The Sailor's Word-Book Part 4

ADVANCED POST. A spot of ground seized by a party to secure their front.

A piquet or outpost.

ADVANCED SQUADRON. One on the look-out.--_Advance_, or _vanguard_, that division of a force which is next the enemy, or which marches before a body.--_Advance fosse_, a ditch of water round the esplanade or glacis of a fortification.--_Advance!_ the order to marines and small-arm men to move forward.

ADVANCE-LIST. The register by which two months' wages to the crew are paid, on first commission, and a quarter's to officers.

ADVANCEMENT. Promotion to higher rank.

ADVANCE MONEY. In men-of-war and most merchant s.h.i.+ps the advance of two months' wages is given to the crew, previous to going to sea; the clearing off of which is called _working up the dead horse_.

ADVANCE NOTE. A doc.u.ment issued by owners of a s.h.i.+p or their agents, promising to pay a seaman, or to his order, a sum of money in part of his wages, within a certain number of days after he has sailed in the s.h.i.+p. Advance notes are quite negotiable before a seaman has taken his departure.

ADVANTAGE, OR VANTAGE-GROUND. That which gives superiority of attack on, or defence against, an enemy; affording means of annoyance or resistance.

ADVENTURE. An enterprise in which something is left to hazard.--_A bill of adventure_ is one signed by the merchant, by which he takes the chances of the voyage.

ADVERSARY. Generally applied to an enemy, but strictly an opponent in single combat.

ADVERSE. The opposite of favourable; as, an _adverse_ wind.

ADVICE-BOAT. A small fast-sailing vessel in advance of a fleet, employed to carry intelligence with all possible despatch. They were first used in 1692, to gain tidings of what was transacting in Brest, previous to the battle of La Hogue.

ADVOCATE GENERAL. An officer of the High Court of Admiralty, whose duty it is to appear for the lord high-admiral in that court, the court of delegates, or any other wherein his rights are concerned.--_Judge-advocate of the navy_, a law officer appointed to watch over and direct proceedings connected with courts-martial.--_Deputy judge-advocate_, an appointment made by the sudden selection of some secretary, or captain's clerk, to perform the duty at a court-martial (where no legal person is empowered), utterly ignorant of the law or the customs of the naval service.

ADZE, OR ADDICE. A cutting tool of the axe kind, for dubbing flat and circular work, much used by s.h.i.+pwrights, especially by the Pa.r.s.ee builders in India, with whom it serves for axe, plane, and chisel. It is a curious fact that from the polar regions to the equator, and southerly throughout Polynesia, this instrument and its peculiar adaptations, whether made of iron, basalt, nephrite, &c., all preserve the same idea or ident.i.ty of conception.

aeINAUTae. Senators of Miletus, who held their deliberations on board s.h.i.+p.

aeRATae. Ancient s.h.i.+ps fitted with brazen prows.

AEROLITES. One of the many names given to those solid ma.s.ses or stones which occasionally fall from the atmosphere to the surface of the earth.

The a.s.sumption of their periodicity cannot, as yet, be considered as confirmed.

AEROLOGY. The rational doctrine or science of the air and its phenomena.

AEROMANCY. Formerly the art of divining by the air, but now used for foretelling the changes in the weather, either by experience or by instruments.

AEROMETRY. The science of measuring the air, its powers, pressure, and properties.

aeSTIVAL. Belonging to summer; the solst.i.tial point whereby the sun's ascent above the equator is determined.

aeSTUARY. _See_ ESTUARY.

aeWUL. An Anglo-Saxon term for a twig basket for catching fish.

AFEARD. This is a very common expression for _afraid_, and though thought low, is a true archaism of our language, as seen in Chaucer, Shakspeare, and Ben Jonson. Major Moor terms it an old and good word.

AFER. The south-west wind of the Latins, and used by some of the early voyagers.

AFFAIR. An indecisive engagement; a duel.

AFFECTED. An algebraic term for an equation in which the unknown quant.i.ty rises to two or more several powers.

AFFECTIONATE FRIENDS. An official inconsistent subscription, even to letters of reproof and imprest, used by the former Board of Commissioners of the Navy to such officers as were not of n.o.ble families or bore t.i.tles; the only British board that ever made so mean a distinction, equally kind with the regrets of the clergy on burning a heretic, or those of Walton in cutting a live fish _tenderly_. It was probably adopted from James, Duke of York, who, when lord high-admiral, always so subscribed his official letters. It is said that this practice was discontinued in consequence of a distinguished naval captain--a knight--adding, "your affectionate friend." He was thereupon desired to "discontinue such an expression," when he replied, "I am, gentlemen, no longer your affectionate friend, J. Phillimore."

AFFIDAVIT. A declaration upon oath, weakened in importance by its too frequent administration at custom-houses, lazarettos, &c. Declarations are now subst.i.tuted in the case of naval officers.

AFFIRMATIVE. The positive sign or quant.i.ty in algebra; also signal flag or pendant by which a request or order is answered.

AFFLUENT. A stream flowing directly into another stream; a more specific term than tributary.

AFFORCIAMENT. An old term for a fortress or stronghold.

AFFREIGHTMENT. A contract for the letting the vessel, or a part of her for freight. (_See_ CONTRACT OF AFFREIGHTMENT.)

AFLOAT. Borne up and supported by the water; buoyed clear of the ground; also used for being on board s.h.i.+p.

AFORE. A Saxon word opposed to abaft, and signifying that part of the s.h.i.+p which lies forward or near the stem. It also means farther forward; as, the galley is _afore_ the bitts.--_Afore_, the same as _before_ the mast.--_Afore the beam_, all the field of view from amids.h.i.+p in a right angle to the s.h.i.+p's keel to the horizon forward.

AFORE THE MAST. _See_ BEFORE THE MAST.

AFOUNDRIT. An archaism of _sunk_ or _foundered_.

AFRAID. One of the most reproachful sea-epithets, as not only conveying the meaning being struck with fear, but also implies rank cowardice.

(_See_ AFEARD.)

AFT--a Saxon word contradistinctive of _fore_, and an abbreviation of _abaft_--the hinder part of the s.h.i.+p, or that nearest the stern.--_Right aft_ is in a direct line with the keel from the stern.--_To haul aft a sheet_ is to pull on the rope which brings the clue or corner of the sails more in the direction of the stern.--The mast _rakes aft_ when it inclines towards the stern.

AFT-CASTLE. An elevation on the after-part of our s.h.i.+ps of war, opposed to forecastle, for the purpose of fighting.

AFTER. A comparative adjective, applied to any object in the hind part of a s.h.i.+p or boat; as, the _after_-cabin, the _after_-hatchway, &c.--_After_ sails, yards, and braces--those attached to the main and mizen masts. Opposed to _fore_.

AFTER-BODY. That part of the s.h.i.+p's hull which is abaft the mids.h.i.+ps or dead-flat, as seen from astern. The term is, however, more particularly used in expressing the _figure_ or _shape_ of that part of the s.h.i.+p.

(_See_ DEAD-FLAT.)

AFTER-CLAP. Whatever disagreeable occurrence takes place after the consequences of the cause were thought at an end; a princ.i.p.al application being when a s.h.i.+p, supposed to have struck, opens her fire again. This is a very old English word, alluding to unexpected events happening after the seeming end of an affair; thus Spenser, in "Mother Hubbard's Tale"--

"And bad next day that all should readie be, But they more subtill meaning had than he: For the next morrowes mede they closely ment, For feare of _after-claps_, for to prevent."

AFTER-END. The stern of a s.h.i.+p, or anything in her which has that end towards the stern.

AFTER-FACE. _See_ BACK OF THE POST.

AFTER-GUARD. The men who are stationed on the quarter-deck and p.o.o.p, to work the after-sails. It was generally composed of ordinary seamen and landsmen, const.i.tuting with waisters the largest part of the crew, on whom the princ.i.p.al drudgery of the s.h.i.+p devolved. At present the crews of s.h.i.+ps-of-war are composed chiefly of able and ordinary seamen--landsmen are omitted.

AFTER-LADDER leads to captain's and officers' quarters, and only used by officers.

AFTERMOST. The last objects in a s.h.i.+p, reckoned from forwards; as, the _aftermost_ mast, _aftermost_ guns, &c.