMOUSAL. A Turkish vessel of commerce having two masts (the after one a small mast) and a very elevated stern.

      CARAVEL. In Turkey, this name is given to large ships. In Portugal, it is a small vessel carrying lateen sails. The three vessels which composed the expedition of Columbus on the occasion of his discovering America were caravels, but there is said to be no authentic account of their form, size, or rig. (Dict. de Marine à voiles.)

      CARCASS. An iron frame or hollow shot perforated with three holes and filled with a composition of highly inflammable combustibles, fired like shell from a mortar. (See Boyd's Naval Cadet's Manual, 276.)

      CARDINAL POINTS, of the compass, the general name by which the North, South, East, and West points are distinguished. See Compass.

      CAREEN. A vessel is said to careen, when she lies over with a considerable list in the water. To careen a ship, is to heave her down upon her side in the water by purchases upon the masts, in order to repair or clean any part which is below the water-mark. And a beach prepared for laying vessels upon for the purpose of effecting such repair &c. iS called a Careening-beach. The word Carener (to careen) in French is applied to the repairing of a ship when laid on a careening beach or hove down.

      CAREENING BEACH. See preceding article.

      CARGO (Fr. Cargaison). The lading or merchandise with which a vessel is freighted; the goods with which she is laden.

      CARGO-BOOK. A book kept by the master of every coasting vessel, stating the name of the ship, of the master, of the port to which she belongs, and of the port to which she is bound on each voyage: in this book is entered, at the port of lading, an account of all goods taken on board, with the names of the respective shippers and consignees, so far as they are known to him, and at the port of discharge, the respective days on which such goods are delivered out of the ship; also the respective times of departure from the port of lading, and of arrival at any port of discharge.

      CARLINGS. Fore-and-aft pieces of wood fitted in tiers between a vessel's beams, with the upper sides of which they are made flush. Between the carlings, and between the ship's sides and the carlings, there are athwartship pieces termed ledges, introduced in like manner. The whole of these form a framing for the deck to rest upon. Mast Carlings, Hatchway Carlings, Pump well carlings, Riding bitt Carlings, Bowsprit bitt Carlings, Topsail sheet bitt Carlings, are so named from the parts with which they are respectively connected. The mast carlings are carlings fitted for the mast partners (of which they form a part) in large ships. See Beams, 4; and Coamings.

      CARPENTER of a vessel. A person whose peculiar duty it is to keep in order the hull and spars, and the boats belonging to her. In merchant vessels, more especially in small ones, he has also to do the ordinary duties of a seaman. See also Shipwright.

      CARRICK BEND. See Bend.

      CARRICK-BITTS. The same as Windlass-hilts.

      CARRONADE (Fr. Caronade). A kind of short gun, having (like a mortar) a chamber for the powder.

      CARRY AWAY. To break a spar, &c., or to part a rope; it is used chiefly in the former sense.

      CARTEL-SHIPS (Fr. Parlémentaires). Old ships of war employed for conveying and exchanging prisoners. See Transports.

      CARTRIDGE (Fr. Cartouche, Gargousse). A case containing the charge of a fire-arm and made to fit its bore. Cartridges for heavy guns or mortars are made of flannel.

      CARVEL-BUILT, implies that the planks of a ship or,boat are all flush; that is to say, their edges being fayed to each other, and not overlapping as in clinker work. When the plates of an iron vessel are flush, they are said to be Jump-jointed.

      CASCABLE. See Gun, 8.

      CASCO. A boat or lighter of Manilla, somewhat resembling a large punt, used in the transport of goods.

      CASE-SHOT, or CANISTER-SHOT. Small balls in a cylindrical case or canister. See Shot.

      CASED. A mast is said to be cased when it has a casing built round it to prevent the necessity of discharging or shifting cargo in order to unstep and step the mast when required.

      CASING, in Shipbuilding, a method of lining similar to veneering, commonly used for the beams and ceiling in cabins.

      CASK. A barrel for liquor, provisions, or the like. See Bilge of a Cask, Chimes; and also Bed, Aburton, Stowage, and Stow-wood.

      CAST (Fr. Abattre). To pay a ship's head off, in getting under weigh on the tack she is to sail upon. We say cast to starboard, or to port, according as her head is to be paid off to the right or to the left.

      CAST the lead, is the same as to heave it. In the same sense we also say, 'take a cast of the lead.'

      CAST AWAY. Shipwrecked.

      CAST OFF. To loosen or to let go; as to cast off a vessel in tow.

      CAST-KNEES. Those hanging knees which crook or arch over the corner of a gun port, rider, &c., in a ship of war. (Shipwright's Vade Mecum.)

      CAT. A vessel of commerce of the Danes and other people of the North, built with flat floors and rounded extremities, and

having pole masts rigged with square sails to lower on deck. (Dict. de Marine à Voiles.)

      CAT, or CAT-TACKLE. The tackle used to hoist an anchor up to the Cat-head. See this last term for explanation of Catting the Anchor.

      CATALAN. A Spanish fishing boat, clean built and having little depth.

      CATAMARAN (Fr. Catimaron). A sort of raft or float formed by fastening a number of poles to each other sideways, and laying boards, planks, &c., on the top. The catamarans used in the Brazils, and which are also common in the East Indies, consist of three logs of wood tapered at one end and lashed together. They are furnished with paddles, and are said to pull as fast as boats, the men being squatted in a kneeling position, and managing them with wonderful dexterity in passing the surf which beats on the shores. Those used in the Brazils also carry sail.

      CAT-BLOCK. See Cat-head and Cat-hook.

      CAT-FALL. The rope by which an anchor is catted. See Cat-head.

      CATHARPINS, or CATHARPIN-LEGS (Fr. Trelingage). Ropes or irons used to confine the standing rigging to the mast at the lower extremity of the futtock-shrouds. These are out of use, as the futtock-shrouds now come down to the mast itself; to which they are bound by a hoop of iron.

      CAT-HEAD. A strong piece of oak projecting over the bow

of a vessel at each side; it has at its outer end generally three

sheaves, through which and a large block called the Cat-block (having the same number of sheaves) the cat-fall is rove; with this the sailors cat the anchor, that is to say, hook the cat-block to the ring of the anchor and haul it up from the hawse-hole to the cat-head. The cat-stopper is then rove through the ring and belayed in-board, for the purpose of hanging the anchor, after which the cat-block is unhooked. See Fish the Anchor.

      (Plate IV. 21.) A further explanation may be found in Seamanship, by Lieutenant Nares, p. 139.

      CAT-HEAD-STOPPER, or CAT-STOPPER. A piece of chain rove through the ring of an anchor for hanging it by when tatted, or previously to bending the cable. The ordinary kind of Cat-stopper goes through the cat-head and is suspended from it by a toggle attached to the end of the stopper; its other end is rove through the ring of the anchor, brought round an iron cleat on the side of the cat-head, and belayed in-board. This end has thus to be let go, when the anchor is to be dropped. There is a patent Cat-stopper, the end of which, instead of having a toggle to suspend it from the cat-head, has a tapered piece of iron attached to it by means of an eye. This tapered piece of iron is nippered or jammed between two clamps of iron on the upper edge of the cat-head, the one fixed, the other pivoting on a bolt, and secured in its place by a pin, which can be driven out, so as to allow this end of the stopper to be unrove, when the anchor is to be dropped, leaving the other end in-board. See Shank painter.

      CAT-HOOK. A hook attached to the cat-block, for hooking the ring of the anchor.

      CATSPAW, or CATSKIN. A partial current of air sweeping the surface of the water lightly, while all around is calm, and then passing away. Catspaw is also a name for a certain hitch made on a rope, thus:

      CAULK (Fr. Calfater). To drive oakum into the seams between a vessel's planks in order to render them water-tight: when well performed, it serves as an additional binding to the vessel.

      An iron instrument, called a caulking iron, resembling a chisel, is used with a mallet for this purpose; after which, another iron, called a making iron, which has a groove in it, is employed to finish off the seam. See also Rasing-iron, Rave-hook, and Reeming.

      CAVILS. See Kevels.

      CAVITY, in the science of Shipbuilding, signifies the hollow formed in the water by the bottom and sides of the vessel. See Centre.

      CEILING (Fr. Vaigre). The inside planking of a vessel. It has also received the name of footwaling, but this term seems more applicable to the thicker planks, viz. those inside the bilge, which are termed bilge-planks, and the limber-strake or futtock-plank. (Plate II. fig. 6.)

      CEMENT (Roman). A manufactured mineral of great tenacity; it is mixed with a little water when used, and, from the rapidity with which it hardens, is peculiarly adapted for any mason work under water, as for building docks, &c. See also Mastic.

      CENTRE OF DISPLACEMENT, or CENTRE OF CAVITY, in the science of Shipbuilding, is the mean centre of that part of the vessel which is immersed in the water. It is sometimes called the centre of immersion, or centre of buoyancy; and is also the centre of vertical pressure that the water exerts to support the ship.

      See Meta-Centre.

      CERTIFICATES of competency, and of service, granted to masters or mates in the merchant service – as Sea-Going Certificates and River Certificates; – are certificates of being competent to act, or of having served for a certain period in one or other of these capacities on board of sea-going merchant vessels or in river navigation respectively. The names of masters and mates who have passed the necessary examination and received certificates are published in the (Mercantile Navy List).

      CHAFING-BOARDS. Battens seized upon rigging to prevent its being chafed. See Battens.

      CHAFING-GEAR. Mats or other stuff put upon a vessel's rigging and spars to prevent their being chafed.

      CHAIN (Fr. Cable, Chaine). A vessel's chain-cable is familiarly called her chain. As already mentioned under the article 'Cable,' few vessels belonging to this country now carry rope cables, the former being considered preferable. A certificate of all new chains, having been tested (by a hydraulic or other chainproving machine), and of the strain applied to them, must be produced before a ship is classed in Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping. For table of the proportionate dimensions of chain cables compared with the tonnage of ships &c. See the title 'Anchor,' 25.

      1. Chain-cables are divided into parts of from fifteen to twenty-five fathoms in length, these parts being connected by shackles, any one of which may be cast off when it is found necessary to slip from the anchor.

      2. Stud-chain, is chain made with a small piece of cast-iron called a stud, introduced into the middle of each link crossways,

dividing the link into two equal parts, and answering the purpose of strengthening each so as to prevent its being collapsed by any heavy strain or sudden jerk, and at the same time of keeping the links endways to each other. Short-link chain has no studs, and the links, are, therefore, made shorter than those of stud-chain. Chain-cables should always be of stud-chain except in the case of very small vessels.

      In Sisco and Sinibaldi's patent chain cable the links are made of rolled hoop iron and oval in shape. The hoop iron is coiled when cold and brazed or galvanised. There is thus no welding, as in ordinary chain cables. The links are ' made of sixteen layers of iron, and every layer has a skin, so that the chain has immense strength and will not snap. If one skin is broken fifteen remain.' In Corfield's chain four links are combined in one, the inner links serving the purpose of studs or stays.

      3. The Chain Well, or Chain Locker, is a receptacle below deck for containing the chain cable, which is passed through an iron pipe called a deck pipe. Steam vessels have frequently also

a box on deck for this purpose, which is mounted on wheels, so that it may be easily moved about in order to trim the ship.

      4. Chain is now often used for mooring vessels alongside of a quay or other landing place. And part of the running rigging of sailing vessels, the funnel stays of most steamers, &c., are made of small chain.

      CHAIN-BOLTS, or CHANNEL-BOLTS. Bolts by which the channel plates are fastened to a vessel's sides.

      CHAIN CABLE. See Chain.

      CHAIN-CABLE CONTROLLER. Kendall and Rogers's Chain Cable Controller and Double Norman is a contrivance to

prevent one part of the chain from riding on another while revolving round a windlass. The machine is bolted to the deck before the windlass. The Normans (n) are projections abutting on the windlass (w) to control the chain.

      CHAIN FERRY BOAT, or STEAM FLOATING BRIDGE. A kind of oblong punt, open on deck at both ends, with chains passing through hawse-holes at the bow and stern, and laid from shore to shore over two pitch wheels, driven in the punt by one or two steam engines. See Ferry Boat(Chain).

      CHAIN PIPE. An aperture or pipe through which a chain cable passes up from the chain locker to the deck above.

      CHAIN-HOOK. An iron rod formed with a large eye in one end, and a hook at the other end for hauling along chain-cables, pigs of iron, &c.

      CHAIN-PLATES, or CHANNEL PLATES. Iron pates fastened to a vessel's sides for the purpose of securing the shrouds of the

lower rigging. The bolts by which they are fastened get the name of Chain-bolts or Channel-bolts. See Dead-eyes and Channels. (Plate IV. 35.)

chain-plates and channels of the 'northumberland' steam ship of war,
now building drawn from model).

      CHAIN PUMP (Fr. Pompe à Chapelet). A pump worked by means of an endless chain passing over a roller or sprocket wheel on deck. See Boyd's Naval Cadet's Manual, 59.

      CHAIN-SLINGS. Chains attached to the sling-hoop and mast-head, by which a lower yard is hung. (Plate IV.)

      CHAIN-STOPPERS. See Stopper.

      CHAIN-WELL. A receptacle below deck for containing the chain cable. See Chain, 3.

      CHAINS, Main, Fore, or Mizen. A name given to the channels and chain -plates, to which the lower rigging of a vessel's main, fore, or mizen mast is secured.

      CHALDERS, or CHALDER IRONS. See Rudder-Bands.

      CHAMBERS, in vessels which have floor and futtock riders, are the clear spaces between the riders. See also descriptions of Carronade, Mortar and Pump.

      CHAMFERING, or CAMFERING. Cutting the sharp angles off-the edge of a plank or piece of timber.

      CHANNEL (Fr. Chenal, Manche). The navigable track of a river, or the like; in this sense it is the same as fairway. The term channel is also applied to an arm of the sea separating an island from the main land, or two islands from each other.

      CHANNELS, Main, Fore, and Mizen (Fr. Porte-haubans). Thick pieces of plank fayed and bolted edgeways to a vessel's sides, nearly abreast of each respective mast: through notches on their outer edge the chain-plates are carried, in order to give greater spread to the shrouds of the lower rigging, and keep them clear of the rail. They also get the name of Guard- boards or Channel-boards. See Dead-eyes.

      CHANNEL-BOLTS, CHANNEL-PLATES. Iron bolts and plates for securing the shrouds of the lower rigging to a vessel's sides. See Chain plates.

      CHANNEL-WALES, in a ship of war, the outside plank which receives the bolts of the chain-plates.

      CHAPLAIN. A clergyman appointed to religious service on board of a ship of war. See Chapter LI. of the Queen's Regulations.

      CHART, or SEA CHART (Fr. Carte Marine). A representation or hydrographical map of the terraqueous globe, or of any portion of it that is composed principally of water wherein are laid down with great precision and minuteness the objects on the sea coast, such as beacons, lighthouses, &c., the rocks, shoals and soundings, the directions of the winds where they are peculiarly prevalent, together with the variations of the magnetic needle and other particulars for the guidance of mariners.

      The charts principally in use among seamen are the Plane and Mercator's charts. A plane chart is constructed on the supposition that the earth is an extended plane; 'and when on such charts it is attempted to exhibit the latitudes and longitudes of places, the meridians are drawn parallel to each other, the degrees of the parallels of latitude and those of the meridians being represented as equal to the degrees of the equator: hence the relative positions of places are so erroneously laid down as to be of scarcely any practical utility, except when, from the small

surface intended to be represented, neither latitude nor longitude require to be considered.' Plane charts are accordingly seldom used in any but coasting vessels. Mercator's chart (Fr. Carte Reduite), so called from Gerard Mercator, who first brought it into use about the year l556^*) has all the meridians made parallel to each other, and the degrees of longitude all equal; the degrees of latitude on this chart increase towards the poles in the same proportion as the degrees of longitude on the globe are diminished. Mercator's chart is most commonly used in navigation, 'because on it alone the track of a ship, always steering the same course, appears a straight line, and thus all calculations respecting the latitude and longitude of a ship steering a course which cuts all the meridians at the same angle are reduced to the utmost simplicity.' (Mrs. Taylor's Epitome of Navigation; Raper's Practice of Navigation.)

      Halley's Chart, commonly called the Variation Chart, is a Mercator's chart, whereon are drawn a number of curve lines showing the variation of the compass in the places through which they pass. (Baharie's Marine Board Examination.)

      Bottle Charts, are charts exhibiting the direction and strength of currents so nearly as can be ascertained from data obtained by papers found in bottles sent adrift for that purpose on the ocean.' See Nautical Magazine, vol. xii., wherein a bottle chart of the Atlantic is presented, along with a variety of general information on the subject.

      CHARTER (Fr. Fréter). To charter a vessel, is to take her to freight under a charter-party.

      CHARTER-PARTY, or CHARTER (Fr. Charte-Partie). A deed or written contract for the letting to freight the whole or part of a vessel for one or more voyages. This agreement is termed a contract of affreightment, and the ship is said to be chartered for the voyage. It is now an agreement not under seal, and is technically called a Memorandum of Charter. The merchant so hiring or chartering a ship is the Charterer.

      The parties to a charter may be either the principals themselves, or their agents: that is to say, either the shipowner or ship's husband and the merchant; or the master and the factor

or mercantile agent. It is not correct, however, to make out a charter in name of the master, except at a foreign port, or when he is a part-owner of the ship.

      A penalty is often attached for non-performance of the agreement.

      CHARTERER. See Charter party.

      CHASE, in Shipbuilding, a long sloping mortice. See also Gun.

      CHASE, or GIVE CHASE, means to pursue a ship or fleet. Chase denotes also the act of pursuit.

      A vessel pursued is called a chase, that pursuing is termed the chaser.

      The guns pointed from the bows and the stern of a ship of war get the name of bow-chasers and stern-chasers respectively; they are generally long, in order to carry to a great distance.

      CHASE-PORTS. The gun ports at the bows and the stern of a ship of war.

      CHASER. See Chase.

      CHECK. To check a brace, implies to slack off a little upon it, and belay it again. To check a yard, is to lay it a little more square, by slacking the brace in like manner, when braced sharp. This is done when the wind becomes more favourable, or when the ship has to sail more free.

      CHEEKS. See Gaff and Hounds.

      CHEERLY. Quickly, heartily, with a will.

      CHEQUE (Clerk of the). An officer who keeps the muster rolls of a dock-yard. See Clerk of the Cheque.

      CHESTREES, or CHESS-TREES. Pieces of wood bolted one on each side of a square rigged vessel with a large hole through which the main tack is boarded, that is to say, hauled down. Instead of wood, iron plates, with thimble eyes, are now in common use, the tacks themselves being frequently of chain in place of rope.

      CHIMES. The ends of the staves of a cask, where they project beyond the head of the cask.

      The parts between these and the bilge are called the quarters.

      CHIME, or CHINE, in Shipbuilding, that part of the waterways which projects above the deck plank, and is notched or hollowed in front to form a water-course. Chimed, implies notched or hollowed out in the above manner.

      CHINSE. To caulk lightly.

      CHISELS (COLD), are short stout chisels made of steel, used for cutting iron bolts, and for like purposes.

      CHOCK, in Shipbuilding, a piece of wood used for filling up any want or defect. In the building of merchant vessels there are chocks for fillings to the timbers. (See Plate II. fig. 6; and Peake's Rudimentary Treatise on the Practice of Shipbuilding, p. 26.) In ships of war there are chocks brought under the ends of the beams, or under the shelf immediately beneath the beams, to support them and to receive the bolts of the knees which connect their ends with the ship's sides.

      Anchor Chocks, are pieces indented into a wooden anchor stock where it is defective in the way of the shank.

      Boat's-Chocks, are clamps of wood for a boat resting upon when stowed on a vessel's deck.

      CHOCK (TRANSPORTING). The following is a sketch of a transporting chock, fitted on the waterways of a ship for taking

the turn of a hawser round to haul upon in transporting the ship from place to place in port, &c. See Rudder Chocks, and Stow Wood.

      CHOCK-A-BLOCK, or BLOCK AND BLOCK, is the situation of a tackle when the blocks are hauled close together, and the effect of the tackle is thereby inoperative until it be fleeted. The same as hauled two-blocks.

      CHOCK-AFT, CHOCK-HOME, and CHOCK-OUT, &c., imply as far aft, home, &c., as possible.

      CHOKE THE LUFF. To place the leading part or fall of a tackle into the jaw of the block to prevent the tackle from rendering.

      CHOP ABOUT. The wind is said to chop about when it changes suddenly. When it changes frequently during a short space of time, we say the wind is. flying about.

      CHRONOMETER (Fr. Montre Marine). A particular kind of watch or time-keeper with a 'compensation adjustment' calculated to prevent the expansion and contraction of the metal

by the action of heat or cold from affecting its movements, which enables it (and that with great accuracy and minuteness) to measure time equally in all climates or temperatures. It is used at sea to determine the longitude. Marine chronometers are generally hung by a species of gimbals in square boxes. Ships going distant voyages ought to be furnished with several chronometers, for the purpose of correction, and in case of accident to any single one.

      The rate of a chronometer is that number of seconds which it loses or gains on the twenty-four hours of a mean day: this is called plus when there are more, minus when there are less, than twenty-four hours indicated by it in that space of time.

      By making allowance for the rate, the actual time at Greenwich (from which our longitudes are calculated) is obtained, and the difference between this and the time ascertained by observations of the altitude, at the place where the ship may be – calculating fifteen degrees for every hour of this difference – gives the longitude of the place. The reason of this is obvious, the earth's revolution being performed in twenty-four hours, and fifteen being the twenty-fourth part of 360 degrees.

      To rate a chronometer means to correct its rate.

      See Horary Angle.

      Some important directions as to the use of this instrument are given in the Introduction to Horsburgh's India Directory. On this subject we would also specially refer to Riddle's Epitome of, Navigation and Nautical Astronomy; Seamanship, by Lieut. Alston, R.N., p. 252; and to Notes on the Management of the Chronometer and the Measurement of Meridian Distance, by Captain Shadwell, R.N.

      CILLS. See Sills.

      CINQUE PORTS, or FIVE PORTS. A term applied to the ports of Sandwich, Dover, Hythe, Romney, and Hastings, which, for political 'purposes, were invested by William I. with certain privileges and immunities, and placed under the charge of the Constable of Dover Castle, with the title of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports: to these are to be added Winchelsea and Rye, 'two ancient towns which were originally only members.' 'The organisation of the Cinque Ports,' says Mr. Waterston in his Cyclopcedia of Commerce, was almost entirely broken up by the Parliamentary and Municipal Reform Acts, but the Warden still possesses an Admiralty jurisdiction with the execution of

writs and custody of debtors. He also 'appoints three or more commissioners at each of the Cinque Ports, who are authorised to decide upon all claims for services rendered to vessels and their cargoes, or for saving and recovering anchors, &c., and goods wrecked or cast away.' The Lord Warden and his Lieutenant have power to license pilots within certain limits.

      CIRCLES. The circles supposed to be described on the celestial sphere, in order to point out the positions of the bodies, are distinguished as great or less.

      A Great Circle, is one whose plane passes through the centre of the sphere; A Less Circle, is one whose plane does not pass through the centre of the sphere. 'All great circles upon a sphere, therefore, divide it equally, and all less circles divide it unequally. Those two points on the surface of a sphere which are equidistant from every part of the circumference of one of its great circles are called the poles of that great circle.' (Norie's Epitome of Navigation.)

      Azimuth Circles, or Vertical Circles. Great circles of the celestial sphere passing through the Zenith and Nadir. See Azimuth, and Sailing (Great Circle).

      CIRCLES OF LONGITUDE. Great circles passing through the poles of the Ecliptic. See Longitude.

      CIRCUMNAVIGATION. The act of performing a voyage round – that is, circumnavigating the world.

      CLAMP. Any plate of iron made to turn or open and shut, so as to confine a spar or boom; as a studding-sail boom or a boat's mast.

      Clamp is also the name of a species of block, either wood or iron, with only one cheek, the mast or boom, &c., to which it is nailed forming the other cheek.

      CLAMPS, also called Seacrafts (Fr. Bauquières), in Shipbuilding, the uppermost strake of ceiling, which, like the bilge plank, is thicker than the rest of the ceiling. This is considered to be one of the principal binding strokes. (Plate II. fig. 6.) The clamps are scarphed together, and should be securely bolted to the ship's sides: the ends of the beams, as well as the fore and aft knees, rest upon their upper edge. Immediately under the clamps of the lower deck a second range of clamps is often introduced, which (if due attention be paid to have them bolted to the proper timbers) affords a substantial binding in the pitching, and also in the rolling motion of the vessel.

      CLAMP NAILS. Short stout nails with large heads for fastening iron clamps or plates.

      CLAP ON. An order to men who are standing by in readiness to lay hold of a rope or tackle in order to haul upon it; to man the windlass or capstan; to apply a stopper, or tackle, &c., where it may happen to be required.

      CLAPPER. A name for the valve of a pump-box.

      CLASSIFICATION of SHIPS. See Lloyd's Register, and Navy.

      CLAW-OFF. A term sometimes used to denote the act of beating to windward in order to get off a lee shore.

      CLEAN signifies that a vessel is sharp, in opposition to full. See Lean.

      CLEAN a ship's bottom. To burn and scrape off the seaweed, barnacles, or other substances which have adhered to the bottom, tending to impede the ship's progress through the water, and afterwards to lay on a coat of tar, paint, or varnish.

      CLEAR. The opposite term to foul. See Foul.

      To clear (Fr. dégager) a rope, or a chain, &c., means to free it from obstruction. To clear a point of land, or any other object at sea, is to weather it. See also the articles Clearance and Hawse.

      CLEARANCE. The act of clearing a vessel and her cargo, which consists in entering at the Custom House all particulars relating to her so far as these may be required upon arrival at, or previously to departing from, any port, as well as in the payment by the parties concerned of such duties as may be exigible upon her cargo, &c.

      CLEATS (Fr. Taquets), in Shipbuilding, pieces of hard wood

a belaying cleat.

a thumb cleat.

with notches in them, used for setting shores against. There are also cleats made of wood or iron of various forms, used for belaying ropes to, and for other purposes.

      CLENCH. See Clinch.

      CLENCHER BUILT. The same as Clincher Built.

      CLERK OF THE CHEQUE, or CHECK. 'The officer who keeps the muster-rolls of a dockyard, and musters the ship's companies of vessels in the port to check false entries.'

      CLEW. See Clue.

      CLINCH, or CLENCH (Fr. Étalingure). A half hitch stopped

to its own part. By this species of running knot secured by the cable-bends, a rope cable is made fast to the anchor-ring.

      To Clinch a Bolt, is to fasten it by hammering down its point upon a ring or piece of plate-iron.

      CLINCHER-BUILT (pronounced Clinker), CLENCHERBUILT, or CLINKER-BUILT, implies that the planks of a ship or boat overlap each other and form projections on her bottom. This disposition of the planks is called Clinker work, as opposed to Carvel work.

      When the plates of an iron vessel are disposed in the above manner, they are said to be Lap jointed.

      CLIP HOOK. A hook employed for the ends of topsail sheets, topgallant sheets, jib halyards, &c.

      CLIPPER (Fr. Klipper). A term applied to a sharp built vessel whereof the stem and stern-post, especially the former, have a great rake, the planking of the bow or 'fore hoods' being

carried forward to step in a rabbet in the cut-water. This kind of bow is termed a Clipper bow, and a vessel so built a Clipper, or a clipper-built vessel. The finelines of this vessel in conjunction with a large quantity of canvass carried upon her, whether rigged as a ship, barque, or schooner, are suited to command speed in sailing. Annexed is a sketch of a clipper schooner.

      CLOSE THE LAND. An expression sometimes used to imply coming near to it.

      CLOSE. A vessel sails close to the wind, when her head is just so near the wind as to fill the sails without shaking them. She is then said to sail on a wind, or to be close-hauled. See Near.

      CLOSE-HAULED. A term implying that a square rigged vessel is sailing with her yards braced up, so as to lie with her head close to the wind, and thereby get as much as possible to windward. The same as On a taut bow-line, or Full and by.

      The terms Close-hauled, By the wind, and Full and by, are in

like manner applicable to fore and aft rigged vessels sailing close to the wind.

      In general, a vessel sailing close-hauled is reckoned to have her head not more than six points off the direction of the wind; if somewhat more she is sailing, free.

      CLOVE-HITCH. See Hitch, fig. 2.

      CLOVE-HOOK. An iron clasp in two parts moving upon a pivot, and overlapping one another. It is used for bending chain-sheets to the clues of sails.

      CLUB-HAUL. A particular method of getting a vessel on another tack, in order to clear the land when she is close upon it, and it blows so hard with a head-swell that she will not stay; while the effect of standing on, or of wearing, would be to run the ship ashore. It is done by putting the helm aloe, and when the ship's headway is stopped, letting go the lee anchor, which brings her head up to the wind, then casting on the other tack by means of the sails, after slipping the cable.

      Club-hauling may sometimes be resorted to with advantage, in the case of steamers, when a vessel is in a narrow river, or when she is caught with a violent wind on a lee shore, and owing to her great length she cannot be otherwise brought round; in such a case, also, if due care be taken, the anchor may be hove up again, so soon as she swings to it, by keeping the ship (by means of the steam-power) moving slowly in that direction.

      CLUBBING. Drifting down a current with an anchor out.

      CLUE or CLEW. Either of the lower corners of a square sail: the after lower corner of a fore and aft sail. See also Hammock.

      CLUE-GARNET. See the following explanation of Clue-line.

      CLUE-LINE. A rope leading through a block on the yard down to the deck, for hauling, or, as it is termed, clueing up the lower corner of a square sail. The clue-lines used for the courses are rove through blocks made fast to the clues of the sails, and they get the name of clue-garnets. (Plates III., IV., and V.)

      CLUE-ROPE. An eye or loop generally formed by the bolt-rope at the lower end of a square sail, and to which the sheets are made fast.

      CLUMP-BLOCKS. A name given to any blocks that are made thicker and stronger than ordinary blocks.

      CLUTCHES. See Crutches.

      COACH. A name which was given to a sort of apartment beneath the poop-deck near the stern of a large ship of war; generally occupied by the Captain.

      COAKS or COGGS. Cylindrical pieces of wood three inches in diameter and the same in length, used chiefly as an additional security in scarphing two pieces of timber. See Dowells.

      The term Coaking is also used in the same sense as bushing.

      COALED. A steam ship is said to be coaled when she has received on board the necessary fuel for any voyage. She is said to call at a port for the purpose of coaling when she touches at it for a supply of coals.

      COAL-TRIMMERS. Persons employed to stow and trim the fuel used for the furnaces in marine steam engines. See Stoker.

      COAMINGS, COMBINGS, or COMINGS. Pieces of plank, generally fayed on carlings, and raised higher than the flat of the deck, forming the fore and aft boundaries to openings in it, such as the hatchways or skylights, in order to prevent water running down into the vessel off the deck. The athwartship boundaries of such openings, when not formed by the ship's beams, are called ledges. A sketch representing the main hatch of the Northumberland steam ship of war now building, with its coamings and ledges (drawn from model), is given under the title Hatch.

      COAST, or SEA-COAST (Fr. Côte). That portion of any country which is bounded by the sea.

      COAST-GUARD. Officers and boat's crews employed for the prevention of smuggling in the United Kingdom. See Preventive Service.

      COAST-WAITERS. Landing waiters employed in superintending the landing and shipping of goods coastways. See Customs.

      COASTING. Sailing along a coast.

      COAST1NG-VESSEL, or COASTER (Fr, Caboteur, Cabotier). A vessel employed in the coasting trade.

      The Coasting Trade (Fr. Cabotage) of the United Kingdom embraces all trade by sea from any part of the United Kingdom and Isle of Man to another part thereof. Vessels engaged in it are termed Coasters or Coasting Vessels; and the goods on board of them are said to be carried coastwise.

      COAT. A piece of stout canvass painted or tarred, nailed

round a mast at the hole where it enters the deck to make it water-tight. This is called a mast-coat.

1. Mast-coat.    2. Mast.    3. Coaming (of wood).

      A similar piece of canvass attached to the pumps is called a pump-coat.

      In some ships, particularly in any sharp deep-waisted vessel not having a patent rudder, there is a coat for the rudder nailed round it on the bottom of the rudder-case, to prevent the admission of water in the event of the ship fetching sternway.

      A coat, as is well known, is also applicable to every single layer of the materials with which a ship is painted, or her sides and bottom payed, as a 'coat of tar,' or the like.

      COBLE. A low flat boat, with a square stern, principally used by salmon fishers.

      COCKBILL THE ANCHOR. To hang it down by the ring from the cat-head. See A-cock-bill.

      COCK-PIT. An apartment beneath the lower deck of a vessel of war, used by the surgeon and his assistants during an action. In large vessels, there is a fore and an after cockpit, the latter containing the medicine chest, &c. Frigates and line-ofbattle ships have dispensaries fitted up to contain the medicines, the medicine chest being returned on shore. In frigates, and ships of a higher rate, the gunner's, boatswain's, and carpenter's store rooms are in the fore cockpit; in smaller vessels, again, there are bins nearly amidships of the mess deck for containing these officers' stores.

      COCKET. A document given to a person exporting goods certifying under the hands of the Collector or Comptroller of Customs that the goods have been duly entered and the duties paid thereon.

      COCKSWAIN or COXSWAIN. The individual who steers a boat, and has the charge of her.

      CODE OF SIGNALS (COMMERCIAL). See Signals.

      COGGS or COAKS. See Dowells.

      COIL. To lay a rope up in the form of a ring with one turn or fake over another.

      A Coil is a quantity of rope laid up in this manner. A Flemish coil is made by coiling the rope in a circular or elliptical form, with each fake outside of the other, beginning in the middle.

      COIN. See Quoin.

      COIR ROPE. A kind of cordage made in Ceylon and other places from the fibrous covering of the cocoa nut. It is inferior in quality and value to European rope; but having no tar in its composition, it is more durable in hot climates; and it has also the advantage of floating in water. Captain Boyd in his Naval Cadet's Manual states that it decays rapidly when stowed away wet.

      COLD CHISELS. Short stout chisels made of steel for cutting iron bolts, &c.

      COLLAR (Fr. Collet). An eye in the end or bight of' a shroud or stay to go over the mast head. The strops which attach the heart of the forestay and the bobstay to the bowsprit, and other similar strops, also receive the name of collars.

      COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS. An officer who takes the general superintendence of the customs at any port.

      COLLIER (Fr. Charbonnier). A vessel employed exclusively in the coal trade.

      Screw Colliers, are long iron steam vessels propelled by the screw, which are now used in that trade. At page 110 of Kipping's Elementary Treatise on Sails and Sailmaking this kind of vessel is fully described.

      COLLISION (Fr. Abordage) implies the act of one vessel by accident or negligence driving against or running foul of another either when one or both are in motion. The ships are said to come into collision with each other. The law of this subject is treated in Serjeant Shee's edition of Lord Tenterden's Treatise, in

Maclachlan on the Law of Merchant Shipping, and in Pritchard's Admiralty Digest. A digested index to Dr. Lushington's decisions on the subject is appended to the Series of Reports of Maritime Law Cases, issued at the Law Times office. See Rules of the Sea.

      COLOURS. The distinguishing flags of any nation.

      COLOUR SERGEANT. 'A non-commissioned officer of the marines having slight additional rank and pay above the other sergeants.'

      COLURES. Great circles which pass through the equinoctial and solstitial points and the poles of the earth. See Ecliptic.

      COMBINGS. See Coamings.

      COME HOME. An anchor is said to come home when it is torn up from its bed by the violence of the wind and is dragged along. See Anchor, 14.

      COME UP a rope or tackle. To slack it off. See Capstan.

      COMING TO, or COMING UP, denotes the approach of the ship's head towards the direction of the wind. See Falling-off.

      COMINGS. See Coamings.

      COMMANDER (Fr. Capitaine). The master of a merchant vessel. In the Royal Navy it is a title given to officers (next in rank above lieutenants) appointed to the command of ships, previously to their being posted as captains; vessels commanded by them receive the name of Sloops of war. Fifty senior commanders on the Navy List have the option of receiving the retired rank of Captain with the lowest rate of half-pay allowed to a Captain.

      COMMERCIAL CODE OF SIGNALS. See Signals.

      COMMISSION. An allowance generally stated at so much per cent. given to agents or factors for transacting the business of others. Commission on advance, is a per centage charged on sums of money advanced by them for behoof of their employers.

      Commission also signifies the warrant of office granted by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to second masters or any other officer of higher rank in the Royal Navy. Hence they are styled Commissioned Officers. When a captain and officers are appointed to a ship of war, the vessel is said to be in commission as soon as the pendant is hoisted. See Warrant Officers.

      COMMISSIONERS OF CUSTOMS. A board of Commissioners by whom the Customs Department of the public revenue is conducted in London. See Customs.

      COMMODORE (Fr. Commodore). A flag officer next in rank and command below a Rear-Admiral. A captain when authorised to hoist a broad pendant in his ship has the temporary rank and title of Commodore. A commodore of the first class has a captain of the same ship under him, and hoists a plain red broad pendant, or a white broad pendant with a red cross in it. A commodore of the second class has not a captain under him in his ship; he carries a blue broad pendant.

      COMPANION. A raised hatch, or cover, to the cabin stair of a merchant vessel.

      COMPANION-WAY, or COMPANION-LADDER. The staircase to a vessel's cabin.

      COMPANY (SHIP'S). The whole officers, men, and boys, employed on board a vessel.

      COMPASS, or MARINER'S COMPASS (Fr. Compas, Bous-

sole). A well-known instrument for the guidance of a ship at sea, serving to indicate at any moment the direction of the ship's course

with reference to the points of the horizon, whence it is called the steering compass. It consists of a circular case either of brass or wood, suspended within a square wooden box by two concentric rings called gimbals, forming universal joints, so as to allow the case to remain horizontal in any position of the ship; within the case there is a circular card, called the fly, supported at its centre on a pin whereon it turns freely; and to the under side of the card there is attached a steel bar which gets the name of the needle, and which, from being magnetised, has the property of pointing one of its ends towards the North Pole.

      1. The compass card or fly is divided by lines called rhumb-lines, radiating from the centre, into thirty-two equal parts, called points or rhumbs, representing the divisions of the horizon, as in the diagram (p. 96); the North, South, East, and West points are distinguished by the name of the cardinal points. The circumference is also divided into 360°. Each point or rhumb is thus equal to 11° 15'.

      2. On the inside of the case is drawn a dark vertical line, called Lubber's point. This line and the pin on which the card turns are in the same plane with the keel of the ship, and hence the rhumb opposite to lubber's-point shows the course of the ship at any time – that is to say, the angle which the line of her course makes with the magnetic meridian. 'But as lubber's-point deviates a little from its proper position when the ship is heeled over, seamen do not implicitly depend upon it, as indeed its name implies.'

      3. The needle almost everywhere is subject to a certain variation either east or west from the true north point. 'This variation' (says Mr. Horsburgh in the Introduction to his India Directory, where valuable information on this subject is presented) 'is in a state of continued change in most places of the globe, and there is also a diurnal and annual variation of the variation.' The variation is in practice ascertained by comparing the sun's true and magnetic amplitudes or azimuths. In some parts of the world, a difference, which is called an aberration or a deviation, is often found between the bearings taken when the ship's head is pointed in different directions. Owing to the influence of iron upon the needle, a compass will alter when taken from one ship to another, or when shifted to a different situation in the same ship. (Norie's Epitome of Navigation; Encyclopedia Britannica; Raper's Practice of Navigation.)

      4. There is a local attraction caused by iron articles on board of a ship, but peculiarly in iron ships causing a deviation of the magnetic needle.

      Professor Airey's directions for correcting or adjusting the compass by means of magnets in iron-built ships are quoted in the United Service Journal, and the subject amply discussed in Grantham's Treatise on Iron Shipbuilding.

      On this subject the following valuable observations were supplied a number of years since, along with other valuable information for this Dictionary, by Mr. George Bayley, the wellknown surveyor of Shipping in London. 'So far,' he observed, 'as any experience has gone, I am not disposed to rely upon any other correction than that of the compass to be actually used. In the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, the practice has been to swing the ship to every point of the compass, and accurately observe and record the variation or error upon each point, and make a card to these observed points for every steering compass. This in practical navigation was found a safe plan, inasmuch as it was free from the liability to errors in adding to or deducting from the apparent course by compass. It was frequently found that, after the lapse of six months, the local attraction had altered, perhaps from some portion of the ship becoming more or less magnetised; but whatever variation of this kind was found, it was always a gradual one. I do not remember any instance of one of the iron ship's compasses being affected by lightning, although several instances occurred of their discharging tremendous volumes of electric fluid.'

      There are special statutory regulations regarding the adjustment of the compasses in passenger ships.

      5. Azimuth-compass. An instrument adapted to observe the magnetic azimuths or amplitudes of the sun in order to ascertain the variation of the compass. See Azimuth.

      6. Hanging-compass. A compass so constructed as to hang with its face downwards. This is found convenient when it is intended to be used in the cabin of a vessel. It is sometimes called a Tell-tale.

      7. The Fluid Compass is a compass in which the card revolves in its bowl alcohol or some other suitable fluid which prevents the needle from having undue vibration from any violent motion of the ship. Dent's Patent Fluid Compass, with Annular Fountain Reservoir, is so contrived as to avoid the air bubble in

the fluid, which caused a great impediment to the use of fluid compasses. Another subsequent invention of this kind is The Self-Compensating Liquid Compass patented by J. G. West and Co. It is said to be 'particularly adapted for iron ships.'

      COMPASS-TIMBER. Curved or crooked timber. When very crooked it is termed Knee-timber.

      COMPASSING. A name for Compass-timber.

      COMPENSATOR (MAGNETIC). See Magnetic Compensator.

      COMPLEMENT. In Navigation, the complement of the course is what it wants of 90° or 8 points; the complement of latitude (or, as it is termed by way of abbreviation, the co-latitude) is what the latitude of a place wants of 90°. See the article Supplement.

      A vessel's complement, signifies the proper number of the ship's company.

      COMPOSITION, used in shipbuilding for various purposes, is a species of brass composed of a mixture of copper, zinc, and other substances. See Nails (Composition).

      COMPRESSOR-STOPPERS, COMPRESSORS, or COMPRESSOR CHAIN-CABLE STOPPERS, are made of various forms on the principle of holding the chain by compression to stop it from running. See Stopper.

      COMPTROLLER (or CONTROLLER) OF CUSTOMS. See Customs.

      CONDEMNATION. A vessel is said to be condemned when declared by the sentence of the Court of Admiralty or other competent court, in the event of being captured, to be lawful prize, – to be forfeited to the state for smuggling, or any other offence, – or declared by surveyors to be incapable through the effects of damage or decay of being recovered and repaired to the advantage of the owners thereof.

      CONDENSER. See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 1l.

      CONDUCTOR (MARINE). A metal wire or chain or strip of copper reaching from the head of each of a vessel's highest masts downwards into the water in order to defend the ship from lightning, by conveying the electric fluid into the sea. Wire rope is said to form an excellent lightning conductor.

      CONJUNCTION. Celestial bodies are in conjunction, when in a line together as seen from the centre of the earth; or in other words, when they have the same degree of longitude: they

are in opposition, when 180° from each other. (Raper's Practice of Navigation; Squire's Grammar of Astronomy.)

      CONN. See Conning.

      CONNECTING-ROD. See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 27.

      CONNING. The operation of directing the steerage of a vessel. The person so occupied is said to be at the conn.

      CONSIGN. To consign goods, is to send them to the care of an agent or factor for the purpose of being sold or disposed of. The party to whom they are sent is called the Consignee (Fr. Consignataire), and the goods themselves are termed a Consignment (Fr. Consignation).

      To consign a ship, is to address her to the charge of an agent for the purpose of transacting the ship's business at the port to which she is to carry, or where she is to receive her cargo. The agent or broker so entrusted is called the Ship's consignee.

      CONSORT. A vessel sailing in company with another.

      CONSTELLATIONS. Clusters of fixed stars into which astronomers have subdivided the starry firmament. The different constellations are illustrated in a publication called The Stars, issued by the Society of Useful Knowledge. Mention may also here be made of Norie's Zodiacal Stars, a work intended especially to enable the astronomical student to acquire a knowledge of the stars near the ecliptic.

      CONSTRUCTION. The method of ascertaining a ship's way by means of trigonometrical problems and diagrams. See Inspection.

      CONSTRUCTIVE TOTAL LOSS. In Insurance Law, when the repairs of damage sustained by perils of the sea would cost more than the ship would be worth after being repaired – that is, a constructive total loss of the ship. There may be likewise a constructive total loss of a cargo. A right to recover for a constructive total loss is secured by notice of abandonment being given by the owners to the insurers.

      CONSUL (Fr. Consul). An officer appointed by a Government to reside in some foreign country for the purpose, in particular, of facilitating and protecting the commerce of the subjects of such Government.

      A British Consul is also empowered to act in the capacity of a Notary Public.

      CONTENT. A document delivered to the searcher by the

master of a ship clearing outwards, describing her destination and detailing the goods shipped, with other particulars.

      CONTINENT. A vast tract of land containing several empires, kingdoms, or countries, not separated from each other by the sea.

      CONTRABAND GOODS – that is to say, goods which are intended to be exported or imported without paying customs duties, or otherwise contrary to the laws of this country – ought not to be taken on board by the master of any vessel, as this may subject the cargo and ship to forfeiture, and the freight of such goods cannot be legally recovered.

      Those articles which neutrals are prohibited from carrying to belligerent powers are termed Contraband of War; under which denomination are arms, ammunition, and other stores (in some cases even money and provisions), tending probably to aid the hostilities of either of the contending powers. Such articles, along with the ship in which they are carried, are liable to seizure by the other contending power.

      CONTRABAND OF WAR. See Contraband Goods.

      CONTRACT TICKET. A printed form of agreement with every passenger on board of a 'passenger ship,' prescribed by the Legislature.

      CONTRARY. The wind is contrary when qpposed to a vessel's intended course.

      CONTROLLER OF THE CUSTOMS. See Comptroller. See Chain Cable Controller.

      CONVERTING TIMBER. Selecting proper pieces of timber to suit the different purposes of shipbuilding with the least possible waste. The person who has charge of this at a dockyard is called the Timber Converter.

      CONVOY (Fr. Convoi, Escorte). An escort of ships of war appointed to accompany merchant ships proceeding to certain ports or places, whether for their protection against an enemy or pirates. The term is sometimes incorrectly applied to the fleet of merchantmen so escorted.

      COOK. The man employed to cook the victuals on board a merchant vessel is generally an able seaman.

      COOK-HOUSE (Fr. Cuisine). An erection on the deck of a vessel for containing the 'caboose' or cooking apparatus. It is often called the galley. See that article.

      COPING, in Shipbuilding, implies turning the ends of iron

lodging-knees, so that they may hook into the beams, which serves to ease the strain off the necks of the bolts in the rolling motion of the vessel. For the like purpose, dowelling may be applied to wooden knees in large ships.

      COPPER (Fr. Cuivre) rolled into sheets, or, as it is called, Sheet copper, is in extensive use for the sheathing of ships.

      It is distinguished, according to its thickness, into 18 oz. – 20 oz. – copper, and so on; indicating the number of ounces contained in one square foot, which varies from 18 to 32 ounces.

      That part of the hull of the ship which is in the water is covered with sheet copper, nailed on the planks with composition nails (very generally termed copper nails), sometimes over paper or coarse linen cloth, but generally over felt, which is more suitable for the purpose. This covering preserves the wood from the attacks of the worm, to which it is particularly exposed in warm climates; it also gives the ship the advantage of passing more rapidly through the water, as the copper bottom remains always smooth; for, owing to the galvanic effect produced by the action of the sea-water upon it, sea-weed and shells will not adhere to copper as they do to the bare planks. This action produces a rapid decay of copper, which lasts in some cases five years, in others not more than two or three years, according to the thickness of the sheets and quality of the copper and the trade in which the vessel may be employed. See Draft.

      Copper sheathing has of late years been much adulterated, and a composition metal, known by the name of Muntz's Patent Yellow Metal, or 'Patent Metal Ship Sheathing,' is now generally used in its stead for merchant vessels. Regarding its application to ships of war, see Peake's Rudimentary Treatise on the Practice of Shipbuilding, p. 171.

      COPPER-FASTENED. A term implying that a vessel has her keel, keelson, breast-hooks, transoms; 'butt-ends, and other parts (below the wales), securely bound bÿ copper or patent metal bolts, the dove-tail plates for the keel and the stem-foot being also of the same material. In any contract for the building of a copper-fastened ship, it is well, in order to avoid dispute, specially to notice whether the rudder-bands shall be of iron or of composition metal.

      COPPER NAILS are used for boat-building and for other purposes in preference to iron nails. See Nails (Composition and Copper).

      COPPERS, or SHIP'S COPPERS. A general name for the cast-iron apparatus used on board a vessel for cooking.

      CORAL REEFS, or CORAL SHOALS. Chains of coral rocks, which (Captain Horsburgh mentions) abound chiefly within the tropics, particularly in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and round New Holland; many of the islands being surrounded by these reefs, or standing upon a coral base. They are produced by what are called zoophytes, a species of animal partaking of the nature of plants; these take root at the bottom of the sea in deep water, whence the stems gradually branch upwards, and become transformed into solid rock. When these concretions of coral reach near the surface of the sea, they become dangerous obstructions to navigation; after they appear above it, they form into islands of various dimensions, according to the extent of their original basis. (Horsburgh's India Directory.)

      Malte Brun, in his System of Geography, mentions that 'the calcareous secretion of the zoophytes is rock or stone the very moment the animal dies.'

      Some mariners assert that by digging into any coral reef to a depth below the surface of the sea, fresh water may be obtained. Without vouching for the truth of the allegation, it seems advisable to notice it.

      The probability of the circumstance here noticed appears to be confirmed by the following remarks in Malte Brun's System of Geography. Quoting certain historical facts in support of his theory, he presumes that 'the phenomena of capillary tubes may obtain in the interior of the earth. The sea-waters, deprived of their salt and bitter elements, may ascend through the imperceptible pores of several rocks, from which, being disengaged by heat, they will form those subterraneous vapours to which many springs owe their origin. The change effected in the saline nature of salt water is satisfactorily proved by the diminution of saltness in the springs which evidently result from such filtrations. The fresh as well as the salt springs in Bermuda rise and fall with the flow and ebb of the tide.'

      CORDAGE (Fr. Cordage). A general term for rope of any size. Cordage for ships is commonly tarred; when not so, it is called white rope (Fr. blanc cordage).

      COROCORA. A general name for the Malay coasting vessels, which are distinguished by a great breadth of beam amidships, a flat bottom, clean and symmetrical in the run and

entrance, and a short keel forming a continuation of the curve of the stem and stern-post, which have great rake. The very remarkable construction of this kind of vessel, and of the Booanga, may throw some light on that of the vessels with several banks of oars peculiar to the maritime states of the Mediterranean in ancient times. (Dict. de Marine à Voiles.)

      CORPORAL of a Ship of War. A petty officer, whose duty, among other things, is to assist the master-at-arms in detecting offenders, and watching the safety of lights on board.

      CORPOSANT. 'A name given to the luminous appearance often beheld in a dark tempestuous night about the decks and rigging of a ship,' especially about the mast-heads, yard-arms, &c., caused by the electric fluid passing upwards and downwards 'by means of the humidity on the masts and rigging,' and 'most frequent in heavy rain accompanied with lightning.'

      CORRECTIONS OF ALTITUDE are noticed under the title Altitude.

      CORSAIR. A pirate. A piratical cruiser.

      CORVETTE. A particular kind of vessel of war; it is rigged like a ship, and carries one tier of guns on a flush deck.

      COT, or COTT. A square bed frame slung from a vessel's beams. Cots are used for the accommodation of commanding officers, and sometimes of lieutenants in ships of war: they are specially supplied for the use of the sick or wounded.

      COUNCIL OF WAR. In the Royal Navy, an assembly of the commanding officers in a fleet, sometimes called by the Commander-in-Chief, on any emergent occasion of doubt, to concert measures, whether of attack or retreat, proper to be taken under the circumstances.

      COUNTER (Fr. Voûte). That part of a vessel's stern between the wing transom and the archboard. (Plate II. fig. 5.)

      COUNTER BALANCE WEIGHT, and LEVER. See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 5.

      COUNTER-BRACE THE YARDS, means to brace a vessel's head yards one way and the after yards another.

      COUNTER-RAILS. Ornamented rails, or rather a sort of ornamental moulding across a square stern, at the lower part of the vessel's counter; into these the counter and the ends of the bottom plank finish.

      COUNTER-SUNK, implies a hollow cut round the edge of a hole by means of a small triangular tool with two cutting edges, called a counter-sunk-bit. Its most common application is for the purpose of allowing the head of a nail to be sunk so as to be even with the surface into which it is driven.

      COUNTER-TIMBERS. The timbers wrought into a vessel's counter. See Timbers.

      Also, the direction in which a vessel is intended to go. In this sense we speak of shaping a course.

      A vessel is said to lay her course when the wind is 'shy,' so as barely to allow the vessel to sail directly for her point of destination; and to steer her course when going with the wind free.

      COURSES, The common tern for the sails which, in a square-

rigged vessel, hang from the lower yards. The foresail is called the forecourse; the mainsail, the maincourse.

      COURT-MARTIAL. In the Royal Navy, a tribunal assembled for the investigation of any offence or offences against the Articles of War under the Naval Discipline Act. It is composed of Flag Officers, Captains, and Commanders, assisted by a judicial officer, or deputy judge advocate.

      COVE (Fr. Crique). A creek or small bay forming a natural harbour.

      COVERS for sails, &c., are made generally of coarse canvass, tarred or painted, and are used to protect them from the effects of the weather when stowed. 'In men of war, the only sails which have coverings are jibs, trysails, and spanker; they are made of No. 6 half-worn canvass, and are never tarred or painted.' Of these two opposite practices (if the latter still continues) the preferable one seems obvious.

      COVERING-BOARD. The same as Planksheer. (Plate IV. 29.)

      COXSWAIN. The same as Cockswain.

      CRAB. A portable machine, the frame of which is made either of wood or cast-iron, fitted with wheels and pinions similar to those of a winch. It is used chiefly in loading and discharging vessels employed in the timber trade.

      CRADLE (Fr. Berçeau). In Shipbuilding, a frame placed under the bottom of a vessel in order to conduct her steadily in the ways when she is launched. See also Slip (Patent).

      Cradle is also a name given to a boat's chocks.

      CRAFT. A general name for river traders, lighters, or any boats or vessels employed in shipping and discharging goods. Also a cant term applied by seamen to any vessel whatever.

      CRAMP. A machine for screwing two pieces of timber together. It is much used in boat-building.

      CRANAGE. The liberty of using, or the money paid for the use of a crane, which is a well-known machine employed for raising and lowering great weights.

      CHANCE. A kind of iron cap on the outer end of the bowsprit, through which the jibboom traverses. This is termed the Bowsprit Cap, which in merchant vessels used to be made of wood. Crance is also a name sometimes given to any boom-iron. See Cap.

      CRANE (STEAM), Taylor and Co.'s Patent. A particular kind of crane, of which several may be worked at the same time by means of a small steam engine.

      'When these cranes are fitted with turning apparatus,' Messrs. Taylor and Co. observe, 'they are peculiarly adapted for delivering or taking a cargo over the ship's side. The number of hands employed in working them is very small compared to the work they perform – viz. one man attending the boiler, which supplies steam for two or more cranes, and one man at each crane, who stops and starts the engines, throws into gear the turning apparatus by means of a clutch, and regulates the lowering of the weight by a break lever.'

      'These cranes are capable of lifting two tons (the average lift of a general cargo not exceeding one ton), with which weight as many as forty lifts are made per hour; but lighter weights can be arranged to be lifted much quicker. The number of lifts is limited by the difficulty, at present, of bringing goods to or removing them from the hatchway.'

      'The arrangement of levers for working the cranes is so simple that ordinary labourers or seamen can work them, the man attending the boiler keeping the cranes in order.'

      Messrs. Taylor and Co. have invented a portable steam-hoist used in working pumps and in shipbuilding purposes, &c., which

being mounted on wheels are easily moved from one place to another, and are provided with a water tank placed below the fire, which serves as a protection to the decks when used on board ship for discharging cargo.

      CRANK (Fr. Faible, Jaloux). A term applied to a vessel which will not stand up to her canvass, or, in other words, is too apt to heel over by the pressure of her sails. This may be owing to her stowage, or to her construction, particularly from being built too deep in proportion to her breadth, or from being overmasted. Stiff is the opposite term.

      CRANKS of a Steam Engine, CRANK-PIN, AND CRANKSHAFT. See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 29.

      CRANK-HATCHES. Hatches raised on coamings to a proper height on a steam vessel's deck in order to form coverings for the cranks of the engines.

      CREEK (Fr. Abri, Crique). A small inlet of a river or of the sea.

      CREEPER. An iron instrument with several hooked claws, used for dragging the bottom of the water for anything lost.

      CREW. The whole persons employed on board of a ship or boat; it is more particularly applied to all who are under the master of the ship.

      In a ship of war, the men employed respectively under the boatswain, gunner, and carpenter, are called their crews.

      CRIMPS. A dishonest class of men who before the establishment of shipping offices and sailors' homes speculated in the shipping of seamen and in drawing their pay; often, also, keeping lodging-houses for them.

      CRINGLE. A kind of eye or loop, formed by a short piece of rope with each end spliced into the bolt-rope of a sail; commonly confining an iron ring or thimble. There are likewise small cringles in the eyelet-holes, to prevent the points from tearing the canvass when in the act of reefing the sail.

      Bowline, Buntline, Reef-Pendant, and Reef-Tackle-pendant Cringles, are so named after the ropes to which they are respectively attached. Earing-Cringles are for lashing the extremities of a sail to the yard when bending or reefing. Those at the upper corners of the sail are termed Head or Head-earing cringles. Those further down the edge of the sail are termed Reef-cringles. See Earings.

      CROSS-HEAD (Fr. Traveste, Tête Croissée). See description of Steam Engine, Sects. 22 and 24.

      CROSS-JACK-YARD (pronounced by sailors crojek). The lower yard on a mizen mast. Also a yard that is hoisted upon a sloop's mast, or upon the foremast of a fore-and-aft schooner, to set the square sail upon when going before the wind. This yard in a sloop or schooner also gets the name of the square sail yard.

      CROSS-PIECE, or CROSS-BITT. A piece of timber bolted athwart two bitts for belaying ropes to. The cross-pieces of the cable-bitts and topsail-sheet-bitts are eased with iron. Also a rack with belaying pins through it, extending from the carrickbitts over the windlass. See Timbers.

      CROSS SPALES, CROSS PAWLS, or BAULKS. Pieces of plank nailed across each of the frames to keep them at their proper breadth till the vessel is planked outside.

      CROSS-STAFF, or FORE-STAFF. An instrument used in ancient times, as the quadrant now is, for observing altitudes at sea; for a description of which see Fore-staff.

      CROSS-TIMBERS, or CROSS-PIECES. Short timbers laid across the keel of a heavy ship of war and scarphed to the lower ends of the first futtocks. See Timbers (Cross).

      CROSS-TREES. Athwartship pieces of timber resting upon the trestle-trees or on a cap at that part of a mast where it is connected with the mast immediately above; used for spreading the rigging of the upper mast. In a vessel with tops they form part of the framing of each top. (Plates III., IV., and V.)

      Jack-Cross-Trees. Iron cross-trees at the head of any long topgallant mast.

      CROTCHES. See Crutches.

      CROW. A bar of iron slightly bent at one end with a claw for drawing nails. A crow-bar is also bent at one end, but has no claw; it is used as a lever for moving heavy bodies. A shackle-crow is a similar bar of iron with a shackle instead of a claw at the bent end; it is used for drawing bolts.

      CROWFOOT (Fr. Araignée). A particular kind of iron stand attached to the end of a table, in a ship of war, and hooked to one of the beams above; on this the mess-kids, &c., are hung.

      See also description of Awning.

      CROW'S-NEST. A name given to a sort of sentry box or watch tower (invented by the late Captain Scoresby), which is placed on the main topmast-cross-trees, or main topgallant cross-

trees of a whale fishing vessel, for the shelter of the look-out and when employed on the fishing ground at Davis's Strait.

      CROWN of an anchor (Fr. Collet d'une ancre), that part where the arms are joined to the shank.

      CROWN a knot, to pass the strands of the rope over and under each other above the knot, by way of finish. See Knot.

      CRUISE. To sail about in quest of an enemy. An expedition of this kind is called a Cruise (Fr. Croisière) and the vessel so employed a Cruiser. See Cutter (Revenue).

      CRUTCHES. Iron knees or pieces of knee-timber placed horizontally athwartships in the after peak of a vessel, to secure the heels of the cant timbers abaft and to connect them with the stern frame. This binding is rendered the more substantial when the tails of the crutches extend forward sufficiently far to be connected to the after floor heads. Every ship above 150 tons burden should have at least one crutch.

      Also, stanchions of wood or iron whose upper parts are forked to receive rails, spars, masts, yards, &c., they are fixed along the ship's sides and gangways and elsewhere.

      The iron stand fixed upon the taffrail for a boom to rest on when the sail is stowed, is in like manner called a crutch or crutch-iron.

      CUCKOLD'S NECK. A knot by which a rope is secured to a spar, the two parts of the rope crossing each other and being seized together.

      CUDDY, in East India ships, a name for the cabin under the poop in which the captain, &c., and passengers mess.

      A small cabin such as that in a pleasure boat sometimes gets the name of a cuddy.

      CULMINATION, in Astronomy, the transit or passing of a star over the meridian. A star is said to culminate, when it passes the meridian.

      CULVERTAILED. A term applied to the fastening or letting one timber into another so as not to slip out: for instance, the carlings into the beams of a vessel.

      CUPOLA SHIP. A vessel of war or a floating battery, iron plated over the deck and sides, and having one or more shields or cupolas built above the deck with a grating over it, open at the top, constructed of iron plates, and made to revolve by steam-power when occasion requires to turn the guns to any point.

the 'prince albert' iron-cased cupola ship,
12 guns, 2,529 tons, 500 horse-power,
built in 1862
(drawn by permission prom admiralty model).

      It is fitted with one or more guns of the heaviest class. These shields give unlimited means of working such guns.

      By this arrangement the weight of the guns is disposed about the middle of the vessel instead of on each side as hitherto, and a much less surface is presented by the ship's side as a mark for shot.

      In a paper contributed by Captain Coles to the Illustrated Times of April 19, 1862, he described his proposed sea-going cupola ships as having iron pole masts fitted with Cunningham's self-reefing topsails, and mentioned that it was 'his study to give the greatest amount of canvass with the least area of masts and yards when steaming head to wind.' See Shield Ship and Floating Battery (Ericsson's).

      CURRENTS (Fr. Courants) of the Sea. Its progressive motions at different places.

      1. The drift of a current means the rate at which it flows. The set of a current is its direction: and in that direction it is said to set. The direction of a current, is generally named from the point of the compass towards which it is running; the direction of the wind or waves from that point whence they come. Thus, a northerly current is one setting northwards; a north wind, as is well known, means one blowing from the north.

      2. The currents of the ocean appear to be produced and regulated by various causes; as, the rotation of the earth, the oscillation of tides, the action of the sun, and the prevailing winds. They are modified in their force and direction by many local causes. And by the meeting of currents with other currents, and with islands, rocks, and similar obstructions, whirlpools and counter currents are produced. The melting of the polar ice is said to contribute materially to form the currents which set from either pole towards the equator.

      3. The study of these currents is of very great importance to the mariner, on account of their effects on the way of a ship, which for the purpose of safe navigation require to enter into all the reckonings of her courses. At one time they increase the dangers of navigation; at another they may be made use of to assist it. The motion of a ship is affected by a current either in its direction or velocity, or in both, and is thus compounded of its velocity and the setting of the current. See Sailing (Current).

      4. The following general view of the principal currents of the ocean is abridged from Malte Brun's System of Geography. Between the tropics, and as far as 30° of north and of south latitude, there is a continual westerly current in a direction similar to that of the trade-winds. The Pacific Ocean retreats from the coasts of America, and flows with a very powerful motion from east to west. 'Ships are carried with rapidity from the port of Acapulco in Mexico to the Philippine Islands; but, in order to return, they are obliged to go to the north of the tropics to seek the polar currents and the variable winds.' This great ocean is impeded in its westerly progress by an immense extent of islands, &c., which gives rise to other currents in various directions.

      5. In the Indian Ocean, the pressure of the south polar current, that is to say, the current which sets from the south pole to the equator, upon the large opening presented by that ocean to the south, occasions a constant northerly current, tending to incline more and more towards the north-west, which runs along New Holland and the island of Sumatra as far as the bottom of the Gulf of Bengal. Towards Ceylon and the Maldive Islands, the great body of this current, affected by the general westerly movement, or equatorial current of the sea, sets to the west, and is then, by chains of islands and other natural obstacles,

turned towards the south-west, till it reaches the point where the coast of Africa bends to the westwards.

      6. Of the currents of the Atlantic Ocean, the most important are – 1, that which sets along the coast of Brazil and through the Straits of Magellan into the Pacific Ocean; and, 2, the current known by the name of the Gulf Stream, which begins to be felt to the south-west of the Azores, is directed towards the Bay of Honduras, traverses the Gulf of Mexico, flows impetuously out by the Straits of Bahama (after which it receives the name of the Florida Current), then pursues its course with great rapidity towards the north, or rather the north-east, till it arrives at the bank of Newfoundland, and thence returns to the African Coast, completing a circuit of 3,800 leagues in about the space of three years. The temperature of this current in the fortieth and forty-first degrees of north latitude, and in the parallel of Charleston, is higher than that of the waters of the sea out of the current. From the forty-fifth to the fiftieth degree of latitude, it has a north-easterly branch setting towards the coasts of Europe.

      The most valuable repertory of information on this subject generally is Lieut. Maury's Investigations of the Winds and Currents of the Sea, together with his Wind and Current Charts, published by authority of the Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography at Washington, U.S.

      CURRENT-SAILING. The method of resolving those problems in sailing in which the effect of the current or of the heave of the sea or of both is to be taken into consideration. See Sailing (Current).

      CUSTOMS. Duties levied upon goods exported or imported.

      1. The term Custom-house is applied in a general manner to the establishment by which the Customs revenue is collected and its regulations enforced: and in a more limited sense, to the building in which, at any port, the business is carried on. The Customs department of the public revenue is conducted in London by a board of commissioners.

      2. Collector of Customs. An officer who takes the general superintendence of the Customs at any port; the Comptroller acts as a check upon him.

      3. The Landing Surveyor appoints and superintends the Landing-waiters.

      4. The Landing-waiters keep an account of goods discharged from vessels arriving from foreign ports, and act likewise as Coast-waiters in superintending the landing and shipping of goods coastways. The Jerquer's duty is to examine and check the Landing-waiters' hooks.

      5. The Searchers are employed in taking an account of goods to be exported to foreign parts.

      6. The Tide-surveyor superintends the tide-waiters, &c., and boards them on vessels arriving from foreign parts; he is also employed in admeasuring vessels for registry. The duty of jerquing vessels is performed by him.

      7. The Tide-waiters, as already noticed, are boarded by the tide-surveyors on ships arriving from foreign parts, for the purpose of preventing any fraud on the revenue from being committed. They keep an account of goods as landed from vessels. An extensive repertory of information regarding the Customs, &c., is the Mercantile and Maritime Guide, by Graham Willmore and Edwin Beedell, a work which has taken the place of Steel's Shipmaster's Assistant.

      CUSTOM-HOUSE AGENT. A person who attends to the duty of passing the Customs entries of goods on their importation and exportation, and transacting the relative business at the Custom-house, and also of passing the entries required for the clearance of ships.

      CUSTOM-HOUSE OFFICERS. A general name for the officials employed in the Customs department.

      CUTLASS. 'A sword with a slight curve in the blade. But the term is now applied generally to the swords furnished to ships of war.'

      CUTTER (Fr. Cotre, Cutter). A sharp-built vessel, of considerable breadth in proportion to its length, and having one mast, rigged like that of a smack (fig. p. 115). See also Boat, 1.

      Pilot Cutters, are vessels of the above description used by pilots in pursuing their important vocations.

      Revenue-Cutters, or Revenue-Cruisers, are armed vessels of this description employed for the prevention of smuggling.

      There are also vessels rigged as brigs and schooners employed in this service.

      CUTTING-DOWN LINE, in Shipbuilding, a curve in the

sketch of a cutter.

sheer-draught corresponding to the upper surface of the throats of the floors amidships and to the under side of the keelson.

      CUTWATER, or FALSE STEM (Fr. Guibre). A piece of hard wood fayed to the fore part of a vessel's main stem, its tail covering in the fore end of the keel. Its upper end supports the ornament called the figure-head placed under the bowsprit; it is also called the knee of the head. (Plate IV. 15.)

      CYCLE (Fr. Cycle). The period of the revolution of a celestial body. (Dict. de Marine à Voiles.)

      CYLINDER (STEAM) (Fr. Cylindre), with appendages. See description of Steam Engine, Sects. 1, 22, and 23.

      CYLINDER ESCAPE-VALVES. See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 6.

      DAGGER. A term applied to anything placed obliquely in a

vessel. It is now very generally superseded by the term Diagonal.

      DAGGER-PIECE. See Poppets.

      DAK. A kind of boat used at the mouths of the Ganges in carrying despatches. It is decked and copper-sheathed; has two masts carrying lug sails, and is also navigated with oars which work on the top of a forked standard.

      DAMELOPRA. An ancient Dutch vessel with a flat bottom; constructed for inland navigation, and suited to carry a heavy lading with little draught of water. (Dict. de Marine à Voiles.)

      DAMMER. A resinous substance, much used in the East Indies for paying the bottoms and seams of vessels. For this purpose in a hot climate it is preferable to pitch. Dammer is also employed in making small hand torches to be used in examining or repairing ships at night.

      DANDY. A vessel rigged as a sloop, and having also a jigger

(after biddlecombe.)

mast. The mode of rigging the jigger or mizen is explained in Biddlecombe's Art of Rigging, p. 112. See Jigger.

      DAVITS (Fr. Bossoires d'embarcation). Pieces of iron or timber, with sheaves or blocks at their outer ends projecting over a vessel's quarters or stern to hoist boats up to. Those projecting from the stern are termed Stern-davits (Plate IV. 39); those from the quarters are termed Quarter-davits; the latter bend outwards at their upper ends over the rail, and they are

made to traverse on their axis in order to bring the boats inboard when required.

stern-davits.

quarter-davits of a steam ship of 50 guns.

      Anchor-davit, or Fish-davit. A spar with a roller or sheave at its outer end. It steps into and traverses in a shoc-piece on the deck or gunwale of a vessel, and is confined to the rail by means of a clamp, and bends outward over the rail. It is furnished with guys to steady it in the required direction. This is used in large vessels for the purpose of fishing an anchor with the aid of a davit-topping lift, in order to lay the anchor with its arm resting on the rail, or to bring it in-board if desired; and vice versa. It is sometimes called a Half-davit.

      Boat's Davit. A curved piece of oak with a sheave at its outer end: to its inner end it has a cross piece attached, shipping into a cleat on each side of the bottom of the boat, in which cleats it is made to traverse. The davit when shipped projects

over the boat's stern, and is used for weighing anchors by means of the buoy-rope with a tackle bent to it inside the sheave.

      DAVIT-TOPPING LIFT. See Topping-Lift.

      DAY. The astronomical day is reckoned from noon to noon continuously through the twenty-four hours, and commences twelve hours after the civil day, that is, the day as it is generally _reckoned among mankind from midnight to midnight; thus 9 o'clock in the morning of July 3 is by astronomers called July 2 at twenty-one hours. The interval between the departure and return of a meridian to the sun is called a solar day: in the case of the moon the interval is termed a lunar day, and in that of a star a sidereal day.

      The Nautical (or Sea) day commences at noon, twelve hours before the civil day, and ends at noon of the day following. Like the civil day, it is divided into parts of twelve hours each, the first twelve hours being likewise marked A.M., denoting ante meridiem or before noon, the remaining twelve hours marked Y.M., that is, post meridiem, or after noon. This mode of reckoning arises from the custom of seamen dating their 'day's work' for the preceding twenty-four hours the same as the civil day; so that occurrences which happen, for instance, on Monday (21st) afternoon, are entered in the log under the date Tuesday (22nd).

      Hence it appears that noon of the civil day, the beginning of the astronomical day, and the end of the nautical day, take place at the same time. (Norie's Epitome of Navigation; Baharie's Marine Board Examination; Nautical Almanack, p. 513.) See the articles Mean Time and Lay Days.

      DAY'S WORK, in Navigation, the reckoning of a vessel's course or courses during the twenty-four hours of a nautical day, and thence ascertaining her latitude and longitude.

      DEAD, is used with some terms to mark the superlative degree, or for the purpose of emphasis. Thus, a wind blowing directly towards the shore is said to blow dead in upon the land. See also Calm and Dead-on-end.

      DEADEN A SHIP'S WAY. To diminish her speed.

      DEAD-EYES (Fr. Caps de mouton). Circular blocks of wood, through every two of which the lanyards of a vessel's lower rigging are rove. They have three holes in them, without sheaves, and have a groove round them. The under dead-eyes are fixed to the chain-plates by an iron strop going over the groove, and the upper

ones are attached to the shrouds of the rigging. Formerly they were so attached to the chain-plates and shrouds on each side of the ship at the channels; but in merchant ships the channels are

dead-eyes with lanyards
(drawn after lieut. nares, r.n.)
See his work on 'Seamanship,' p. 33.

now for the most part laid aside, and the chain-plates extend from their original connecting point on the vessel's side to the top of the rail, where they are connected with the dead-eyes. Under

this new plan the channels are sometimes still retained, but of a- smaller size than formerly, and the chain-plates are carried over or through them to the connecting point on the top of the rail. There are likewise dead-eyes for the topmast rigging, the lower ones fixed to the upper ends of the futtock-plates, and the upper dead-eyes attached to the topmast rigging; these are in like manner set up by lanyards. (Plate IV. 36.)

      Mr. Chapman's patent invention of Shroud-blocks is intended as a substitute for dead-eyes. Each shroud-block is fitted with an endless screw worked by a key.

      There is also a kind of dead-eyes called hearts, used for stays.

      DEAD-FLAT, in Shipbuilding, a term for the midship-frame, or (as Mr. Crenze describes it) the widest transverse section; it is always distinguished by this mark.

      DEAD-LIGHTS. Ports or shutters for the stern and gallery lights, to prevent the water from rushing into the ship in a high sea.

      DEAD-ON-END. The wind is said to be dead-on-end when blowing directly contrary to a vessel's intended course.

      DEAD RECKONING (Fr. Estime). The estimation of a vessel's position by the courses steered and distance run, made merely by means of the log and compass. See Reckoning.

      DEAD-RISING, in Shipbuilding, the rising of the midship floor timber from the horizontal, which is described by the risingline.

      DEAD-WATER (Fr. Eau morte). The eddying water which closes in with a vessel's stern and counter when she is under weigh.

      DEAD-WEIGHT. A term applied to a vessel's lading when it consists of heavy goods, particularly such as pay freight according to their weight – for example, iron, lead, copper ore, coals, sugar, saltpetre, rice, &c. Those which usually pay freight according to their bulk, those of which a ship could in general float with more than she is capable of containing, are termed Stowage Goods.

      DEAD-WOOD, in Shipbuilding, pieces of timber fitted together lengthways on the fore and after ends of a vessel's keel, in order to form a rising basis for the frame at these parts; they also afford a stepping for the heels of the cant timbers, and several of the floor timbers forward and aft rest upon them. (Plate IV. 2.)

      The upper foremost and upper aftermost pieces of dead-wood

are called Deadwood-knees, being crooked pieces of timber, the bolting of which connects the keel with the stern and stern-post. They are termed respectively Stem-knees and Heel-knees. (Plate 1V. 3.)

      DEAD-WORKS. A name formerly given to a ship's upper works.

      DEALS. The name, given to the timber of the pine or fir when sawn into planks. Standard Deals are such as exceed seven inches in width and six feet in length; when under seven inches in width they are termed battens, and when under six feet in length, deal-ends. (Waterston's Cyclopedia of Commerce.) See also Plank.

      DEBENTURE. A certificate given at the Custom-house to the exporter of goods on which a bounty or drawback is allowed, bearing that he has complied with the statutory regulations, or paid the duties on these goods, and is entitled to such allowance. (Waterston's Cyclopedia of Commerce.)

      DECKS (Fr. Ponts, Tillacs). The flats or floors which are formed by laying the beams of a vessel with plank running in a fore and aft direction.

      In merchant ships, the Quarter-deck is the aftermost deck, which is raised higher than'the Upper-deck to give head-room to the cabins; if the vessel be flush-decked, it is the aftermost part of the upper-deck; if she have a poop, the upper-deck is continued, as in the latter case, aft to the stern, and the deck which covers in the poop is called either the Poop-deck, or Quarter-deck. Large ships often have both a poop-deck and a quarter-deck; the former, not coming much before the mizen-mast, leaves the quarter-deck clear to the gangway.' The Forecastle-deck is the foremost part of the upper-deck, under which (if the deck be flush) the sailors generally have their berths; if there be a raised deck above it, this is called the Topgallant forecastle-deck. That part of the upper-deck which is between the forecastle and poop, that is to say, in the waist, is termed the Main-deck. The decks which form the floors of the cabin and forecastle are called respectively the cabin and forecastle Soles. If the sole be continued forward to the cabin bulkhead, or aft from the forecastle, this portion of it gets the name of the Half-deck. See Orlop-deck, and Steerage.

      In a merchant vessel of two decks they receive the name of the upper and lower deck; in a vessel of three decks, they are called successively the upper, middle, and lower or orlop decks.

      In a first-rate ship of war, the decks below the Main or Upper deck are successively called the Middle-deck, Lower-deck, or Gun-deck and Orlop-deck; guns are not carried on the orlop-deck. The Quarter-deck, which is distinct from the Poop-deck, extends from the poop to the mainmast; the Main-deck, from the mainmast to the foremast; and the Forecastle-deck from the foremast to the bow. The gun-deck is sometimes termed the lower gun-deck, and the middle-deck is then the gun-deck. In Peake's Rudimentary Treatise on the Practice of Shipbuilding, the decks from the hold upwards are successively said to be named – 1, the orlop; 2, the lower, or gun-deck; 3, the main or upper-deck (also called the middle-deck); 4, the quarter-deck, waist and forecastle.

      Mr. Grantham in his treatise on Iron Shipbuilding (p. 31) says that decks formed entirely of iron are found to be objectionable.

      DECKED. A vessel having a deck or decks is said to be decked. A boat or other vessel without decks is said to be open; if only partially covered by a deck, she is half-decked.

      DECKER. This term is applied to a ship of war with reference to the number of decks on which she carries guns. Thus a ship carrying 121 or 110 guns on three decks besides the upper-deck_;

drawn by permission from admiralty model.

(that is, the quarter-deck, waist and forecastle) is termed a three=decker. A ship carrying 101 or 80 guns on two decks besides

drawn by permission from admiralty model.

the upper-deck, is a two-decker. See Decks. Razees and frigates have guns only on one deck, besides those on the upper-deck.

      DECK-CARGO, or DECK-LOAD. Goods carried on a vessel's deck.

      The usage of any particular trade by sea or special agreement

with the merchant or shipper alone can sanction the stowage of goods on deck.

      DECK-HOUSE. A kind of round house in some steamers forming a cabin above the deck from the stern to the topgallant forecastle, built in the middle of the vessel, leaving a few planks of deck on each side of it.

      DECK-NAILS, are a kind of spike nails or spikes with larg e heads made in a diamond form. See Nails (Spike).

      DECK-PIPE. An iron pipe for passing the chain gable into the chain well. See Chain, 3.

      DECK-PUMPS of a steam vessel. See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 39.

      DECLINATION (Fr. Declinaison) of a celestial object. Its distance from the equinoctial, that is, an arc of a meridian contained between the equinoctial and the centre of the object. It is reckoned from the celestial equator toward the pole, and is called north or south declination, according as the object is on the north or south side of the equinoctial. The Polar distance of a star or other celestial body being in like manner its angular distance from the elevated pole of the observer's horizon, it follows that, according as the star is in the same hemisphere with the observer, or in the opposite hemisphere, its polar distance is equal to 90° minus its declination, or to 90° plus its declination; in other words, its polar distance is the complement or supplement of its declination. The one or the other enters as an element into the most of astronomical calculations; and the declination of those stars which can best be observed is calculated in advance in the Nautical Almanack. Now the declination of an object or the angular distance of its centre from the equinoctial being known, the determination of its position in the heavens is completed by ascertaining its right ascension, which is an arc of the equinoctial contained between the vernal equinoctial point and that point where the arc measuring the declination of the object intersects the equinoctial. It is in a manner precisely similar that the geographical position of any place on the terrestrial globe is determined by ascertaining its latitude and longitude. (Dict. de Marine à voiles et à vapeur, par Bonnefoux et Paris, 1848.) See Astronomy, 10, 11.

      DECOY. Any stratagem used to mislead an enemy's ship or ships into an incautious pursuit; or to misguide them for the purpose of eluding the chase of a superior force.

      DEEPS. Any place on a coast where there are deep pools in which soundings can hardly be taken; as Boston Deeps, off the river Humber.

      DEEP-SEA LEAD. A lead of a large size, used for sounding at great depths. See Lead.

      DEEP-WAISTED (Fr. Haut). When the quarter-deck and forecastle are elevated considerably above the upper-deck, the ship is said to be deep-waisted.

      DEGREE (Fr. Degré). A division of a circle equal to a s ooth part of its circumference. Each degree is divided into 60 equal parts called minutes, and each minute into 60 seconds; marked thus, for example, 26° 59' 6."

      DELIVER a cargo. To discharge it from a vessel into the custody of its proprietor or consignee.

      DEMURRAGE. The compensation due to the shipowner from the freighter under a charter-party, or from the individual who claims and receives goods under a bill of lading, on account of undue delay in the loading or unloading of them, or on account of this not being done within the time specified in the charterparty, or in the bill of lading; in such a case the vessel is said to be on demurrage.

      The rate per day at which this charge for extra time is to be made, is usually and should always be stipulated in the agreement.

      DENNET'S ROCKETS. See Rockets.

      DEPARTURE (Fr. Départ, Partance). The east or west distance which a vessel has made from the meridian of the place she departed from; it is reckoned on a parallel of latitude. Also, the bearing of an object on the coast where a vessel commence: her dead reckoning; the ascertaining of its bearing, and of the distance of the object from the ship, is termed taking the departure. (Norie; Dana.)

      DEPRESSED POLE. The relative term applied to that pole of the earth which is below the horizon of an observer according as he is in the northern or the southern hemisphere. See Axis of the Earth.

      DEPRESSION (or DIP) of the horizon. The angle contained between the sensible and apparent horizons. See Horizon.

      DERELICT. A ship or anything cast away or abandoned at sea. When such derelict property has net been thrown ashore, it is distinguished in legal phraseology by the following uncouth

and perhaps obsolete names: flotsam, implying articles that continue floating at sea; jetsam, those which are sunk in the water; lagam, those which are sunk, but with a buoy attached, in order that they may be found again.

      DERRICK. A single spars set up on a vessel's deck, supported by stays' or 'guys,' and having a tackle attached 'to its upper end; it is used chiefly in shipping and discharging goods by the hatchway. Annexed is a sketch of a derrick set up on deck for lifting the bowsprit.

      A Floating Derrick, used for raising sunken vessels, is composed of iron tanks fitted together, which can be filled with water or emptied at pleasure to counterbalance the weight to be lifted; the tanks on the side opposite the vessel to be lifted are filled while those next to it are empty. This floating machine is fitted with a crane post, strong iron pillar, or species of derrick, from which project two arms, with a number of purchase tackles to raise the sunken vessel.

      DESCENSION. See Ascension.

      DETACHMENT of a fleet, &c. A certain number of ships selected from the rest of a fleet to execute some particular service.

      DEVIATION (Fr. Déviation). A voluntary departure, without any necessity or justifiable cause, from the usual course of a ship's intended voyage.

      DHONEY. The principal kind of vessel used by the natives of Ceylon for the purposes of trade.

      DIAGONAL BRACES, KNEES &c., are such as cross a vessel's timbers obliquely.

      According to a regulation of Lloyd's Register of Foreign and British Shipping any vessel to be classed in it, if its length from the fore part of the stem to the after part of the stern-post, on the range of the upper-deck, exceeds five times its extreme breadth, is required to have diagonal iron plates closely inserted inside or outside the frame. Mr. Grantham in his Treatise on Iron Shipbuilding (p. 38) says that diagonal ties have been used advantageously in iron ships in a horizontal position as a brace to the upper part of the ship.

      DIAGONAL TRUSSING, in Shipbuilding, a particular method of binding and strengthening a vessel internally. See Trussing.

      A diagonally built boat is 'not timbered, but the planking is double, rising in opposite directions from the keel at an angle of about 45°.' (Boyd's Naval Cadet Officer's Manual, p. 284.)

      DIAMOND KNOT. See Knot.

      DIFFERENCE OF LATITUDE between any two places, is an arc of a meridian contained between their parallels of latitude. See Latitude.

      The Difference of Longitude, iS an arc of the equator contained between their meridians showing how far one of them is to the eastward or westward of the other. See Longitude.

      DIMINISHING STUFF, or DIMINISHING PLANK, in Shipbuilding, a term for the planking wrought under the wales; it is so called because it diminishes progressively till it comes to the thickness of the bottom plank.

      DINGY (Fr. Dingui). A name given in the East Indies to small boats hired to attend ships in port.

      DIP (Fr. Dépression) of the horizon. See Horizon.

      DIP of the magnetic needle. See Dipping-Needle.

      DIPPING. An object, or any part of it, is said to be dipping when visible just above the horizon.

      DIPPING-NEEDLE (Fr. Boussole d'Inclinaison). An instrument used for ascertaining the amount of inclination towards

the earth or 'dip' assumed by the magnetic needle. This tendency to incline below the horizontal level increases the nearer we approach the north or south pole. The action or power of the dipping-needle is considerably greater than that of the horizontal needle.

      By this instrument the latitude or longitude may be found; but it is too delicate to be used with accuracy at sea.

      DIRECT ACTING ENGINE (Fr. Machine à action directe). A steam engine in which the connecting rod is led at once from the head of the piston to the crank to communicate the rotatory movement without the intervention of side levers. (Murray's Treatise, 6.)

      DISC, or DISK, in Astronomy, the circular face which the sun or any other celestial body presents to the eye of a spectator.

      DISCHARGE (Fr. Décharger). To discharge a ship, or to discharge the cargo, or the ship's stores or ammunition, is to take them out of her – in other words, to unlade the ship. The operation is termed the discharge of the ship or cargo, or of the stores or ammunition respectively.

      DISCHARGE-VALVE of Air-Pump. See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 17.

      DISCOVERY SHIP. A ship employed in discovering any part of the globe previously unknown – in other words, employed in a voyage of discovery.

      DISEMBARK (Fr. Débarquer). The reverse of Embark.

      DISMANTLE a vessel. To unrig her; that is, to send down the rigging, yards, and upper masts.

      DISMASTED (Fr. Démâté). A vessel is said to be dismasted when her masts are carried away in a storm or by any accident, or when they are intentionally taken out of her.

      DISPART a gun. To adjust its elevation so as to bring the line of sight and line of metal or:axis of the bore to be parallel. This is done by means of sights fixed on the gun; it may be noticed that in the Royal Navy Miller's sights are now commonly used instead of those which were invented by Colonel Congreve. The projection on a gun thus used in directing its bore to an object is called the dispart. See Boyd's Naval Cadet's Manual, pp. 268, 269.

      DISPLACEMENT (Fr. Déplacement). The weight of the quantity of water which a vessel displaces when she is floating at rest; it is the same as the weight of the ship.

      DISTANCE (Fr. Distance). In Navigation, the east or west distance which a ship has made implies the amount of her progress eastwards or westwards reckoned in a parallel of latitude. So her distance northwards or southwards is reckoned on a meridian. The distance run, also implies the amount of direct progress which the ship has made in any particular direction, See Departure and Sailing (Traverse).

      There is a useful publication entitled Distance Tables for ascertaining a Ship's distance from the summit of High Land, together with Short Distance Tables, by Jas. M. Share, R.N.

      DISTILLING APPARATUS for converting sea-water into pure fresh water. Steam ships in the Royal Navy are fitted with such an apparatus to provide a sufficient supply of fresh water. See Boyd's Naval Cadet's Manual, p. 495.

      DISTRESS (Fr. Détresse). A ship is said to be in distress when standing in need of assistance, or requiring to put into a port, in consequence of damages received at sea, or from being otherwise placed in circumstances of danger. A Signal of Distress is made by hoisting the national flag upside down or by firing guns, &c.

      DIVE. To descend voluntarily under water. A person skilled in the art of so descending and remaining below water a certain time for any purpose is called a Diver.

      A Diving Bell, is a machine so contrived that persons may descend in it below water, and remain so for a considerable time: an invention of much service in the construction of piers and breakwaters, and otherwise.

      There are also water-tight india rubber diving dresses invented for this purpose, the head-piece fitted with strong glass eyes, and a pipe being attached for keeping up a supply of air.

      DOCK. An artificial receptacle for shipping, constructed so that its entrance may be closed when required. The're are two kinds: 1st, Wet Docks, in which a uniform level of water is maintained, sufficient to keep ships afloat (an object of great importance), and where the business of discharging and loading may proceed with convenience and safety. The entrance of a wet dock is generally provided with two double gates, having a lock between them (similar to that of a canal), which allows the ingress and egress of vessels for some time before and after high water, without much diminishing the supply of water in the dock. 2nd, Dry Docks, or Graving Docks, used for inspecting

or repairing vessels; these are so contrived that, after the ship is floated in, the water may run out with the fall of the tide, or be pumped out, the shutting of the gates preventing its return. See Harbour.

      The charges for the use of these are termed Dock dues and Graving dock dues.

      To Dock a vessel, is to place her on blocks in a graving dock, steadying her in an upright position by means of shores or sliding blocks.

      FLOATING DOCK (Fr. Forme flottante). A capacious wooden or iron structure, somewhat in the form of a ship's hull, to serve the purpose of a graving dock. It is very flat-bottomed, and calculated to bear a great weight without being much depressed in the water. It is fitted with keel-blocks and sliding bilgeblocks, for steadying a ship upon. The stern of the floating dock is open, and when the machine is sunk till aground, the ship to be repaired is hauled into it. In its bottom there are scuttleholes, by which the water is allowed to run off, when the tide recedes, and the machine is then made water-tight, so that it may float with its burden upon the making of the tide. See Caisson.

      Messrs. Rennie and Sons' floating graving dock, patented since the above description was written, is fitted with an engine and pumps placed on the upper part of the side walls, to pump the water out of the chambers of the base or lower compartment till the ship in the dock is raised out of the water. The upper parts of the sides are used as buoyant air-chambers to prevent the dock sinking altogether through negligence at any time. Graving docks of this description, capable of lifting ships of from 5,000 to 6,000 tons dead weight, have been constructed.

      Hydraulic Docx. A machine, the platform whereof is suspended by chains and cast-iron pulleys on the top of the framework, connected with a hydraulic engine. See Caisson.

      Screw Dock, consists of a platform suspended by iron screws from a strong wooden framework. See Caisson.

      DOCKYARDS (ROYAL) (Fr. Arsenaux). Places where shipbuilding stores for the Royal Navy are deposited, and which have the appurtenances of slips, docks, &c., for the building, repairing, and fitting out ships of war. The royal dockyards in England are at Deptford, Woolwich, Chatham, Sheerness, Deal, Portsmouth, Devonport, and Pembroke; those established abroad

are at the Cape of Good Hope, Gibraltar, Malta, Bermuda, Halifax, Jamaica, Antigua, Trincomalee, and Hong Kong.

      The Victualling Yards for the Royal Navy, where provisions and similar stores are deposited, are at Deptford, Gosport, Plymouth, and Cork; and abroad, at Malta, Gibraltar, the Cape of G-oocl (Tope, Halifax, Jamaica, Trincomalee, and Hong Kong.

      DOG. An iron implement having a fang at each end, to be driven into two pieces of wood, for supporting one of them while hewing, &c. Dogs used for masts and yards are of the same

shipwright's dog.

      form, but smaller; they are driven in at the side of any sheavehole, to prevent the rope or chain which is rove through it from cutting the spar. Another sort has a fang at one end, and in the other an eye, in which a rope may be made fast, in order to haul anything along. Two of this latter kind fastened together through the eyes by a rope, or by a strand of good rope yarns woolded with canvass to prevent chafing, are called Sling-dogs. If connected by rings going through the eyes, they are called

timber dog.

      Ring-dogs. Both of the last-mentioned kinds of dogs are used for lifting timber.

      DOG-SHORES are shores used to prevent a vessel from starting while the keel blocks are in the act of being taken out preparatory to launching.

      DOG-VANE. A small vane made of feathers, or of buntine, placed in a position to show the direction of the wind. See Vane.

      DOG-WATCHES. Two half watches of two hours each, dividing the time from 4 to 8 P. II. See Watch.

      DOGGER. A vessel similar in form to the galliot, used by the Dutch in their fishings; some doggers have but one mast, others two. (Waterston's Cyclopedia of Commerce.)

      DOLPHIN. A spar or buoy secured to an anchor, and generally having a ring in it for vessels to ride by. See also Buoy, 9; and Gun.

      DOLPHIN-STRIKER. See Martingale.

      DONKEY-ENGINE (Fr. Machine Alimentaire). An auxiliary steam engine for feeding the boilers of the principal steam engines when they are stopped.

      DOUBLE (Fr. Doubler). A ship is said to double a projecting point of land when she sails round it. See also the article Doubling.

      DOUBLE-ACTING ENGINE (Fr. Machine â double action). A steam engine in which the steam acts upon the piston against a vacuum both in the upward and downward movement. See Atmospheric Engine.

      DOUBLE-BANK an oar, to have it pulled by two men. A boat is double-banked when there are two men on every thwart, each pulling a short oar. The term is derived from 'Bank of oars,' that is, a bench of rowers in a galley – a kind of vessel which has been common in the Mediterranean.

      DOUBLE-BANKERS. Frigates which carry guns on two decks, having no elevation at the quarter-deck or forecastle. See Frigate.

      DOUBLE CAPSTAN is so constructed as to be worked both on an upper and lower deck on one shaft. See Drumhead.

      DOUBLING (Fr. Doublage), in Shipbuilding, signifies planking a ship's bottom twice; this is done in order to strengthen a vessel, when, through age, in consequence of bad shiftings, or otherwise, she has become loosened. The usual mode of fastening off doubling is to have at least every third bolt to go through and clinch inside the ceiling, the rest being short or ' dump' bolts. The term doubling is applied to plank not less than two inches thick used for this purpose: if below this in thickness, it gets the name of Wood sheathing.

      Whale-fishing ships, for the Greenland and Davis' Straits fisheries, require to be doubled, and round the bows of such vessels trebling is often resorted to, in order the more effectually to withstand the pressure and tear of the ice. For the bows of such vessels African teak is found more suitable than any other kind of timber, being very hard, tenacious, and durable.

      DOUELLS. See Dowells.

      DOUSE. To lower or haul down suddenly.

      DOVE-TAIL, in Shipbuilding, a Articular kind of mortise, consisting of' a score at the end of a piece of wood, resembling the end of a dove's tail, into which a corresponding piece is fitted. It is cut larger within than without, in order that the two pieces may be held together the more firmly. (Shipwright's Vade Mecum.) The operation is called Dove-tailing.

      DOVE-TAIL PLATES. Metal plates, formed like dove-tails, let into the heel of the sternpost and the keel of a vessel, in order to bind them together. Similar plates are used for connecting the stern foot with the fore end of the keel. Rings are sometimes employed which connect the cutwater, stem and keel; but the dove-tail plates are preferable, for, if connected by a ring, and the ship strike the ground with her fore-foot, the lower end of the stem runs a great risk of being shivered: if a ring be used for this purpose, it should be kept clear of the cutwater.

      DOWELLS, COAKS, or COGGS (Fr. Adents). Cylindrical pieces of dry hard wood, about three inches in diameter, and the same in length, used chiefly as an additional security in scarphing two pieces of timber, for which purpose half of the dowell is let into each of the two pieces. In the modern plan of building ships for the Royal Navy, dowells are used in like manner to connect the butts of the frame timbers when their ends are square, and no cross chocks are therefore required. The operation is called Dowelling.

      Boxing or Tabling, is a similar operation, done with square pieces of hard wood.

      DOWN WITH THE HELM, is an order to put the helm a-lee.

      DOWN-HAUL, or DOWN-HAULER. A rope by which any fore and aft sail is hauled down.

      Peak-Down-hauler. A rope rove through a block at the speak' or outer end of a gaff to haul it down by.

      DOWNS. Barriers of sand along the sea shore, gathered by the force of the wind or waves. Also the name given to the well-

known roads for shipping in the English Channel, along the eastern coast of Kent.

      DOWSING-CHOCK. The breast hook which crosses the hawse-timber above the upper deck of a vessel.

      DRABLER. An additional piece of canvass laced to the bonnet. See Bonnet.

      DRAFT of men. A certain number of men appointed to serve in one or more ships of war; they are said to be drafted to the particular ships.

      DRAFT, also means a small allowance for waste on goods sold by weight. The draft usually allowed on copper sheathing stripped off a vessel's bottom is about 5 lbs. to the cwt.

      DRAG, or DRAG-NET. A frame with a bag-net attached, for dragging on the bottom of the water for flat fish, or for anything lost. It also gets the name of a Trawl-net; and the operation of fishing with this net is called Trawling. A similar frame, with a bag formed of leather thongs (called a Dredge) is used in oyster-fishing. See Sweep, and Floating Anchor.

      DRAGGING THE ANCHOR. A ship is said to drag her anchor when from the violence of the wind the anchor is torn up from its bed and dragged along. See Anchor, 14.

      DRAKKAR. A kind of large boat in which the Norman pirates used to ascend the Seine about the ninth century in order to commit their depredations. (Dict. de Marine à Voiles.)

      DRAUGHT (Fr. Plan), in Shipbuilding, the drawing or plan of a vessel upon paper, describing the different parts, and from which when extended to a full scale on the floor of the mouldingloft the ship is to be built. See the article Shipbuilding.

      DRAUGHT OF WATER (Fr. Tirant d'eau). The depth of water which a vessel displaces when she is afloat. If she be fully laden it is termed the load water draught; if unloaded, the light water draught. The number of feet which a vessel draws is indicated by figures on the stem and stern post.

      An easy draught of water implies the same as a light draught of water.

      DRAW. A sail draws when it is filled by the wind. Let draw! is the order to let the wind take the after leaches of the head sails over to the lee-side, when the ship has come sufficiently round in the act of tacking.

      DRAW-BELLOWS. A name given in some parts of Scotland to the limber-holes. See Limbers.

      DRAW-SPRING, for ships' cables and towing lines. (Thew's patent.) An apparatus consisting of a cylinder, having a piston rod with india rubber bands fitted to it, and a chain to which the tow-rope of a boat or cable of a ship at anchor is made fast. Its object is to take off the recoil or shock in case of the tow-rope or cable breaking.

      DREDGE. See Drag, and Dredging vessel.

      DREDGING VESSEL, or DREDGING MACHINE. A kind of large lighter or flat-bottomed vessel, fitted with a steam engine and machinery, for removing the mud and other deposited matter from the bottom of a river, harbour, or basin, by means of iron buckets in an endless chain, that raise the mud, and throw it into large punts, called Mud-lighters,' which are brought alongside the dredging machine for this purpose: the operation is termed Dredging.

      DRIFT, in Navigation, the leeway which a vessel makes when she is lying-to during a gale. See also Current, 1; and Drive.

      DRIFTS, in Shipbuilding, those parts where the sheer is raised according to the height of the decks or gangways, and where the rails are cut off and ended by scroles, which are formed by solid pieces of wood fitted at these parts, called Drift pieces. (Shipwright's Vade Mecum.)

      DRIFT-BOLTS, are commonly made of steel; they are used for driving out other bolts.

      DRIFT-ICE, consists of pieces less than floes, of various shapes and magnitudes.

      DRIFT-PIECES. See Drifts.

      DRILL SHIPS for the Royal Naval Reserve. Ships in which the volunteers composing the Royal Naval Reserve are drilled in the practice of managing sails, guns, &c.

      DRIP-STONE. A familiar name given by seamen to a filtering stone.

      DRIVE, or DRIFT (Fr. Dérader). To be carried at random by the force of the wind or tide, particularly in the case of a vessel's anchor losing its hold of the ground. We also speak of a vessel driving or drifting in a tide way when she is purposely allowed to be carried along by the influence of the tide.

      DRIVER (Fr. Brigantine). The aftermost sail of a ship or barque. See Spanker, and Trysail.

      DROITS of the Admiralty. Vessels improperly captured before a declaration of hostilities. See Admiralty.

      DROMON. A vessel navigated with oars, employed as late as the sixteenth century in military expeditions as well as in commercial adventures. (Dict. de Marine à Voiles.)

      DROP (Fr. Chûte). A name given to the depth of lower square sails.

      DROPS, in Shipbuilding, small foliages of carved work in the stern munions, &c.

      DRUM-HEAD. A broad cylindrical piece of wood fixed upon the upper extremity of the capstan. We may here notice that in the case of a double capstan, which is so constructed as to be worked both on an upper and lower deck on one shaft, the drum-head of the lower capstan is called a Trundle-head. See Capstan.

      DRUXY. The condition of timber which has decayed streaks or spots in it of a whitish colour.

      DRY DOCK, used for inspecting or repairing vessels. See Dock.

      DRY-ROT (Fr. Carie, Pourriture Sèche). A disease, caused by the vegetation of fungi, sometimes affecting timber, especially the oak, employed in shipbuilding. It tends to spread rapidly, and is very destructive, the decomposed wood becoming 'a dry friable, mass, without fibrous tenacity.' Dryness, cleanliness, and free ventilation appear to be the best preservatives against, or checks to, this vegetable decomposition, while damp accumulations and a vitiated atmosphere rapidly induce it. Timber ought never to be used for shipbuilding purposes unless properly seasoned and dry, while all decayed portions and the whole of the sap or imperfect wood should be carefully removed. The boiling of planks in salt water is recommended as a good preservative against dry-rot, long practised by Mr. Bayley of Ipswich. Various preventive solutions with which to saturate timber have been proposed. A plan introduced by Mr. Kyan is to soak timber in a solution of corrosive sublimate (see Creuze's Treatise on Naval Architecture, p. 67). This solution preserves timber from dry-rot and other causes of decay, and it is applied also to the preservation of canvass and cordage. It appears to be extensively used in this country, and is stated to have been adopted by the Dutch Government for their navy. Sir William Burnet has substituted for this process saturation with the chloride of zinc, one pound of which dissolved in ten gallons of water is sufficient to prepare and preserve half a load of timber.

It is also applied to the preservation of canvass and cordage. A stronger solution of the chloride of zinc renders wood, canvass, cordage, &c., incombustible: and ships of war have now their magazines fitted with wood and felt prepared in this way.

      Whale oil is found to be so good a preservative of timber that no whale fishing vessel is ever touched with dry-rot. The best time for laying it (by means of a tar brush) on a vessel's timbers during the process of building, is after the outside planking is put on, and when the timbers have been thoroughly seasoned, and their inside is properly faired for the ceiling; the upper ends of the top timbers, the beam ends, and the keelson in many places should also be bored with an augre, and the holes filled with oil. See Kiln.

      DUBBING. The act of dressing plank or timber with an adze.

      To dubb a vessel bright is to remove the outer surface of the plank completely with an adze. See Boottopping.

      DUCK. A fine description of canvass, used principally for skysails and other light sails.

      DUMB-CHALDER. A sort of cleat (of iron or composition) bolted to the back of the stern-post for one of the gudgeons to rest upon. See Rudder-bands.

      DUMB-CRAFT. A general term applied to lighters, barges, &c., not having sails. Also a local name for the screws used in lifting a vessel clear of the ground on a slip, or in a graving dock, or when ashore.

      DUMP-BOLTS, or SHORT,BOLTS. Bolts driven into the plank and timber previous to the through fastenings being put in. See Bolts, 8, 10.

      DUNGIYAH. A heavily built flat-bottomed coasting vessel of Arabia, which navigates from the Persian Gulf to the Coast of Malabar. It has great breadth of beam, and is very sharp at the stem and stern. The larger dungiyahs have two masts, of which, as in the Baggala, the after one is the larger of the two: they carry a species of lug-sail. (Dict. de Marine à Voiles.)

      DUNNAGE (Fr. Fardage). Loose wood, shingle, or other materials laid in the bottom of a vessel in order to elevate the stowage, either with a view to raise the heavy goods which might make her too stiff, or in order to keep the cargo sufficiently above the bottom (at the least nine inches from the skin in the bottom, and six in the bilges) that it may sustain no damage by

water should the vessel prove leaky; when the ship has a perishable cargo on board dunnage is sometimes required on the sides of the vessel.

      In evidence before the Court of Exchequer on 8th July, I840, upon a question of unseaworthiness (Castles v. Irving), it was stated by one of the surveyors to Lloyd's that sugar requires three beds of dunnage.

      Dunnage is also used to keep goods from being injured on a damp floor when deposited in a warehouse.

      Dunnage Gratings, are gratings placed on a steamer's deck to place cargo upon, which is stowed on deck so as to serve the purpose of dunnage in keeping the goods clear of any water flowing over the deck.

      DWANG-STAFF. A local name given to the 'wrain-staff' or 'wrung-staff.'

      DYNANOMETER (Fr. Dynamomètre). 'An instrument for indicating the thrust of a screw propeller,' that is, the force it exerts in propelling the ship. (Murray's Treatise on Marine Engines, 101.)

      EARINGS. Ropes attached to the earing-cringles of a sail, by which the upper corners and the leaches of the sail are secured to the yard when it is bent or reefed. They are called head or reef earings, according to the particular eringles for which they are used. See Cringles (Faring).

      EASE AWAY, or EASE OFF. To slacken out a rope or tackle.

      EASE OFF a sheet. The reverse of haul aft a sheet. See Aft.

      EASE THE HELM. To let it come more amidships when it has been put hard up or down.

      EASE THE SHIP. When a vessel is sailing close-hauled, to ease her implies to let her head fall off a little so as to meet a coming wave with less resistance: this is done by giving the helm more freedom.

      See also the article Steam-ship.

      EASTING. The distance sailed eastwards. See Northing.

      EBB (Fr. Baisse, Èbe, Jusant). The falling of the waters of the sea, which takes place generally twice in the course of a lunar day. See Tide, 1.

      ECCENTRIC (Fr. Eccentrique) and ECCENTRIC-ROD. See description of Steam Engine. Sects. 31, 32, 36.

      ECLIPSE (Fr. Eclipse). The temporary obscuration of the light of the sun, or of the moon, &c., by the interposition of another heavenly body. Thus the eclipses of the sun are caused by the interposition of the moon between this luminous body and the earth: they are total when the disc is entirely hidden; annular, when the moon, being at a greater distance from the earth, allows the periphery of the sun's disc to appear, its rays forming a brilliant circle around the moon; and partial, when only a portion of the sun's disc is obscured by the moon. An eclipse of the moon is caused by the earth coming between the sun and moon, and preventing the sun's rays from illuminating her.

      ECLIPTIC (Fr. Ecliptique). In Astronomy, that great circle in the heavens which, by the motion of the earth in its orbit, the sun appears to describe in the course of a year. It is inclined to the equinoctial at an angle of nearly 23° 28', called the obliquity of the ecliptic., and cuts it in two points diametrically opposite to each other, called the equinoctial points. The time when the sun enters each of these points (which occurs about the 20th of March and 23rd of September respectively) is termed the equinox – day and night being then equal; at these periods, especially about the time of the vernal equinox, storms, called the equinoctial gales, are prevalent in many parts of the globe. Those two points of the ecliptic which are each 90° distant from the equinoctial points are called the solstitial points. The time when the sun is in one or other of these points is termed the solstice; the sun being then at his greatest distance north or south of the equator. That great circle which passes through the equinoctial points and the poles of the earth is called the equinoctial colure; and that which passes through the solstitial points and the poles of the earth the solstitial colure. See Zodiac. (Norie's Epitome of Navigation and Nautical Astronomy.) See Astronomy, 4, 12.

      EDGE AWAY. To sail a little larger when running free. EDGE DOWN on any object, is to approach it in an oblique direction.

      ELASTIC PROPELLER (MACINTOSH'S). See Screw Propeller.

      ELBOW IN THE HAWSE. See Hawse.

      ELEVATED POLE. The relative term applied to that pole of the earth which is above the horizon of an observer. See Axis of the Earth.

      ELEVATION, or SHEER DRAUGHT. A vertical and longitudinal view representing the outboard works of a ship with sectional view of the centres of the frames. See Shipbuilding, 1.

      EMBARGO (Fr. Embargo). A temporary injunction by the Government of a country to prohibit the sailing of ships from any port or ports.

      EMBARK (Fr. Embarquer). To go on board, or to put on board of a vessel. Embarkation, is a term more particularly applied to the shipping of troops and naval stores.

      EMBAYED (Fr. Encapé). A vessel is said to be embayed when the wind is blowing right into a bay, and she is so far within it as to be unable to weather either of its points.

      EMIGRATION. Under recent provisions of the legislature, there are Government Emigration commissioners, officers, and surveyors appointed with a view to securing attention to the health, comfort, and proper treatment of emigrants on board of passenger ships, &c.

      END FOR END, A term applied to a rope or to any article, such as alog of timber, a spar, a cask, &c., being reversed or turned about so that the one end occupies the place which the other did before.

      END ON. A vessel is end on to the shore, or to any object, when her head or her stern is pointing directly towards it: in contradistinction to broadside on.

      Figuratively, a vessel is said to be going end on to a reef of rocks, &c., when driving towards it without any apparent possibility of preventing her.

      ENGINE (MARINE). See Steam Engine.

      ENGINE-BEARERS (Fr. Poutres de fondement). The same as Sleepers.

      ENGINE-ROOM TELEGRAPH. A contrivance invented by Mr. Hornsey of Southampton consisting of a dial on deck, as in the sketch (p. 140), moved by the hand, and communicating its movement to a similar dial in the engine-room of a steam ship to enable the officer in charge of her to convey to the engineer, with certainty and quickness, the necessary orders for working the engines.

      ENGINEERS, in the Royal Steam Navy, that is to say, the

officers who superintend and work the steam-engines on board of the ships of war, &c., are distributed into three classes – Engineers, and first and second class assistant engineers.

dial on deck.

dial in engine room.

Ensign is hoisted at the peak, or on a staff called the Ensign-Staff, shipped on the taffrail, and inclining over the stern. Every Admiral's ship, and all ships attached to his squadron or division, wear the ensign of the same colour as his flag, red, white, or blue. See the Queen's Regulations, Chap. III. Sect. 7 1.

      ENTERING AT CUSTOMHOUSE. The act of clearing a vessel, outwards or inwards and paying the duties upon her cargo, &c. See Clearance, and Outwards.

      ENTRANCE. The lower part of a vessel's bottom next the stem.

      EPHEMERIS (ASTRONOMICAL), and Nautical Almanack. An annual publication containing accounts of astronomical phenomena, the declination, &c., of the heavenly bodies and other particulars to assist the mariner in observing the latitude and longitude at sea. See Nautical Almanack.

      EQUATION OF TIME. The acceleration or retardation of the sun's return to the meridian. See Mean Time.

      EQUATOR (Fr. Equateur). A great circle of the terrestrial globe (sometimes also called the Equinoctial Line, or simply the Line), equally distant from the poles, its plane being at right angles to that of the earth's axis: it divides the globe into two equal parts, the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. The plane of the terrestrial equator extended to the heavens forms a circle called the Celestial Equator or the Equinoctial, which in like manner divides the heavens into two equal parts, the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. See Astronomy, 2.

      EQUINOCTIAL. See Equator.

      EQUINOCTIAL POINTS. Two opposite points at which the equinoctial is cut by the ecliptic. See Ecliptic.

      EQUINOX. The time when the sun enters each of the equinoctial points. See Ecliptic.

      EQUIP. To fit out a ship, whether for a voyage or for war.

      ERICSSON'S FLOATING BATTERY. See Floating Battery (Ericsson's).

      ERICSSON'S PROPELLER. See Screw Propeller.

      ESCAPE-VALVES, or PRIMING-VALVES (Fr. Soupapes d'échappement). See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 6.

      ESTUARY. 'An arm of the sea, or the mouth of a lake or river in which the tide reciprocates.'

      EUPHROE, UPHROE, or UVRON. Small lines rove through

a circular piece of wood with holes in it forming a Crowfoot, by which an awning is suspended. See Awning.

      EVEN KEEL. When a vessel's draught of water is the same at the bow as at the stern, she is said to be on an even heel.

      EXAMINATION of masters and mates in the merchant service as to their fitness for undertaking their respective duties is now provided for by the legislature, with regulations as to granting certificates of competency or of 'service.'

      EXCHANGE. A term employed by merchants to designate both the bills or negotiable instruments by which remittances are made from one country to another without the transmission of money: and the varying price or 'course' of such instruments in the market.

      Waterston's Manual of Commerce contains, along with other matter, useful and conveniently arranged information as to exchanges, as well as in regard to the weights and measures of foreign countries.

      A comprehensive work on Exchanges, such as the German Contorist, is much wanted.

      Reid's Tables of Exchange of sterling money, dollars, and North American Currency reduced into each other is an exceedingly useful book, enabling the results of the calculations of such exchanges at every rate of premium to be ascertained and their accuracy checked with great expedition. There are, in like manner, Tables by J. H. Roberts, for converting rupees, and also Tables by James Laurie for converting francs into sterling money, and vice versa.

      EXPANSION-VALVE. See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 20.

      EXPORT. To send commodities out of a country for the purposes of traffic. To import is the reverse. The goods thus sent are respectively called exports or imports; the person who sends them is called the exporter or importer; and the act of sending them exportation or importation.

      EYELET-HOLES. Holes made in a sail for the robands or points to go through, in order to bend it to its yard or boom, or to reef it.

      EYE-SPLICE. See Eyes of the Rigging.

      EYES OF THE RIGGING. The circular parts of the

shrouds which are formed like a collar to go over the mast. The eyes of stays are termed collars.

      Flemish Eye, or Made Eye. An eye formed by unlaying one strand of a rope's end, and laying it up round the eye formed by the other portion of the rope's end.

flemish eye (after darcy lever).

      Lashing Eye. A spliced eye made on the end or ends of any rope for a lashing, being rove through in order to set it tight.

      Made Eye. The same as Flemish Eye.

      Spliced Eye, or Eye Splice. An eye formed by turning the end of a rope back, opening the strands, and splicing it by putting them through the strands of the standing part.

      FACING, in Shipbuilding, implies letting one piece of timber on to another to give it additional strength or finish.

      FACTOR. A commercial agent residing at a distance from his principal, of some part of whose trade he has the superintendence. He is paid by a percentage (termed Factorage or commission) on the price of the goods which he sells or buys.

      FAG. A rope is fagged when the end is untwisted.

      FAG-END. The extreme end of a rope, more particularly when it has become untwisted.

      FAIR, in Shipbuilding, denotes the evenness or regularity of a curve or line. Applied to the wind, it signifies favourable as opposed to foul: but in a more particular sense a fair wind implies a wind blowing from abaft the ship's beam, being rather applicable when the ship is sailing 'large' than when sailing 'free.' A rope is said to lead fair when it moves freely through a block or the like.

      To fair a ship means to chip the timbers fair.

      FAIRLEADER. A strip of board or plank with holes in it, or a thimble, seized where required, for running rigging or any

rope to lead through in order to keep it clear. The term is also generally applied to anything used for this purpose. See Rack, Rack-block, Shroud-trucks, Span.

      FAIRWAY (Fr Chénal). The navigable track of a river or the like. See Channel, and Narrows.

      Pilot's Fairway. A passage or channel wherein, according to usage or special regulation, a pilot must be employed. See Pilot.

      FAKE. A single coil of rope.

      French Fake. If a rope be laid in this manner, it is termed

a French Fake, which method, when the rope has to be let go suddenly, is adopted, in order to allow it to run freely, without the parts getting foul of each other. A chain-cable is so ranged before letting go the anchor.

      FALL (Fr. Garant). That part of a tackle which is hauled upon is térmed the fall. See Tackle.

      Cat-Fall. The rope by which an anchor is Batted. See Cathead.

      FALL ABOARD OF. To strike or encounter another vessel.

      FALL ASTERN. To lessen a ship's way, so as to allow another to get ahead of her. See Astern.

      FALL CALM (Fr. Calmer, Mollir). The wind falls calm when it ceases to blow. See Calm.

      FALLING HOME. The same as Tumbling Home.

      FALLING OFF. When, in sailing by the wind, the vessel's head falls away to leeward. This is the opposite of Coming up to the wind, or Griping.

      FALSE KEEL. A second keel fastened in a slight manner under the main keel for its preservation. See Keel.

      FALSE RAIL. A thin piece of plank fayed to the inside of the head-rail. See Head-rails.

      FALSE STEM. The same as Cutwater.

      FALSE STERN-POST, is a piece tabled on to the after edge of the main stern-post for improving the steering. See Sternpost.

      FANCY-LINE. A line used for overhauling the lee toppinglift of the main or spanker boom. It is often called a Tripping-line.

      Also cord laid up neatly (braided or otherwise) for sash windows, &c. See Tracing-line.

      FANG. When the pump boxes are dry, and the pump will in consequence not draw, it is said to have lost its fang. See Fetch the pump.

      FANNING BREEZE. 'A wind just sufficient to cause the light sails of a vessel to swell and collapse under the double influence of the air and the motion of the hull.'

      FASHION PIECES, or FASHION TIMBERS. Two timbers in the run of a vessel. They are united one to each end of the transoms to terminate the breadth and form the shape of the stern frame. (Plate II. fig. 5.)

      FAST. A rope or chain by which a vessel is secured to a wharf or quay. They are called bow, head, quarter, and stern fasts, according to the part of the vessel to which they are respectively attached. A breast fast is one which of itself confines the ship's broadside to the wharf.

      Make Fast (Fr. Amarrer). The same as to fasten; it is most frequently expressed of tying or securing ropes.

      FATHOM (Fr. Brasse). A measure of six feet, used to show the length of chain, cordage, &c., and also the depth of water.

      FAY, in Shipbuilding, to join two pieces of wood closely together; as a vessel's planking to the timbers.

      FEATHER AN OAR, in Rowing, is to turn the blade horizontally when lifted out of the water, so that its upper edge may point aft. See Oar.

      FEATHER-EDGED, expresses that a plank has one edge thicker than the other.

      FEATHERING SCREW (MAUDSLEY'S). See Screw Propeller.

      FEED-PUMP. See description of Steam Engine, Sects. 19, 25, and 39.

      FELT (Fr. Feutre). Stuff made of wool or hair, or of both, and tarred over: it is used to lay inside of doubling, or of copper or wood sheathing, on a vessel's bottom. In the case of old ships,

this kind of felt is, from its flexibility, peculiarly serviceable by seeking into and filling up crevices, should the vessel be strained. There is also a kind of felt called the Patent Asphalted Felt (manufactured by Messrs. F. M'Neill and Co. of London), which is of a stronger, closer, and more fibrous texture than the former. Owing to this firmness of texture, and its evenness of surface, it is well suited to prevent puckering in the nailing on of copper. There is another description of a thicker quality, adapted for use under wood sheathing; but for this purpose hair felt is preferable.

      Felt has the property of resisting the worm, and it prevents the heat of the sun, in tropical climates, from opening or rending the planks under the copper sheathing.

      Messrs. M°Neill and Co.'s Dry Hair Felt is used for covering the boilers, pipes, and cylinders of steam engines, and from its non-conducting property effects a considerable saving of fuel. It is also employed for lining the bulkheads of steamers and other vessels, in order to intercept heat or deaden sound.

      Reference may here be made to the 7th paragraph of the article Shipbuilding.

      FELUCCA (Fr. Felouque). A small vessel with sweeps and lateen sails, common in the Mediterranean.

      FEND OFF (Fr. Défendre). To push or press off, in order to avoid contact or collision.

      FENDERS (Fr. Défenses). Pieces of wood, rope, or other material, hung over the side or over the bow or stern of a ship or boat, to protect it from being chafed.

      FERRY-BOAT (CHAIN). Mr. Rendell's Chain Ferry-boat or Steam Floating Bridge consists of a kind of oblong-decked punt, open on deck at both ends, and having hawse-holes at the bow and stern through which two chains laid from shore to shore pass over two pitch wheels, or wheels with the impressions of the links of a chain indented in their periphery, driven in the punt by one or two steam engines. There are also similar chain ferryboats on a small scale, with a pitch wheel on either side driven simply by a crank handle, to work the boat over from shore to shore.

      FETCH. To reach; as to fetch the harbour, or to fetch to windward of a point.

      To fetch headway or sternway, is expressed of a vessel acquiring motion ahead or astern.

      When any object in a vessel gets loose from its lashings, it is said to fetch way.

      The whole fetch of a gulf means the whole stretch or extent from the entrance to the top of it.

      FETCH THE PUMP (Fr. Allumer, Charger la pompe). To pour water above the pump-boxes (when they are dry, and the pump will in consequence not draw, or, as it is termed, has lost its fang), and work the upper box up and down by means of the brake, till the air ascending through the water is expelled from beneath, and the water in the well, following it to supply the vacuum, rises through the valves of the pump-boxes, and so enables the pump to work.

      FID, or FIDD. A piece of wood or iron made to go through the heel of an upper mast, and resting on the trestle-trees, to keep the mast in its place. The Patent Screw Fid (by Messrs. Pearce and Gardiner, Liverpool) is recommended, as allowing the tension of the rigging to be adjusted without taking in sail, and the upper masts to be struck and replaced without casting off or slacking any part of the rigging: it is an iron fid with screws through each end, which work in a plate (having steel sockets) fastened to the upper edge of the trestle-trees.

      A fid is also a tapered wooden pin used to open the strands in splicing large ropes, to open the eyes of ropes, and for like purposes; this gets the name of a Splicing-fid.

      FIDDLE-BLOCKS have two sheaves of different sizes placed one above the other. See Block, 4.

      FIDDLE-HEAD. A carved ornament at the bow of a vessel over the cutwater in the form of a scrole, bent inwards like the handle of a violin. See Head.

      FIFE-RAIL. A curved rail fixed on the head of stanchions, encircling a vessel's mainmast and pumps. Tackspins are inserted into it for belaying running rigging.

      FIGALE. A small boat of the East Indies in former times, having a single mast and a poop. It had little elevation above the water, and was navigated by sails as well as by oars. (Dict. de Marine à Voiles.)

      FIGURE, or FIGURE-HEAD (Fr. Figure). A carved figure at the bow of a vessel over the cutwater. See Cutwater, and Head.

      FILL. To adjust a vessel's sails so that the wind may force her ahead. The reverse of this is Backing. See Back and fill.

      FILLETS. See Gun.

      FILLING, in Shipbuilding, a piece of wood fitted on a timber or elsewhere to make up a want or defect, particularly to supply the deficiency of the timber in the moulding way. The timber should not have fillings when it can be avoided, especially on the outside. The name of fillings is sometimes given to chocks, which see.

      Beam-fillings, for timber-laden ships, are short lengths of wood cut to go between the beams, in order to fill up the stowage, and reaching a little above them, so as to prevent the weight of the cargo between decks from resting upon the beams.

      FILLING A SHIP'S BOTTOM. The act of driving nails with broad heads into the outside planking – an operation formerly adopted in order to form a protection to the plank similar to that which is obtained by copper or patent metal sheathing.

      FILLING-ROOM. A small place in the magazine of a ship of war, wherein the spare powder used to be started loosely in order to fill cartridges.

      In bomb vessels there is a similar place for preparing the shells and cutting the fuses.

      FILLING-TIMBERS, or FILLING-IN TIMBERS, are those timbers which are introduced, in some vessels, between the frames, for the purpose of making a solid framing. See Frames, 1.

      FILTER (Fr. Filtre). A strainer for passing (or, as it is termed, filtering) water or any other fluid through, to free it of its impurities. These machines are very useful at sea, particularly in long voyages, should the water get foul.

      The self-acting filters, which may be introduced into a vessel's scuttleà]-butt, or into the service tanks of passenger ships, and are so constructed that the water runs freely through them, are especially suitable for use at sea.

      FILTERING-STONE. A soft white stone hollowed out to receive water which is filtered through its pores. Among seamen it also gets the name of a Drip-stone.

      FIRE. The risk of fire in a ship is one with reference to which it is necessary to use every precaution that prudence can suggest against the occurrence of such a catastrophe. And especial care should be taken to avoid receiving on board, except in as dry a condition as possible, any articles which are subject to ignite spontaneously.

      FIRE-BOOMS. Long booms, each of them fitted with a

gooseneck, to ship into a bolt in the lower part of a vessel's wales, their ends reaching down nearly to the water's edge, and formed with open prongs, through which a rope is rove and carried round the vessel in order to prevent the boats of an enemy from getting alongside at night.

      FIRE-BUCKETS, are buckets used on board ships of war in case of fire, and in time of action for holding the fighting lanterns, and for carrying powder.

      FIRE-HEARTH. A cast-iron cooking apparatus used on board of vessels. See Caboose.

      FIREMAN (Fr. Chauffeur). See Stoker.

      FIRE-SHIP (Fr. Brûlot). A vessel filled with combustible matter to be set on fire in order to destroy an enemy's vessels. FIRE-RAFTS are used by the Chinese in their rivers for the same purpose.

      FIRE-SWAB. See Tompion.

      FIRTH. The same as Frith.

      FISH (Fr. Jumelle). A piece of hard wood fastened with bolts and hoops to any spar for the purpose of strengthening or securing it. This operation is called fishing the spar.

      FISH THE ANCHOR (Fr. Traverser l'ancre). To hoist the flukes of the anchor up to the gunwale after it has been catted. The tackle used for this purpose is called the fish tackle, to which there is attached a pendant, having a large iron hook, termed the fish-hook, made fast to its end.

      FISH-DAVIT, or ANCHOR-DAVIT. A spar with a roller

or sheave at its outer end. It traverses in a shoe-piece on the deck or gunwale of a vessel, and bends outward over the rail.

This is used in large vessels for the purpose of fishing an anchor. See Davits.

      FISH GIG. The name which was given to an instrument, consisting of a staff with three or more barbed prongs of steel; used, like 'grains,' for striking dolphins and other fish.

      FISH-HOOK. See Fish the Anchor.

      FISH-ROOM. In a ship of war, the space between the afterhold and the spirit room. It is now used chiefly for storing lumber.

      FISH-TACKLE. See Fish the Anchor.

      FISHING-SMACK. A sloop constructed to be used as a fishing vessel, having in its hold a well, wherein to preserve the fish alive. The well renders this vessel very easy in a seaway. They are clean-built vessels, generally in cutter fashion, and smack-rigged; hence their peculiar capabilities for encountering stormy weather and so often rendering important salvage services. Some fishing-smacks have no well.

      FISHING STORES. See Tackle.

      FISHING VESSELS. See Fishing-Smack, and Whale Fisheries.

      FIT OUT A SHIP (Fr. Equiper). To provide her complement of men, and supply everything necessary to put her in a proper condition for proceeding to sea. See Outfit.

      FIT RIGGING. To fit the standing and running rigging to a vessel's masts, &c.

      FIT-ROD. A small iron rod with a hook on the end used for being inserted into the holes made in a vessel's sides, in order to ascertain the required length of the bolts or treenails which are to be driven in. When the rod is pushed through a hole and drawn back, the hook catches the farther side of the hole, and thus enables its length to be ascertained.

      FLAG (Fr. Pavillon). A general name for the distinguishing colours of any nation. The different flags used in the Royal Navy are described and illustrated in Boyd's Naval Officer's Manual, 501. See the Queen's Regulations, Chap. IV. Sect. 9. The statute 8 & 9 Viet. c. 87 prohibits any of Her Majesty's subjects from hoisting in their vessels and boats the Union Jack or any pendants, &c., usually worn by ships in the Royal Navy, or any flag, jack, pendant, or colours whatever resembling those of Her Majesty, or any pendant, ensigns, or colours whatever other

than those prescribed by proclamation January 1, 1801, under a penalty not exceeding 500l. See Admiral.

      There are also small flags used for signals or telegraphs.

      FLAG-OFFICER. A general distinguishing title for any Admiral, Vice-Admiral, or Rear-Admiral, or Commodore of the first class. Their vessels are called Flag-ships, distinguished by the respective flags which they carry.

      FLAKE. A platform made of hurdles, used at the fishing harbours of Newfoundland for drying cod-fish. Also a name formerly given to shifting stages.

      FLANCHING, or FLANCHING OUT, in Shipbuilding, the same as flaring – that is to say, bellying out.

      FLANGE. A projecting rim formed on the end of each of two pipes for the purpose of uniting them. The rims formed on the ends of a steam cylinder for bolting it to the engine bottom and to the cylinder cover are also called Flanges. There are likewise flanges made on the truck wheels of the cradle of a patent slip, in order to keep the cradle from running off its iron railway.

      Port Flange, in Shipbuilding, a piece of wood fixed on the ship's side over a port, to prevent water or dirt from going into the port when open.

      FLARING, FLARING OFF, or FLARING OUT. The reverse of tumbling home.

      FLAT, in Shipbuilding, a straight part in a curve. To flat in or to flatten a sail, is to haul its clue or sheet aft.

      FLATS. A name given to certain banks having shoal water over them. Also a term applied to a kind of lighters employed in river navigation. Those used in the Mersey are rigged sloop fashion. They are flat in thb bottom and very flat built.

      FLAT-BOTTOMED. A term implying that a vessel's bottom does not rise, or has little upward inclination.

      FLATTEN, or FLAT IN. See Flat.

      FLAW. A term applied to a gust of wind.

      FLEET (Fr. Flotte, Force Navale, Armée Navale). A general name given to the Royal Navy, or to any part of it employed in a particular service or expedition.

      Also a number of merchant vessels sailing in company.

      To Fleet. To 'come up,' that is, to slack off a tackle, and draw the blocks apart for another pull, after they have been

hauled chock-a-block – in other words, after the blocks forming the purchase have been hauled close together.

      Also, 'to shift the position of a block or fall, &c., so as to haul to more advantage.'

      To fleet the messenger is to cast off the lashing, and shift the messenger for another pull.

      FLEMISH COIL. See Coil.

      FLEMISH EYE. See Eye (Flemish).

      FLEMISH HORSE. A small foot-rope at a topsail yard-al m. See Horse.

      FLENSING. The operation of clearing a whale of its blubber and bone. In the northern whale fisheries, the man who directs the cutting operations is called the specksioneer: the speckfalls, whereof there are two, for hoisting the blubber and bone off the whale, are ropes rove through two blocks made fast to the blubber-guy, which is a large rope stretched from the main to the fore mast head.

      The Cant (or Kent) purchase is formed by a block suspended from the mainmast head, and another block which is made fast to a circle called the Cant, cut in the whale between the neck and fins: it is used to cant the fish round during the above operation.

      The blubber, on being hoisted on board the vessel, is cut into square pieces and stowed in the hold; afterwards these are again taken on deck, skinned, cleared of any kreng (that is, any useless part of the carcass) which adheres to them, and cut into smaller pieces to be stowed away in casks: this latter process is termed Making-off.

      For more minute details on this subject, and in regard to the mode of flensing adopted in the southern whale fisheries, reference may be made to Captain Scoresby's valuable Account of the Arctic Regions and Northern Whale Fishery, and the Appendix thereto.

      FLOAT (Fr. Flotter). To rise to, or remain on, the surface of the water.

      To float a ship (Fr. Déchouer), is to raise her to the surface of the water when sunk or to bring her afloat when aground. See also the article Swim.

      FLOAT. A raft. See also Paddle-wheels.

      FLOAT-BOARDS. The same as Floats of a paddle-wheel.

      FLOATING ANCHOR (Fr. Ancre de cape). A machine contrived to prevent a vessel from driving rapidly where there is

no anchoring ground. This might be peculiarly serviceable in the case of her being disabled about the masts, and thereby rendered unable to keep off a lee shore.

      The following description of it is partly adjusted from Seamanship both in Theory and Practice, wherein a plate of the machine is given. It consists of two flat bars of iron, each in length about half the breadth of the midship frame of the vessel for which it is used: these bars are connected together in the middle by means of a bolt. When intended to be used, the bars are swivelled at right angles to each other, and kept so by a swifter of rope or small chain passed through a hole in the end of each bar, which swifter must be hove tight, or four spars are cut to about half the breadth and lashed together so as to form a square. To this there is marled a double fold of No. 1 canvass, laid on that side

floating anchor (shown in perspective).

which is next the ship when the machine is used. By ropes made fast near each corner a crowfoot is formed, having an eye for a large hawser to bend to; a kedge anchor is then applied as a balance is to the tail of a kite, and to prevent its going too deep in the water the whole is suspended by a buoy or small cask. When it is thrown overboard, the hawser and a rope made fast to the head of the buoy are veered away sufficiently to ride the

vessel. To get it on board, haul on the buoy-rope, which will bring it to the water's surface, so as to be easily drawn to the ship. It can only be used with propriety in plenty of sea room.

      Occasionally vessels put out a spar or other thing suitable, with the end of a warp attached to it as a drag, to serve the like purpose as the floating anchor.

      FLOATING BATTERY. An old vessel fitted for harbour defence.

      The following is an account of the kind of Floating Battery used by the Federal States of America. It is a flat-bottomed wooden vessel of war, very wide in the middle and narrowing towards the ends, 'forming a kind of elongated oval, over which is laid a thick flat iron cover with sides dipping into the water. In battle these sides show a surface of only 12 to 20 inches above the water, and the funnel is let down after the telescope fashion till its covered top alone is seen on deck.' On the centre of the vessel rises a vast circular pillar or cupola (or turret), built of several thicknesses of inch iron, fastened by screws inside, and the joinings so arranged that no two can any where be struck by the same shot.' This cupola or turret contains two heavy guns, and is moved round with them at pleasure by steam power. Such is a description of Ericsson's floating battery the Monitor,' extracted from the Illustrated London News of April 5, 1862. Many years before a floating battery of this kind, or 'steam shield raft' (as it is also called), was designed by Captain Coles, R. N. See Cupola Ships.

      FLOATING BRIDGE. A bridge formed by boats or pontoons &c.

      Steam Floating Bridge. A kind of oblong-decked punt open at both ends, having two chains passed from shore to shore over two pitch wheels driven in the punt by one or two steam engines. See Ferry Boat (Chain).

      FLOATING DAM. See Caisson.

      FLOATING DERRICK. See Derrick.

      FLOATING DOCK (Fr. Forme flottante). See Caisson, and Dock (Floating).

      FLOE. 'A piece of ice, similar to a field, but the extent of which can be distinguished.' See Iceberg, 5 and 11.

      FLOOD and FLOOD TIDE (Fr. Flot). The rising of the waters of the sea, which generally takes place twice in a lunar day. See Tides, 1.

      FLOOD MARK. The line made by the tide upon the shore when at its greatest height. See Tides, 3.

      FLOOR. The bottom of a vessel on each side of the keelson. In the midship body, the flattest part of the floor is at the flat frame, called the midship frame.

      The floor-timbers are by way of abbreviation called the floors. In this sense, the Rising-floors imply those floor-timbers which rise gradually from the plane of the midship floor, so as to sharpen the form of the vessel towards the bow 'and the stern. See Peake's Rudimentary Treatise on the Practice of Shipbuilding, p. 15.

      FLOOR-GUIDE, in Shipbuilding, is a ribband which is placed between the floor-ribband and the keel. See Ribbands.

      FLOOR-HEADS. The upper extremities of a vessel's floortimbers.

      FLOOR-PLAN, or HALF-BREADTH PLAN, in Shipbuilding, is a section upon a longitudinal plane whereon is represented the water-lines and the ribband-lines.

      FLOOR-RIBBAND. See Ribbands.

      FLOOR-TIMBERS, or FLOORS (Fr. Varangues). Large and strong pieces of timber placed across a vessel's keel at right angles to it, forming the lower structure of the frame. (Plate II. fig. 6.) See the articles Floor, Frame, and Keelson.

      FLORY-BOATS. A local term applied to boats employed in carrying passengers to and from steamers which cannot come alongside of a landing-place at low water.

      FLOTILLA (Fr. Flotille). A fleet of small vessels, more especially of gun-boats.

      FLOTSAM, JETSAM, and LAGAN. Legal terms (out of ordinary use) applied respectively to articles that continue floating at sea, those which are sunk in the water, and those which are sunk but with a buoy attached to them. See Derelict.

      FLOW. The rising of the tide. See Tide, 1.

      FLOWING-SHEET. When a vessel has the wind free or large, and the lee clues eased off, she is said to sail with a flowing sheet.

      FLUES (BOILER). See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 37.

      FLUID COMPASS. See Compass, 7.

      FLUKE. A broad flat triangular plate of iron, fixed on the

inside of the blade of an anchor to take the greater hold of the ground. See Anchor, 1.

      FLURRY. A name which has been given to a light breeze, shifting about and slightly ruffling here and there the surface of the sea.

      FLUSH. With a continuous even surface; thus a flush deck is one which stretches fore and aft upon one line without any falls or intervals.

      FLY. The length of a flag from the staff to the outer edge. If a union flag, it is that part which extends from the union to the extreme end.

      The opposite of this, or rather the breadth of a flag next the staff, is called its hoist.

      FLY of the Compass (Fr. Rose des vents). A card supported by a pin and divided by rhumb lines into thirty-two equal parts representing the divisions of the horizon. See Compass.

      FLY-BLOCK. Any block which, forming part of a tackle, shifts its position when hauled upon.

      FLY-BOAT. A name sometimes given to a swift canal passage boat.

      FLY-BY-NIGHT. A name given in some places to a square sail, like a studding-sail, used in sloops when running before the wind. It is set on the topmast, having its foot stretched to the cross-jack-yard.

      FLY-UP, in Shipbuilding, a term similar to flight, implying a sudden deviation upwards from a sheer line: as that of the after ends of the wales in a square-sterned vessel.

      FLYING ABOUT. The frequent changing of the wind during a short space of time. See Chop About.

      FLYING JIB (Fr. Clin Foe). A sail set outside of the jib upon a boom, called a flying jib -boom. See Jib.

      FOG-BANK. A dense mass of fog, presenting the appearance of a thick cloud resting upon the horizon.

      FOG-HORN. A horn used on board of a vessel to sound as a warning signal in foggy weather. Bells and gongs, &c., in sailing ships, and the steam whistle in steamers, are likewise employed as fog signals.

      FOOT-HOOKS. See Futtocks.

      FOOT-ROPES. Ropes stretching from the middle of a yard to each of its extremities, for men to stand on when reefing, furling, &c.: they were formerly termed Horses. In order to keep

them more nearly parallel with the yard, they are suspended from it at convenient distances by short pieces of rope called Stirrups, each of these having a thimble spliced into its lower end, through which the foot-rope is rove. There is likewise a foot-rope beneath the jib-boom. See the articles Boltrope and Horse. (Plate IV. 121.)

      FOOT-VALVE (Fr. Clapet de fond). See description of Steam Engine, Sect. 15.

      FOOTWALING. See Ceiling.

      FORE (Fr. Avant, Petit – the latter term applied to masts, &c.). A term used to distinguish that part of a vessel at or near her bow, or things at that part in opposition to after.

      FORE-AND-AFT. Lengthways of the vessel, as opposed to athwartships. A fore-and-aft rigged vessel, called also by way of abbreviation a Fore-and-after, is a vessel rigged with fore-andaft sails. See the article Sails.

      FORE-BODY, in Shipbuilding, is that part before the midship frame as seen from ahead. See Shipbuilding, 5.

      FORECASTLE, or FORECASTLE DECK. The fore part of the upper deck at a vessel's bows. In a merchantman, the forecastle more properly implies the fore part of the vessel under the deck, wherein are the sailors' berths.

      If there be a sort of cabin formed by a short deck raised above the forecastle-deck, it gets the name of a Topgallant Forecastle.

      FOREFOOT. The lower part of the cutwater, and fore end of a vessel's keel which is covered in by it.

      FORE-GANGER, or FORE-GOER. A short piece of rope which is grafted to the shank of a harpoon, and to which the line is bent. See Harpoon.

      FORE-GRIPE. The lower ends of a véssel's stem and cutwater connected with the keel.

      FORE-HOODS. The foremost of the outside and inside planks of a vessel.

      FORE-HOOKS. The same as Breast-hooks.