wo flukes. Come to grapnel,
cf. Come to anchor.
Half-galleys. A galley is a low, flat-built sea-going vessel with one
deck, propelled by sails and oars. A half-galley is a similar vessel, but
much shorter.
Half-pike. See Pike.
Hand (the sails). To furl.
Hawser. A large rope or small cable.
Indulgences. The remission by authorised priests of the punishment due to
sin. The sale of indulgences was one of the abuses that provoked the
Reformation.
Jerk. To cure meat, especially beef, by cutting it into long thin slices
and drying it in the sun.
Jury-mast. A small temporary mast often made of a yard; set up instead of
a mast that is broken down.
Larboard (or port). The left side of a ship looking towards the bow.
Lay to (lie to). To reduce sail to the lowest limits, so as to become
nearly stationary.
Lee. The side or direction opposite to that from which the wind comes.
Line, ship of the. A ship of sufficient size and armament to take a place
in the line of battle.
Linguist. Interpreter.
Longboat. See Boats.
Lumber. Sawn timber.
Masts:
The masts of a full-rigged three-masted ship are the following:
Fore-mast, topmast, topgallant-mast, royal mast.
Main-mast, topmast, topgallant-mast, royal mast.
Mizzen-mast, topmast, topgallant-mast, royal mast.
Monsoon. See Winds.
Mortar. A kind of gun with a very short bore. It throws its projectile at
a great elevation.
Mortar, Cohorn (see chapter 7). Cohorn was a famous Dutch engineer and
artillerist in the service of William III.
Nailed up. Spiked. To spike a gun is to render it useless for the time by
inserting into the vent a steel pin with side springs, which when
inserted open outwards to the shape of an arrowhead so that it cannot be
released.
Offing:
1. The most distant part of the sea visible from the shore.
2. A still greater distance, sufficient to avoid the dangers of shipwreck,
as "a good offing."
Overreach. To pass.
Parallel, i.e. of latitude or longitude as the case may be.
Pennant, Broad. See Commodore.
Pidreroes. Light Spanish cannon.
Pieces of eight. Old Spanish coins worth about four shillings each. The
piece of eight was divided into eight silver reals. Hence the name which
was applied to it in the Spanish Main. It was also frequently called a
dollar.
Pike. A long shaft or pole, having an iron or steel point, used in
medieval warfare, now replaced by the bayonet. A half-pike was a similar
weapon having a
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