The Sailor's Word-Book Part 100

FLYING ABOUT. Synonymous with _chop-about_ (which see).

FLYING COLUMN. A complete and mobile force kept much on the move, for the sake of covering the designs of its own army, distracting those of the enemy, or maintaining supremacy in a hostile or disaffected region.

FLYING DUTCHMAN. A famous marine spectre s.h.i.+p, formerly supposed to haunt the Cape of Good Hope. The tradition of seamen was that a Dutch skipper, irritated with a foul wind, swore by _donner_ and _blitzen_, that he would beat into Table Bay in spite of G.o.d or man, and that, foundering with the wicked oath on his lips, he has ever since been working off and on near the Cape. The term is now extended to false reports of vessels seen.

FLYING JIB. A light sail set before the jib, on the flying jib-boom. The third jib in large s.h.i.+ps, as the inner jib, the jib, and the flying jib, set on the flying jib-boom. (_See_ JIB.)

FLYING JIB-BOOM. A spar which is pointed through the iron at the jib-boom end. It lies beside it, and the heel steps into the bowsprit cap.

FLYING-KITES. The very lofty sails, which are only set in fine weather, such as skysails, royal studding-sails, and all above them.

FLYING-LIGHT. The state of a s.h.i.+p when she has little cargo, provisions, or water on board, and is very crank.

FLYING-TO. Is when a vessel, from sailing free or having tacked, and her head thrown much to leeward, is coming to the wind rapidly, the warning is given to the helmsman, "Look out, she is flying-to."

FLY THE SHEETS, TO LET. To let them go suddenly.

FLY-UP. A sudden deviation upwards from a sheer line; the term is nearly synonymous with _flight_.--_To fly up in the wind_, is when a s.h.i.+p's head comes suddenly to windward, by carelessness of the helmsman.

FLY-WHEEL. The regulator of a machine.

FOAM [Anglo-Saxon, _feam_]. The white froth produced by the collision of the waves, or by the bow of a s.h.i.+p when acted on by the wind; and also by their striking against rocks, vessels, or other bodies.

FOCAL LENGTH. The distance between the object-gla.s.s and the eye-piece of a telescope.

FOCUS. A point where converging rays or lines meet.

FOEMAN. An enemy in war; now used only by poets. One of Falstaff's recruits, hight Shadow, presented no mark to the enemy: "The foeman may with as great aim level at the edge of a pen-knife."

FNUS NAUTIc.u.m. Nautical usury, bottomry.

FOG. A mist at sea, consisting of the grosser vapours floating in the air near the surface of the sea. The fog of the great bank of Newfoundland is caused by the near proximity of warm and cold waters.

The air over the Gulf Stream, being warmer than that over the banks of Newfoundland, is capable of keeping much more moisture in invisible suspension; and when this air comes in contact with that above the cold water, it parts with some of its moisture, or rather holds it in visible suspension. There are also dry fogs, which are dust held in suspension, as the so-called African dust, which often partially obscures the sun, and reddens the sails of s.h.i.+ps as they pa.s.s through the north-east trades.

FOG-BANK. A dense haze, presenting the appearance of a thick cloud resting upon the horizon; it is known in high lat.i.tudes as the precursor of wind from the quarter in which it appears. From its frequent resemblance to land it has obtained the name of _Cape Fly-away_.

FOG-BOW. A beautiful natural phenomenon incidental to high lat.i.tudes. It appears opposite to the sun, and is usually broad and white, but sometimes a.s.sumes the prismatic colours. Indicative of clearing off of mists. (_See_ FOG-EATER.)

FOG-DOGS. Those transient prismatic breaks which occur in thick mists, and considered good symptoms of the weather clearing.

FOG-EATER. A synonym of _fog-dog_ and _fog-bow_. It may be explained as the clearing of the upper stratum, permitting the sun's rays to exhibit at the horizon prismatic colours; hence "sun-gall."

FOGEY. An old-fas.h.i.+oned or singular person; an invalid soldier or sailor. Often means a stupid but irascible fellow.

FOGGY. Not quite sober.

FOGRAM. Wine, beer, or spirits of indifferent quality; in fact, any kind of liquor.

FOG-SIGNALS. The naval code established by guns to keep a fleet together, to tack, wear, and perform sundry evolutions. Also, certain sounds made in fogs as warnings to other vessels, either with horns, bells, gongs, guns, or the improved fog-whistle.

FOIL. A blunt, elastic, sword-like implement used in fencing.--_To foil_ means to disconcert or defeat an enemy's intention.

FOILLAN. The Manx or Erse term for a gull.

FOIN. A thrust with a pike or sword.

FOKE-SILL. Among old salts may be termed a curt or nicked form of _forecastle_.

FOLDER. The movable sight of a fire-arm.

FOLLIS. A net with very large meshes, princ.i.p.ally for catching thorn-backs.

FOLLOWERS. A certain number of men permitted by the regulations of the service to be taken by the captain when he removes from one s.h.i.+p to another. Also, the young gentlemen introduced into the service by the captain, and reared with a father's care, moving with him from s.h.i.+p to s.h.i.+p; a practice which produced most of our best officers formerly, but innovation has broken through it, to the serious detriment of the service and the country.

FOLLOWING, NORTH OR SOUTH. _See_ QUADRANT.

FOMALHAUT. A standard nautical star, called also a _Piscis australis_.

FOOL. "He's no fool on a march," a phrase meaning that such a person is equal to what he undertakes.

FOOLEN. The s.p.a.ce between the usual high-water mark in a river and the foot of the wall on its banks, built to prevent its occasionally overflowing the neighbouring lands.

FOOL-FISH. A name of the long-finned file-fish, and so called from its apparently whimsical manner of swimming.

FOOLISH GUILLEMOT. The web-footed diving-bird, _Uria troile_, common on our coasts.

FOOT. The lower end of a mast or sail. Also, the general name of infantry soldiers. Also, the measure of 12 inches, or one-sixth of a fathom.--_To foot._ To push with the feet; as, "foot the top-sail out clear of the top-rim."

FOOT-BANK. Synonymous with _banquette_ (which see).

FOOT-BOARD. The same as _gang-board_, but not so sailor-like. (_See_ STRETCHERS.)

FOOT-BOAT. A west-country term for a boat used solely to convey foot pa.s.sengers.

FOOT-CLUE OF A HAMMOCK. _See_ HAMMOCK.

FOOT-HOOKS. Synonymous with _futtocks_.

FOOTING. A fine paid by a youngster or landsman on first mounting the top. Also, a slight payment from new comers on crossing the line, pa.s.sing through the Straits of Gibraltar, entering the Arctic Seas, &c.

FOOT IT IN. An order to stow the bunt of a sail snugly in furling, executed by the bunt-men dancing it in, holding on by the topsail-tye.

Frequently when a bunt-jigger has parted men have fallen on deck.

FOOT-RAILS. Narrow mouldings raised on a vessel's stern.

FOOT-ROPE. The rope to which the lower edge of a sail is sewed. (_See_ BOLT-ROPE.)

FOOT-ROPES. Those stretching under the yards and jib-booms for the men to stand on; they are the same with _horses of the yards_ (which see).