The Sailor's Word-Book Part 229

SPOON-WAYS. In slave-s.h.i.+ps, stowing the poor wretches so closely locked together, that it is difficult to move without treading upon them.

SPOTS ON THE SUN. _See_ MACULae.

SPOUT. A term applied to the blowing or breathing of whales and other cetaceans. The expired air, highly charged with moisture from the lungs, has frequently been mistaken for a stream of water. (_See also_ WATER-SPOUT.)

SPOUTER. A whaling term for a South Sea whale.

SPRAT WEATHER. The dark days of November and December, so called from that being the most favourable season for catching sprats.

SPREAD A FLEET, TO. To keep more open order.

SPREAD EAGLE. A person seized in the rigging; generally a pa.s.senger thus made to pay his entrance forfeit.

SPREE. Uproarious jollity, sport, and merriment.

SPRING. A crack running obliquely through any part of a mast or yard, which renders it unsafe to carry the usual sail thereon, and the spar is then said to be sprung. Also, a hawser laid out to some fixed object to slue a vessel proceeding to sea. (_See_ WARP.)--_To spring._ To split or break.--_To spring a b.u.t.t._ To start the end of a plank on the outside of a s.h.i.+p's bottom. (_See_ b.u.t.t.)--_To spring a leak_, is when a vessel is suddenly discovered to leak.--_To spring the luff_, easing the helm down to receive a breeze; to bring a vessel's head closer to the wind in sailing. Thus a vessel coming up sharply to the wind under full way shoots, and may run much to windward of her course, until met by a contrary helm.--_To spring a mine._ To fire its charge.

SPRING-BEAM. In a steamer, a fore-and-aft beam for connecting the two paddle-beams, and supporting the outer end of the paddle-shaft.

SPRING-FORELOCK. One jagged or split at the point, thereby forming springs to prevent its drawing.

SPRING-SEARCHER. A steel-p.r.o.nged tool to search for defects in the bore of a gun.

SPRING-STAYS. Are rather smaller than the stays, and are placed above them, being intended as subst.i.tutes should the main one be shot away.

SPRING-TIDE. The periodical excess of the elevation and depression of the tide, which occurs when both the sun and moon act in the same direction.

SPRIT [Anglo-Saxon, _spreotas_]. A small boom which crosses the sail of a boat diagonally from the mast to the upper aftmost corner: the lower end of the sprit rests in a sort of becket called the snotter, which encircles the mast at that place. These sails are accordingly called sprit-sails. Also, in a sheer-hulk, a spur or spar for keeping the sheers out to the required distance, so that their head should plumb with the centre of the s.h.i.+p when taking out or putting in masts.

SPRIT-SAIL. A sail formerly attached to a yard which hung under the bowsprit, and of importance in naval actions of old.

SPRIT-SAIL SHEET KNOT. May be crowned and walled, or double-walled, and is often used as a stopper-knot.

SPRIT-SAIL TOP-SAIL. A sail extended above the sprit-sail by a yard, which hung under the jib-boom.--_Top-gallant sprit-sail_ was set upon the flying jib-boom in the same manner that the sprit-sail was set upon the inner jib-boom. The sprit-sail course, top-sail, and topgallant-sail were similar in effect to those on the fore-mast, and in former times, when the bowsprit stood more erect, it was indeed the bowsprit or mast.

SPRIT-SAIL YARD. A yard slung across the bowsprit, lashed to the knight-heads, and used to spread the guys of the jib and flying jib-boom. To this yard the sprit-sail was formerly bent.

SPRIT-SAIL YARDING. A cruelty in which some fishermen wreak vengeance on sharks, dog-fish, &c., that encroach on their baits, and foul their nets. They thrust a piece of wood through the gills of the unconscious offender, and in that condition turn it adrift upon the ocean.

SPROKET-WHEEL. That at the upper extremities of the chain-pump-tubes, worked by crank-handles.

SPRUNG. Damaged in various ways. Also, the s.h.i.+p slued round by means of guys. In s.h.i.+p-building, it indicates that a plank is strained so as to crack or fly open.

SPUEING THE OAk.u.m. When the s.h.i.+p's labouring forces the caulking out of her seams.

SPUN. The being turned back or rejected, on being examined touching qualifications.

SPUNGE. A cylindrical block of wood covered with sheepskin, used to clean the interior of a gun after firing, and to extinguish any sparks that may remain behind. The _rope-sponge_, fixed on a strong rope instead of a staff, has a rammer-head on its opposite end: it is used for service with lower-deck guns in bad weather when the ports cannot be opened except at moments for firing.

s.p.u.n.k. A fungus (_Polyporus fomentarius_ and others) growing on the trunks of trees, from which tinder is made.

SPUN-YARN. A small line, formed of two, three, or more old rope-yarns not laid, but twisted together by hand or winch. Spun-yarn is used for various purposes, as seizing and serving ropes, weaving mats, &c.

SPUR. A projecting portion of a cliff. In fortification, spurs are walls that cross a part of the rampart and join to the town-wall. Also, in a sheer-hulk, the same as _sprit_ (which see).

SPURKETS, OR SPIRKETS. The s.p.a.ces between the timbers along a s.h.i.+p's side betwixt the upper and lower futtocks, or betwixt the rungs fore and aft.

SPURLING-LINE. The line which formed the communication between the wheel and the tell-tale: it went round a small barrel, abaft the barrel of the wheel, and made the pointer show the position of the tiller. Also, a line with thimbles as fair-leaders for running rigging. Now out of use.

SPURN-WATER. A channel left above the ends of a deck, to prevent water from coming any further. The water-ways.

SPURS, OR SPUR-Sh.o.r.eS. Large pieces of timber in launching, the lower ends of which are fixed to the bilge-ways, and the upper ends fayed and bolted to the s.h.i.+p's bottom for additional security.

SPURS OF THE BEAMS. Curved pieces of timber, serving as half-beams, to support the decks, where a whole one cannot be placed, on account of the hatchways.

SPURS OF THE BITTS. The same as _standards_ (which see).

SQUAD. A diminutive of _squadron_. Also, a small party of soldiers a.s.sembled for drill or inspection.

SQUADRON. A division of a fleet, as van, centre, and rear squadrons. A flying squadron may be commanded by a rear-admiral, and consist of any cla.s.s of vessels. Also, a body of cavalry consisting of two troops, or from 80 to 150 men. Squadron is the ordinary unit in reckoning the cavalry force of an army.

SQUALL. A sudden gust of wind, frequently occasioned by the interruption and reverberation of the wind from high mountains. These are very frequent in the Mediterranean, particularly in the Levant.--_A black squall._ One attended with a dark cloud and generally heavy rain.--_A white squall._ This furious and dangerous gust occurs in clear weather, without any other warning than the white foam it occasions on the surface of the sea, and a very thin haze. When this squall reaches a s.h.i.+p, copious rain attends it. It is very destructive to the flying-kite school, and many lives have been sacrificed by it.

SQUARE. An instrument formed by a stock and a tongue fixed at right angles. Also, in the army, a formation of infantry devised to resist cavalry. (_See_ HOLLOW SQUARE and RALLYING SQUARE.) Also, a term peculiarly appropriated to the yards and their sails. Thus, when the yards hang at right angles with the mast they are said to be "square by the lifts;" when perpendicular to the s.h.i.+p's length, they are "square by the braces;" but when they lie in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the keel, they are "square by the lifts and braces." The yards are said to be very square when they are of extraordinary length, and the same epithet is applied to their sails with respect to their breadth.

Also, a figure composed of four equal sides and four right angles, is the square of geometry.

SQUARE-b.u.t.tED. The yard-arms of small s.h.i.+pping so made that a sheave-hole can be cut through without weakening the yard.

SQUARE-FRAMES. In marine architecture, implies those frames which are square with the line of the keel, having no bevelling upon them.

SQUARE IN THE HEAD. Very bluff and broad in the fore-body.

SQUARE-KNOT. The same as _reef-knot_.

SQUARE MAIN-SAIL. _See_ MAIN-SAIL.

SQUARE OR SQUARING MARKS. Marks placed upon the lifts and braces.

SQUARE RIBBONS. A synonym of _horizontal lines_, or _horizontal ribbons_.

SQUARE-RIGGED. s.h.i.+ps having chiefly square sails; a term used in contradistinction to all vessels which do not use them. It is also applied to vessels with unusually long yards. The term is also familiarly used to denote a person's being full-dressed.

SQUARE-SAIL. The flying sail, set on the fore-yard of a schooner, or the spread-yard of a cutter or sloop.

SQUARE-SAIL BOOM. A boom hooked on to an eye-bolt in the fore-part of the fore-mast of a fore-and-aft vessel, to boom out the square-sail.

SQUARE-SAILS. Colloquially applied to the courses; but the term may be used for any four-cornered sail extended to a yard suspended by the middle.

SQUARE-STERNED. Implies a stern where the wing-transom is at right angles with the stern-post. (_See_ PINK and ROUND STERN.)