castle, while the intermediate
part was now known as the gangway. This name was also applied to the
space left in the bulwarks for entering or leaving the ship. These
portions of the decks now assumed the appearance of an entire even deck
running fore and aft, but it still retained the names originally
bestowed on it, and its imaginary divisions. The centre part of the
ship, where the gangway is placed, is also commonly called the waist,
because originally there was no deck. The deck immediately below this
once-divided deck is always called the main-deck. In a three-decker the
next is called the middle-deck, and the lowest deck on which guns are
carried the lower-deck. Below this again is one still lower-deck called
the orlop-deck. A two-decked ship has no middle-deck, but possesses
only a main and lower-deck, besides the before-mentioned quarter-deck,
gangway, and forecastle. The deck on which a frigate's single battery
is carried is always called her main-deck, because the sailors are wont
to denominate the upper-deck of every ship carrying guns the main-deck.
In a sloop-ship or corvette the only deck, without any one above it on
which guns are carried, is thus invariably called the main-deck, and, as
has before been said, the one beneath it on which the officers and crew
live, and which has no guns, the gun-deck. Ships which have their only
gun-deck running fore and aft for the same height all along are called
flush-decked ships. When the after-part of the deck is raised they are
known as being deep-waisted, as is the case with many merchantmen. The
highest deck of many men-of-war of all rates is often perfectly level,
but others have a short raised deck, extending from just before the
mizen-mast to the stern, which is called the poop, and in many instances
serves as a cover to the captain's cabin. When the admiral is on board
he occupies the after-cabins on the upper-deck. In small men-of-war no
cabins are placed under the poop, nor are they ever under the topgallant
forecastle. On board merchantmen, however, where the poop is of
sufficient elevation and extent to allow of it, the best cabins are
always placed under it, while the crew are almost invariably berthed
under the top-gallant forecastle. Of course, speaking of men-of-war, we
are referring to ships as they were till the invention of low-sided
armour-plated craft, which necessitated a great, if not an entire,
change of terms, and the introductio