ther to get
ahead of her. To be driven backwards.

FALL BACK, TO. To recede from any position previously occupied.

FALL CALM, TO. Speaking of the weather, implies a total cessation of the
wind.

FALL CLOUD. _See_ STRATUS.

FALL DOWN, TO. To sail, drift, or be towed to some lower part nearer a
river's mouth or opening.

FALLEN-STAR. A name for the jelly-fish or _medusa_, frequently thrown
ashore in summer and autumn.

FALL FOUL OF, TO. To reprimand severely. (_See_ FALL ABOARD OF.)

FALL IN, TO. The order to form, or take assigned places in ranks. (_See_
ASSEMBLY.)

FALLING GLASS. When the mercury of the barometer is sinking in the tube.

FALLING HOME. When the top-sides are inclined within the perpendicular;
opposite of _wall-sided_. (_See_ TUMBLING HOME.)

FALLING OFF. The opposite of _griping_, or _coming up to the wind_; it
is the movement or direction of the ship's head to leeward of the point
whither it was lately directed, particularly when she sails near the
wind, or lies by. Also, the angle contained between her nearest approach
to the direction of the wind, and her furthest declination from it when
_trying_.

FALLING OUT. When the top-sides project beyond a perpendicular, as in
flaring.

FALLING STARS. Meteors which have very much the appearance of real
stars. They were falsely regarded as foreboders of wind, as Seneca in
_Hippolytus_, "Ocior cursum rapiente flamma stella cum ventis agitata
longos porrigit ignes." Some are earthy, others metallic.

FALLING TIDE, OR EBB OF TIDE. This phrase, implying a previous flow of
tide towards high-water, requires here only a partial explanation: the
sea, after swelling for about six hours, and thus entering the mouths of
rivers, and rising along the sea-shore more or less, according to the
moon's age and other circumstances, rests for a quarter of an hour, and
then retreats or ebbs during the next six hours. After a similar pause
the phenomenon recommences,--occupying altogether about twelve hours and
fifty minutes. A table of the daily time of high-water at each port is
requisite for the shipping. There are curious variations to this law, as
when strong rivers rise and fall, and yet do not admit salt water. Their
currents, indeed, of fresh water, are found far off the land, as in the
Tiber, and off several in the West Indies, South America, &c. (_See_
TIDE.)

FALL IN WITH, TO. To meet, when speaking of a ship; to discover, when
speaking of the land.