ment between belligerents for an exchange of
prisoners.

Caulk. To make a ship's seams watertight by plugging the crevices with
oakum (i.e. old untwisted rope).

Chasers. Bow-chasers were two long chase-guns placed forward in the bow
ports to fire directly ahead. Stern-chasers were similar guns mounted
astern.

Clean. A clean ship is one whose bottom is free from barnacles and weed
that check the pace.

Clearing for action. To get ready for battle by clearing the decks from
encumbrances and anything unnecessary or dangerous, such as wooden
partitions between cabins, etc.

Cochineal. A dye stuff consisting of female cochineal insects killed and
dried by heat. They yield a brilliant scarlet dye.

Cohorn mortars. See Mortar.

The commerce. Used several times in the sense of "the traders."

Commodore. A naval officer ranking above a captain and below a
rear-admiral. In the British Navy the rank is a temporary one, given to
senior officers in command of detached squadrons. The broad pennant
(chapter 4) is the flag that marks the presence of a commodore on board.

Courses. The sails below the topsails and next to the deck.

Cutter. See Boats.

Dollar. A corruption of the German "thaler," a name for a silver coin
worth about four shillings. The name was extended in the form "dollar" to
other coins of similar size, notably the old Spanish "piece of eight."
See Pieces of eight.

Doubloon. A former Spanish gold coin worth about eight dollars.

Eight. See Pieces of.

Embargo. A temporary order from Government to prevent the arrival or
departure of ships.

Fetch (the wake of). To reach the track left by a ship.

File (of musketeers). Latin filum, French file = a row. The word is used
to signify any line of men standing directly behind one another. In
ordinary two-deep formations a file consists of two men, one in the front
rank and one in the rear rank.

Fishing (a mast). To strengthen or mend a mast by fastening strips of
wood or iron along a weak or broken place.

Foot-rope. A rope stretched under a yard arm for sailors to stand on
while reefing or furling sails.

Fore-cap. The cap is a stout block joining the bottom of one mast to the
top of another; as where the foretopmast joins the foremast.

Foremast, foretopmast, etc. See Mast.

Fore-reach. To gain upon or pass; to beat in sailing.

Foreyard. The lowest yard on the foremast of a square-rigged vessel.

Grapnel. A boat's anchor having more than t