rts of naval stores and timber for
ship-building. In England the royal dockyards are at Deptford, Woolwich,
Chatham, Sheerness, Portsmouth, Devonport, Pembroke. Those in our
colonies are at the Cape of Good Hope, Gibraltar, Malta, Bermuda,
Halifax, Jamaica, Antigua, Trincomalee, and Hong Kong. There Her
Majesty's ships and vessels of war are generally moored during peace,
and such as want repairing are taken into the docks, examined, and
refitted for service. These yards are generally supplied from the north
with hemp, pitch, tar, rosin, canvas, oak-plank, and several other
species of stores. The largest masts are usually imported from New
England. Until 1831 these yards were governed by a commissioner resident
at the port, who superintended all the musters of the officers,
artificers, and labourers employed in the dockyard and ordinary; he also
controlled their payment, examined their accounts, contracted and drew
bills on the Navy Office to supply the deficiency of stores, and,
finally, regulated whatever belonged to the dockyard. In 1831 the
commissioners of the Navy were abolished, and admirals and captains
superintendent command the dockyards under the controller of the Navy
and the Admiralty.

DOCTOR. A name which seamen apply to every medical officer. Also, a
jocular name for the ship's cook.

DOCTOR'S LIST. The roll of those excused from duty by reason of illness.

DODD. A round-topped hill, generally an offshoot from a higher mountain.

DODECAGON. A regular polygon, having twelve sides and as many angles.

DODECATIMORIA. The anastrous signs, or twelve portions of the ecliptic
which the signs anciently occupied, but have since deserted by the
precession of the equinoxes.

DODGE. A homely but expressive phrase for shuffling conduct, or cunning
of purpose. Also, to watch or follow a ship from place to place.

DODMAN. A shell-fish with a hod-like lump. A sea-snail, otherwise called
_hodmandod_.

DOFF, TO. To put aside.

DO FOR, TO. A double-barrelled expression, meaning alike to take care of
or provide for an individual, or to ruin or kill him.

DOG. The hammer of a fire-lock or pistol; that which holds the flint,
called also _dog-head_. Also, a sort of iron hook or bar with a sharp
fang at one end, so as to be easily driven into a piece of timber, and
drag it along by means of a rope fastened to it, upon which a number of
men can pull. _Dog_ is also an iron implement with a fang at each end,
to be driv