The Sailor's Word-Book Part 139

JILL. A fourth part of a pint measure; a seaman's daily allowance of rum, which formerly was half a pint.

JIMMAL, OR JIMBLE. _See_ GIMBALS.

JINGAL. A kind of long heavy musket supported about the centre of its length on a pivot, carrying a ball of from a quarter to half a pound, and generally fired by a matchlock; much used in China and the Indies.

It is charged by a separate chamber, dropped into the breech and keyed.

JINNY-SPINNER. One of the names for the c.o.c.kroach.

JIRK, TO. To cut or score the flesh of the wild hog on the inner surface, as practised by the Maroons. It is then smoked and otherwise prepared in a manner that gives the meat a fine flavour.

JOB. A stipulated work.

JOBATION. A private but severe lecture and reprimand.

JOB CAPTAIN. One who gets a temporary appointment to a s.h.i.+p, whose regular commander is a member of parliament, &c.

JOB-WATCH, OR HACK-WATCH, for taking astronomical sights, which saves taking the chronometer on deck or on sh.o.r.e to note the time.

JOCALIA. An Anglo-Norman law-term signifying jewels, which, with gold and silver, were exempted in our smuggling enactments.

JOCKS. Scotch seamen.

JOG. The shoulder or step of the rudder.

JOGGING. A protuberance on the surface of sawn wood.

JOGGLE. The cubic joints of stones on piers, quays, and docks. Also, notches at the ends of paddle-beam iron-knees outside, to act as a stop to the diagonal iron-stay, which is extended between the arms of each knee. (_See_ JUGLE.)

JOG-THE-LOO! A command in small vessels to work the pump-brake, or to pump briskly.

JOHN. A name given to dried fish. (_See_ POOR JOHN.)

JOHN BULL. The origin of this nickname is traced to a satire written in the reign of Queen Anne, by Dr. Arbuthnot, to throw ridicule on the politics of the Spanish succession.

JOHN COMPANY. The former board of directors for East India affairs.

JOHN DORY. A corruption of _jaune dore_, which is the colour of this fish. It is one of the _s...o...b..idae_, _Zeus faber_. John Dory was also the name of a celebrated French pirate.

JOHNNY RAW, OR JOHNNY NEWCOME. An inexperienced youngster commencing his career; also applied to landsmen in general. (_See_ RAW.)

JOHNNY SHARK. A common sobriquet of the _Squalus_ tribe.

JOHN-O'-GROAT'S BUCKIE. A northern name for the _Cypraea pediculus_, a small sh.e.l.l found on our sea-coasts.

JOHN TUCK. The galley corruption of _chantuck_, or _jantook_, a Chinese viceroy, specially meaning the viceroy of Canton.

JOIN, TO. To repair to a s.h.i.+p, and personally to enter on an official position on board her. So also the junction of one or more s.h.i.+ps with each other.

JOINER. One who is a cabinet-maker, and performs neat work as captain's joiner.

JOINT. The place where any two pieces of timber or plank are united. It is also used to express the lines which are laid down in the mould-loft for shaping the timbers.

JOLLY. This term is usually applied to a comely and corpulent person, but afloat it is a familiar name for a soldier.--_Tame jolly_, a militiaman; _royal jolly_, a marine.

JOLLY-BOAT. A smaller boat than the cutter, but likewise clincher-built.

It is generally a hack boat for small work, being about 4 feet beam to 12 feet length, with a bluff bow and very wide transom; a kind of was.h.i.+ng-tub. (_See_ GELLYWATTE and CUTTER.)

JOLLY JUMPERS. Sails above the moon-rakers.

JOLLY ROGER. A pirate's flag; a white skull in a black field.

JONATHAN. A name often applied to Americans in general, but really appropriate to the Quakers in America, being a corruption of John Nathan.

JONK. _See_ JUNK.

JORUM, OF GROG, &c. A full bowl or jug.

JOURNAL. Synonymous at sea with _log-book_; it is a daily register of the s.h.i.+p's course and distance, the winds and weather, and a general account of whatever is of importance. In sea-journals, the day, or twenty-four hours, used to terminate at noon, because the s.h.i.+p's position is then generally determined by observation; but the sh.o.r.e account of time is now adopted afloat. In machinery, _journal_ is the bearing part of a shaft, upon which it rests on its Y's or bearings.

JOURNEY-WORK. Work performed by the day.

JOVIALL. Relating to the system of the planet Jupiter.

JOVICENTRIC. As seen from, or having relation to, the centre of Jupiter.

JOWDER. A term on our western coasts to denote a retail dealer in fish.

JOWL. The head of a fish. (Also, _see_ BLOCK.)--_Cheek by jowl._ Close together.

JUAN-MOOAR. The Manx and Erse term for the black-backed gull.

JUBALTARE. The early English word for Gibraltar.

JUDGE-ADVOCATE OF THE FLEET, OR TO THE FORCES. A legal officer whose duty it is to investigate offences previous to determining on sending them before a court-martial, and then to report on the sentence awarded.

He has civil deputies in Great Britain; but officers (generally secretaries to admirals, or pursers) are appointed by the courts abroad.

JUDGE-ADVOCATE, DEPUTY. An officer appointed to a.s.sist the court upon some general courts-martial for the trial of officers, seamen, and marines, accused of a breach of the articles of war.

JUDGMENT. In prize matters, the sentences of foreign courts, even though such decisions be manifestly unjust, are conclusive in ours by comity.

The tribunals of France are not so complacent.

JUFFER. _See_ UPHROE.

JUGGLE-MEER. A west-country word for a coast quagmire.

JUGLE, OR JOGGLE. In s.h.i.+p-building, a notch in the edge of a plank to admit the narrow b.u.t.t of another, as of the narrow end of a steeling-strake.

JULIAN PERIOD. A period of 7980 years, dating from B.C. 4713; being the product of the numbers 15, 19, and 28 multiplied into each other, they being respectively the lengths, in Julian years, of the Indiction, Metonic Cycle, and Solar Cycle. The Julian year was a period of 365-1/4 days, which was adopted as the length of the year after the reformation of the calendar by Julius Caesar.