The Sailor's Word-Book Part 241

TEMPORARY RANK. That owing to an acting commission, or to local circ.u.mstances, ceasing with a particular service.

TEMPORARY STARS. Those which have suddenly become visible, and after attaining considerable brightness, have as suddenly vanished: that seen by Tycho in 1572 is a notable instance.

TENAILLE. In fortification, a long low outwork traced on the inward prolongation of the faces of the bastions. It covers the curtain, and conveniently defends the interior of the ravelin and its redoubt.

TENAILLON. In fortification, a low outwork of two faces meeting in a salient angle, sometimes attached to ravelins to afford nearer flanking fire.

TENCH. _Tinca vulgaris_, a well-known fresh-water fish.

TEND, TO. To watch a vessel at anchor on the turn of a tide, and cast her by the helm, and some sail if necessary, so as to keep the cable clear of the anchor or turns out of her cables when moored.

TENDER. A small vessel duly commanded, and employed to attend a larger one, to supply her with stores, to carry intelligence or volunteers and impressed men to receiving s.h.i.+ps, &c. An enemy's s.h.i.+p captured by cutters or boats fitted out as tenders by men-of-war, but without any commission or authority from the admiralty, will not insure a prize to the benefit of the s.h.i.+p. The condemnation will be as a droit of admiralty, on the principle that an officer does not retain his commission for the purposes of prize on board another s.h.i.+p; but if captured by one of her boats, and brought to the s.h.i.+p, she is good prize, as with slaves. _Tender_ is also a synonym of _crank_; thus, a spar may be _tender_.

TENDING. The movement by which a s.h.i.+p turns or swings round when at single anchor, or moored by the head, at every change of tide or wind.

TENON. The square heel of a mast, cut for fitting into the step. Also, the end of any piece of timber which is fas.h.i.+oned to enter into a mortise in another piece; they are then said to be tenoned together; as, for instance, the stern-post is tenoned into the keel.

TEN-POUNDER. A name given to a bony mullet-shaped fish of the West Indies.

TENSILE STRAIN. The greatest effort to extend, stretch, or draw asunder, as in proving bars of iron, chain-cables, &c.

TENT. A canvas shelter pitched upon a pole or poles, and stayed with cords and pegs. Also, a roll of lint, or other material, used in searching a wound. Also, a small piece of iron which kept up the c.o.c.k of a gun-lock.

TEREDO NAVALIS. A worm which, furnished with a peculiar augur adaptation at its head, bores into timber, forming a sh.e.l.l as it progresses. They attain the length of three feet or more, with a diameter of one inch or less. Even if the s.h.i.+p be destroyed by them, the loss is not within the policy of insurance.

TERMINAL VELOCITY OF ANY GIVEN BODY. The greatest velocity it can acquire by falling freely through the air; the limit being arrived at when the increase of the atmospheric resistance becomes equal to the increase of the force of gravity.

TERMINATOR. The line separating the illuminated from the dark portion of the moon's disc.

TERM-PIECES, OR TERMS. Pieces of carved work on each side of the taffrail upon the side stern-timber, and extending down as low as the foot-rail of the balcony.

TERN, OR SEA-SWALLOW. A species of sea-bird, allied to the gulls, but of smaller and lighter make, and with longer and more pointed wings and tail; genus _Sterna_.

TERNARY SYSTEM. Three stars in close proximity, and found to be in physical connection, as, for instance, ? Cancri.

TERRADA. An Indian boat, otherwise called _tonee_. A large 'longsh.o.r.e boat of the Gulf of Persia.

TERRAPIN (contracted by sailors into _turpin_ and _tenopen_). A fresh-water tortoise, plentiful in America, and much esteemed for food.

TERREPLEIN. In fortification, the horizontal surface of the rampart in rear of the parapet.

TERRESTRIAL REFRACTION. The property of the atmosphere by which objects appear to be higher than they really are, and in certain cases producing the effect called _deceptio visus_, and _fata morgana_.

TERRITORY. The protection of neutral territory operates to the rest.i.tution of enemy's property captured within its limits. Since the introduction of fire-arms that distance has usually been recognized to be almost three English miles.

TERTIATE, TO. To examine whether a piece of ordnance is truly bored and has its due proportion of metal in every part, especially at the vent, the trunnions, and the muzzle.

TESTING A CHAIN-CABLE. Trying its strength by the hydraulic machine, which strains it beyond what it is likely to undergo when in use.

TESTONE. A silver Papal coin, value 1_s._ 3_d._ A testone is also a current coin in Portugal, consisting of 100 reis.

TETE DE PONT. A work covering the farther end of a bridge from a.s.sault from the country beyond.

TEW, TO. To beat hemp.

THAUGHTS (properly ATHWARTS). _See_ THWARTS.

THEODOLITE. The theodolite, as used in land-surveying, levelling, &c., is well known. But the great theodolite, with its vertical circle and telescope adapted to the observation of the heavenly bodies, as used by nautical astronomers, commonly called an alt-azimuth instrument, is almost an observatory _per se_. By this alone, within three hours on each side of noon, the longitude, lat.i.tude, and magnetic variation of a position may be determined.

THERE! A word added in hailing any part of a s.h.i.+p; as, "Forecastle there!" "Mast-head there!"

THERE AWAY! A phrase accompanied by pointing on a bearing, or to an object in sight. Thereabout, in that quarter.

THERMOMETER. An instrument to measure the amount of heat by the expansion of a fluid (generally quicksilver) contained in a gla.s.s bulb, in connection with which is a hermetically closed tube, up which the fluid rises as the heat increases. This tube is graduated differently in different countries.

THERMOMETRIC SAILING. A scheme for detecting the approach to shoal water by the diminution of temperature, and found to be useful in some places, such as the Agulhas and Newfoundland Banks; in the latter a difference of 20 has been observed, on quitting the Gulf Stream and gaining soundings in 100 fathoms.

THICK-AND-DRY FOR WEIGHING! To clap on nippers closely, just at starting the anchor from the ground.

THICK AND THIN BLOCK, OR FIDDLE-BLOCK. A block having one sheave larger than the other, sometimes used for quarter-blocks.

THICK STUFF. Sided timber, or naval planks, under one foot, and above 4 inches in thickness.

THIEVES' CAT. A cat o' nine tails having knots upon it, and only used for the punishment of theft.

THIMBLE. An iron ring with a concave outer surface to contain snugly in the cavity a rope, which is spliced about it. Its use is to defend the rope which surrounds it from being injured by another rope, or the hook or a tackle which pa.s.ses through it.

THIMBLE-EYES. Are thimble-shaped apertures in iron-plates where sheaves are not required; frequently used instead of dead-eyes for the topmast-rigging, futtock-plates, and backstays in the channels.

THODS. An old northern term for sudden gusts of wind.

THOKES. Fish with broken bellies, which are prohibited to be mixed or packed with tale fish.

THOLE, THOLE-PIN, OR THOWEL [from the Anglo-Saxon _thol_]. Certain pins in the gunwale of a boat, instead of the rowlock-poppets, and serving to retain the oars in position when pulling; generally there is only one pin to each oar, which is retained upon the pin by a grommet, or a cleat with a hole through it, nailed on the side of the oar. The princ.i.p.al use is to allow the oar, in case of action, suddenly to lie fore-and-aft over the side, and take care of itself. This was superseded by the swinging thowel, or metal crutch, in 1819, and by admiralty order at Portsmouth Yard in 1830.

THORN-BACK. A well-known fish of the ray kind, _Raia clavata_.

THOROUGH-PUTS, OR THOROUGH-FOOTS, are kinks or tangles in a rope; or parts of a tackle not leading fair by reason of one of the blocks having been pa.s.sed round part of the fall, and so _getting a turn_.

THOUGHT. An old spelling of _thwart_.

THRASHER, OR THRESHER. A species of shark with a long tail, _Carcharias vulpes_. Also applied to a kind of grampus, which was supposed to attack the whale by leaping out of the water and inflicting blows with its powerful tail.

THREAD [Ang.-Sax. _thred_]. The middle of a river or stream.--_To thread._ To run a s.h.i.+p through narrow and intricate channels among islands.

THREE-c.o.c.kED HAT. A silly article of sea-wear now happily pa.s.sing away, retained only by coachmen, lord-mayor's men, and parish beadles.

THREE-DECKERS. s.h.i.+ps with three full batteries.