The Sailor's Word-Book Part 208

SAGITTARIUS. The ninth sign of the zodiac, which the sun enters about the 21st of November.

SAGUM. An ancient military cloak.

SAIC. A sort of Greek ketch, which has no top-gallant nor mizen sails, but still spreads much canvas.

SAIL. The terms applicable to the parts of a sail comprise:--Seaming the cloths together; cutting the gores; tabling and sewing on the reef, belly, lining, and buntline bands, roping, and marling on the clues and foot-rope. The _square sails_ comprise courses, top-sails, topgallant-sails, royals, skysails on each mast. The _fore and aft_, are jibs, staysails, trysails, boom main-sails and fore-sails, gaff top-sails, to which may be added the studding-sails and the flying kites. Also, a distant s.h.i.+p is called a sail.

SAIL BURTON. A purchase extending from topmast-head to deck, for sending sails aloft ready for bending; it usually consists of two single blocks, having thimbles and a hook; a leading block on the slings through which the fall leads to bear the top-sail clear of the top-rim.

SAIL HO! The exclamation used when a strange s.h.i.+p is first discerned at sea--either from the deck or from the mast-head.

SAIL-HOOK. A small hook used for holding the seams of a sail while in the act of sewing.

SAILING. The movement of a vessel by means of her sails along the surface of the water. _Sailing_, or the _sailings_, is a term applied to the different ways in which the path of a s.h.i.+p at sea, and the variations of its geographical position, are represented on paper, all which are explained under the various heads of great circle sailing, Mercator's sailing, middle lat.i.tude sailing, oblique sailing, parallel sailing, plane sailing.

SAILING, ORDER OF. The general disposition of a fleet of s.h.i.+ps when proceeding on a voyage or an expedition. It is generally found most convenient for fleets of s.h.i.+ps of war to be formed in three parallel lines or columns. But squadrons of less than ten sail of the line are placed in two lines.

SAILING CAPTAIN. An officer in some navies, whose duties are similar to those of our masters in the royal navy.

SAILING DIRECTIONS. Works supplied by the admiralty to Her Majesty's s.h.i.+ps, which advise the navigator as to the pilotage of coasts and islands throughout the world.

SAILING ICE. A number of loose pieces floating at a sufficient distance from each other, for a s.h.i.+p to be able to pick her way among them.

Otherwise termed _open ice_; when she forces her way, pus.h.i.+ng the ice aside, it is termed boring.

SAILING LARGE. With a quartering wind. (_See_ LARGE.)

SAILING ORDERS. Written instructions for the performance of any proposed duty.

SAIL-LOFT. A large apartment in dockyards where the sails are cut out and made.

SAIL-LOOSERS. Men specially appointed to loose the sails when getting under weigh, or loosing them to dry.

SAIL-MAKER. A qualified person who (with his mates) is employed on board s.h.i.+p in making, repairing, or altering the sails; whence he usually derives the familiar sobriquet of _sails_.

SAIL-NETTING. The fore-topmast staysail, main-topmast staysail, and main staysail are generally stowed in the nettings.

SAILOR. A man trained in managing a s.h.i.+p, either at sea or in harbour. A thorough sailor is the same with mariner and seaman, but as every one of the crew is dubbed a sailor, there is much difference in the absolute meaning of the term. (_See_ MARINER and SEAMAN.)

SAILORS' HOME. A house built by subscription, for the accommodation of seamen on moderate terms, and to rescue them from swindlers, crimps, &c.

Sailors' homes are a great boon also to s.h.i.+pwrecked mariners. Homes for married seamen and their families are now contemplated, and it is hoped that the admiralty will set the example, by building them for the royal navy, and letting them at moderate rents.

SAILOR'S PLEASURE. A rather hyperbolic phrase for a sailor's overhauling his ditty-bag at a leisure moment, and restowing his little h.o.a.rd.

SAILS, TO LOOSE. To unfurl them, and let them hang loose to dry; or the movement preparatory to "making sail."--_To make sail_, to spread the sails to the wind in order to begin the action of sailing, or to increase a s.h.i.+p's speed.--_To shorten sail_, to take in part of or all the sails, either by reefing or furling, or both.--_To strike sail_, to lower the upper sails. A gracious mode of salute on pa.s.sing a foreigner at sea, especially a superior.

SAINT CUTHBERT'S DUCK. The _Anas mollissima_; the eider, or great black and white duck of the Farne Islands.

SAINT ELMO'S LIGHT. _See_ COMPASANT.

SAINT SWITHIN. The old notion is, that if it should rain on this bishop's day, the 15th of July, not one of forty days following will be without a shower.

SAKER. A very old gun, 8 or 9 feet long, and of about 5 lbs. calibre: immortalized in _Hudibras_:--

"The cannon, blunderbuss, and saker, He was th' inventer of, and maker."

The name is thought to have been derived from the French oath _sacre_.

SALADE. An Anglo-Norman term for a light helmet or head-piece.

SALADIN. The first coat-of-arms; so called because the crusaders a.s.sumed it in imitation of the Saracens, whose chief at that time was the redoubtable Saladin.

SALAM, TO. To salute a superior; a very common term, borrowed from India. Overdoing it does not please Jack, for he dislikes to see his commander "salamming like a captured Frenchman."

SALAMANDER. The heated iron formerly used for firing guns, especially in salutes, as it ensures regularity.

SALE OF COMMISSIONS. The regulated disposal of full-pay, unattached, retired, and half-pay commissions in the army.

SALE OF EFFECTS. _See_ EFFECTS, of dead men sold by auction "at the mast."

SALIENT ANGLE. In fortification, one of which the point projects outwards.

SALINAS, OR SALINES. Salt-ponds, natural or artificial, near the sea-coast.

SALINOMETER. A brine-gauge for indicating the density of brine in the boilers of marine steam-engines, to show when it is necessary to blow off.

SALLY. A sudden expedition out of a besieged place against the besiegers or some part of their works; also called a _sortie_.--_To sally._ To move a body by jerks or rushes; a sudden heave or set. Thus, when a vessel grounds by the bow or stern, and the hawsers are severely taut, the sally is practised. This is done by collecting all hands at the point aground, and then by a simultaneous rush reaching the part afloat.

SALLY-PORT. An opening cut in the glacis of a place to afford free egress to the troops in case of a sortie. Also, a large port on each quarter of a fire-s.h.i.+p, out of which the officers and crew make their escape into the boats as soon as the train is fired. Also, a place at Portsmouth exclusively set apart for the use of men-of-war's boats.

Also, the entering port of a three-decker.

SALMAGUNDI. A savoury sea dish, made of slices of cured fish and onions.

SALMON. The well-known fish, _Salmo salar_. It is partly oceanic and partly fluviatile, ascending rivers in the breeding season.

SALMON-LADDER. A short trough placed suitably in any fall where the water is tolerably deep, leaving a narrow trough at intervals for the fish to pa.s.s through, with barriers to break the force of the water.

SALOON. A name for the main cabin of a steamer or pa.s.senger s.h.i.+p.

SALT, OR OLD SALT. A weather-beaten sailor. One of the old seamen who not only have known but have felt what war was.

SALT-BOX. A case for keeping a temporary supply of cartridges for the immediate use of the great guns; it is under the charge of the cabin-door sentry.

SALT-EEL. A rope's-end cut from the piece for starting the _h.o.m.o delinquens_.

SALT-JUNK. Navy salt beef. (_See_ JUNK.)

SALTPETRE. The neutral salt; also called _nitre_ (which see).

SALT-PITS. Reservoirs to contain sea-water for the purpose of making salt.