he sponge of a cannon.

MOPUSSES. A cant term for money in general.

MORASS. Nearly the same thing as a marsh or swamp. In tropical regions
they are often overflowed with salt water, yet covered with mangrove and
many aquatic plants.

MORGLAY. A great sword, alluded to formerly.

MORION. An ancient steel casque or helmet, without beaver or visor.
According to Chaucer it was of more uses than one:--

"Their beef they often in their morion stewed."

MORNING GUN. The gun fired from the admiral's or senior officer's ship,
to announce day-break, which is answered by the muskets of the sentries
in the other ships.

MORNING STAR. An offensive weapon of the mediaeval times, consisting of a
staff, to which was attached an iron ball covered with spikes. Also, the
planet which is near the meridian at day-dawn.

MORNING WATCH. Those of the crew on watch from 4 to 8 A.M.

MORRA. An ancient game still played in Italy with extraordinary zest, by
two persons raising the right hand, and suddenly and contemporaneously
throwing it down with only some of the fingers extended, when the aim is
to guess what they unitedly amount to. Also, a term for a headland or
promontory on the coasts of Chili and Peru. Also, a round tower or fort,
as at Havana [from the Spanish _morro_, round].

MORRIS-PIKE. A formidable Moorish weapon, the precursor of the
boarding-pike.

MORSE. _See_ WALRUS.

MORSING POWDER. An old term for priming powder.

MORTAR. A short piece of ordnance used for throwing shells, so that they
may fall nearly vertical; they thus acquire force for breaking through
roofs, decks, &c. It is fired at a fixed angle of elevation, generally
at 45 deg., the charge of powder varying according to the range required.

MORTAR-BED AND BED-BEAMS. _See_ BOMB-BEDS, &c.

MORTAR-VESSEL. _See_ BOMB-VESSEL.

MORTGAGE. A registered ship, or share therein, which has been made a
security for a money-loan, or other valuable consideration, is termed a
mortgage in the Merchant Shipping Act.

MORTICE. A morticed block is one made out of a single block of wood,
chiselled for one or more sheaves; in distinction from a _made block_.
The chisel used for morticing is peculiar to that purpose.

MORUACH. A peculiar seal, which has been frequently mistaken on our
northern shores for a mermaid.

MOSES. A flat-bottomed boat used in the West Indies for bringing off
hogsheads of sugar; it is termed single or double, according to its
size.

MOSE