admiral
commands the centre, the second in command superintends the vanguard,
and the third directs the rear. The term in the navy was any number
exceeding a squadron, or rear-admiral's command, composed of five
sail-of-the-line, with any amount of smaller vessels.

FLEET-DYKE. From the Teut. _vliet_, a dyke for preventing inundation.

FLEETING. To _come up_ a rope, so as to haul to more advantage;
especially the act of changing the situation of a tackle when the blocks
are drawn together; also, changing the position of the dead-eyes, when
the shrouds are become too long, which is done by shortening the bend of
the shroud and turning in the dead-eye again higher up; the use of
fleeting is accordingly to regain the mechanical powers, when destroyed
by the meeting of the blocks or dead-eyes.--_Fleet ho!_ the order given
at such times. (_See_ TACKLE.)

FLEET THE MESSENGER. When about to weigh, to shift the eyes of the
messenger past the capstan for the heavy heave.

FLEET-WATER. Water which inundates.

FLEMISH, TO. To coil down a rope concentrically in the direction of the
sun, or coil of a watch-spring, beginning in the middle without riders;
but if there must be riding fakes, they begin outside, and that is the
true _French coil_.

FLEMISH ACCOUNT. A deficit in accounts.

FLEMISH EYE. A kind of eye-splice, in which the ends are scraped down,
tapered, passed oppositely, marled, and served over with spun yarn.
Often called a _made-eye_.

FLEMISH FAKE. A method of coiling a rope that runs freely when let go;
differing from the French, and was used for the head-braces. Each bend
is slipped under the last, and the whole rendered flat and solid to walk
on.

FLEMISH HORSE, is the outer short foot-rope for the man at the earing;
the outer end is spliced round a thimble on the goose-neck of the
studding-sail boom-iron. The inner end is seized by its eye within the
brace-block-strop and head-earing-cleat.

FLEMISHING. A forcing or scoring of the planks.

FLENCH-GUT. The blubber of a whale laid out in long slices.

FLENSE, TO. To strip the fat off a flayed seal, or the blubber from a
whale.

FLESHMENT. Being in the first battle; and "fleshing the sword" alludes
to the first time the beginner draws blood with it.

FLESH-TRAFFIC. The slave-trade.

FLET. A name of the halibut.

FLETCH, TO. To feather an arrow.

FLEUZ. A north-country term for the fagged end of a rope.

FLEXURE. The bending or curving of a line