The Sailor's Word-Book Part 151

LIE OFF! An order given to a boat to remain off on her oars till permission is given for her to come alongside.

LIE OUT! The order to the men aloft to distribute themselves on the yards for loosing, reefing, or furling sails.

LIE OVER. A s.h.i.+p heeling to it with the wind abeam.

LIESTER. _See_ LISTER.

LIE THE COURSE, TO. When the vessel's head is in the direction wished.

LIE-TO, TO. To cause a vessel to keep her head steady as regards a gale, so that a heavy sea may not tumble into her. She has perhaps a main-topsail or trysails, and comes up to within six points, and falls off to wind abeam, forging rather ahead, but should not altogether fall too much to leeward.

LIE UNDER ARMS, TO. To remain in a state of preparation for immediate action.

LIEUTENANT, IN THE ROYAL NAVY. The officer next in rank and power below the commander. There are several lieutenants in a large s.h.i.+p, and they take precedence according to the dates of their commissions. The senior lieutenant, during the absence of the commander, is charged with the command of the s.h.i.+p, as also with the execution of whatever orders he may have received from the commander relating to the queen's service; holding another's place, as the name implies in French.--_Lieutenant in the army._ The subaltern officer next in rank below the captain.

LIEUTENANT-AT-ARMS. Formerly the junior lieutenant, who, with the master-at-arms, was charged with the drilling of the small-arm men.

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL. The next below the colonel, generally having the active command in the regiment, whether in cavalry, infantry, or artillery, the full colonels being mostly on staff employ, or even in retirement.

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL. The officer taking the next place to a general, ranking with vice-admiral.

LIEUTENANT'S STORE-ROOM. More commonly called the _ward-room store-room_ (which see).

LIFE-BELT. An india-rubber or cork girdle round a person's waist to buoy him up in the water.

LIFE-BOAT. One of such peculiar construction that it cannot sink or be swamped. It is equipped for attending wherever a wreck may happen, and saving the lives of the crew: really one of the greatest blessings conferred by civilization and humanity on mariners. Life-boats were invented by Admiral Samuel Graves, who died in 1787. The Royal National Life-boat Inst.i.tution has saved by its boats, or by special exertions for which it has granted rewards, 14,980 lives, from the year of its establishment, 1824, to the end of 1865.

LIFE-BUOYS. Are of various descriptions. A very useful one, patented by Cook, is supplied to all Her Majesty's s.h.i.+ps. It is composed of two copper cylinders, and has a balanced stem carrying a fuse, burning twenty minutes. It is kept suspended on the quarter, can be let go, and ignited instantaneously, and will support two men for a considerable time.

LIFE-GUARDS. A greatly-privileged body of cavalry, specially a.s.signed to the guarding of the sovereign's person.

LIFE-KITE. A contrivance for saving the lives of s.h.i.+pwrecked persons by forming a communication between the wreck and a lee-sh.o.r.e.

LIFE-LINES. Stretched from gun to gun, and about the upper deck in bad weather, to prevent the men being washed away. The life-lines aloft are stretched from the lifts to the masts to enable seamen to stand securely when manning yards, as in a salute to admirals, &c.

LIFE-PRESERVER. An air-tight apparatus for saving people in cases of wreck.

LIFT. A term applied to the sails when the wind catches them on the leeches and causes them to ruffle slightly. Also implies help in work in hand, as "give us a lift."

LIFT AN ANCHOR, TO. Either by the purchase; or a s.h.i.+p if she has not sufficient cable on a steep bank _lifts_, or shoulders, her anchor.

LIFTED. Promoted somewhat unexpectedly.

LIFTER. _See_ WIPER.

LIFTING. The rising of fog or haze from the surface of the water.

LIFTING-JACK. A portable machine for lifting heavy objects, acting by the power either of the lever, the tooth and pinion, or the screw.

LIFTS. Ropes which reach from each mast-head to their respective yard-arms to steady and suspend the ends. Their use is to keep the yard in equilibrium, or to raise one of its extremities higher than the other if necessary, but particularly to support the weight when a number of men are employed on it, furling or reefing the sail. The yards are said to be squared by the lifts when they hang at right angles with the masts.--_Topping-lifts._ (_See_ TOPPING-LIFTS.)

LIG. A fish-hook, with lead cast round its upper part in order to sink it.

LIGAN. _See_ LAGAN.

LIGGER. A line with a float and bait, used for catching pike. A night-hook laid for a pike or eel.

LIGHT, TO. To move or lift anything along; as "light over to windward,"

the cry for helping the man at the weather-earing when taking in a reef.

Each man holding by a reef-point helps it over, as the lee-earing cannot be pa.s.sed until the man to windward calls out, "Haul out to leeward."

LIGHT AIRS. Unsteady and faint flaws of wind.

LIGHT ALONG! Lend a.s.sistance in hauling cables, hawsers, or large ropes along, and lifting some parts in a required direction.

LIGHT-b.a.l.l.s. Are thrown from mortars at night to discover the enemy's working parties, &c. They are composed of saltpetre, sulphur, resin, and linseed-oil, and burn with great brilliancy. The _parachute light-ball_, which suspends itself in the air by the action of the heated gas from the light against the parachute, is most convenient.

LIGHT BOBS. The old soubriquet for _light infantry_ (which see).

LIGHT BREEZES. When light airs have become steady.

LIGHTEN, TO. To throw ballast, stores, cargo, or other things, overboard in stress of weather, to render the vessel more buoyant.

LIGHTER. A large, open, flat-bottomed boat, with heavy bearings, employed to carry goods to or from s.h.i.+ps.--_Ballast lighter._ A vessel fitted up to raise ballast from the bottom of a harbour.--_Covered or close lighter._ One furnished with a deck throughout her whole length, in order to secure such merchandise as might be damaged by wet, and to prevent pillage.

LIGHTERAGE. The charge made for the hire of a lighter.

LIGHTERMAN. A man employed in a lighter.

LIGHT-HANDED. Short of the complement of men.

LIGHT-HORSE. A name formerly given to all mounted men who were not enc.u.mbered with armour.

LIGHT-HORSEMAN. An old name for the light boat, since called a gig.

(_See_ WALLMIA.)

LIGHTHOUSE. A sort of tower, erected upon a headland, islet, or rock, whose lights may be seen at a great distance from the land to warn s.h.i.+pping of their approach to these dangers.--A _floating light_, or _light vessel_, strongly moored, is used to mark dangers under water.

Lights are variously distinguished, as by the number, colour, and continuity of their lights, whether flas.h.i.+ng, revolving, &c.

LIGHT ICE. That which has but little depth in the water; it is not considered dangerous to s.h.i.+pping, as not being heavy.

LIGHT INFANTRY. Troops specially trained to the extended and rapid movements necessary to cover the manuvres of the main body.

LIGHTNING-CONDUCTOR. The lightning-conductor (introduced by Sir Snow Harris) is a plate connected from the royal mast-head down to the deck, thence by the beams to the s.h.i.+p's copper into the sea. Another kind is a copper-wire chain or rope hoisted to the truck, then pa.s.sing down by the backstays over the channels into the sea.

LIGHT-PORT. A scuttle made for showing a light through. Also, a port in timber s.h.i.+ps kept open until brought deep by cargo. It is then secured and caulked in. (_See_ RAFT-PORT.)

LIGHT-ROOM. In a s.h.i.+p-of-war, a small s.p.a.ce parted off from the magazine, having double-gla.s.s windows for more safely transmitting the light by which the gunner and his a.s.sistants fill their cartridges.