A Sea of Words
Page 8
MAPS, TYPES OF SAILING SHIPS, SHIP DIAGRAMS, AND A WARSHIP’S BOATS
Types of Sailing Ships
The following sketches are from Naval Costumes, published in 1840 by the master ship designer Sir William Symonds, R.N. (1782-1856). Symonds became surveyor of the Navy in 1832. His structural alterations, much discussed at the time, revolutionized naval architecture.
36-gun frigate
18-gun corvette
16-gun brig
Spanish xbec
English lugger
ketch
packet barque
American schooner
American sloop
Dutch galliot
dogger
Greek polacca
French chasse-marée
Mediterranean felucca
Lisbon bean-cod
The Decks and Square Sails of a 74-Gun Ship
Sails
(1) mainsail or main course, (2) main topsail, (3) main topgallant, (4) main topgallant royal, (5) foresail or fore course, (6) fore topsail, (7) fore topgallant, (8) fore topgallant royal, (9) mizzensail or mizzen course, (10) mizzen topsail, (11) mizzen topgallant, (12) mizzen topgallant royal, (13) spritsail or spritcourse (lying under the bowsprit), (14) sprit topsail (lying under the jib-boom), (15) lower main studdingsail (when studdingsails are carried, they are extended beyond both sides of the arms on either the foremast or mainmast, or on both), (16) main topmast studdingsail, (17) main topgallant studdingsail, (18) fore lower studdingsail, (19) fore topmast studdingsail, (20) fore topgallant studdingsail.
Decks and Cabins
(A) poop deck, (B) quarterdeck, (C) waist, (D) forecastle, (E) upper deck, (F) gun deck, (G) orlop, (I) Captain’s cabin, (J) Admiral’s apartment, (K) wardroom, (L) gunroom. Ship diagram adapted from Rees’s Naval Architecture.
The Fore-and-Aft Sails and Selected Rigging of a 74-Gun Ship
Sails
(1) main staysail, (2) main topmast staysail, (3) middle staysail, (4) main topgallant staysail, (5) fore staysail, (6) fore topmast staysail, (7) jib, (8) mizzen staysail, (9) mizzen topmast staysail, (10) mizzen topgallant staysail, (11) driver or spanker.
Rigging
(12) fore staysail sheets (the standing fall of the fore staysail sheets, which are bent through the clew of the sail, is made fast around a timberhead, or eyebolt, on the forecastle, while the leading part comes in through a block made fast to the eyebolt), (13) fore staysail halyards (the standing part of the halyards, which reeve through a single block bent to the head of the sail, belays to the head of the foremast, while the leading part reeves through a block lashed to the rigging under the top and leads down at the back of the mast), (14) fore staysail downhaul, (15) fore topmast staysail sheets, (16) fore topmast staysail halyards, (17) fore topmast staysail stay, (18) jib halyards, (19) jib stay. Ship diagram adapted from Rees’s Naval Architecture.
Masts, Sails, and Rigging
This illustration from Serres’s Liber Nauticus shows the elements of a square rig. On the far left are the disassembled parts of a mast: (1) the lower mast, (2) topmast, (3) topgallant, (C) cap, and (B) top. The center illustration shows part of the hull and the assembled mast seen from the larboard, or left, side: (A) the step of the mast, (B) the maintop, (C) the cap, (D) the crosstrees, (E) the cap, (F) topgallant masthead, (G) the truck, (H) the main wale, (I) the gun ports, (K) the main channel, (L) the shrouds (verticle lines), (M) the ratlines (horizontal lines), (N) the foothook, or futtock, shrouds, and (O) the backstays. The illustration on the right shows the rigged mast viewed from the stern with the running rigging and the principal sails: (P) pendant, (Q) clew lines, (R) lifts, (S) topgallant sail, (T) topsail, (U) course of mainsail, (V) reef-points, (W) horses, (X) leech lines, (Y) braces, and (Z) stirrups.
This illustration from Serres’ Liber Nauticus shows a capstan, used for hauling up the cables and other heavy pieces of equipment.
A Warship’s Boats
Sir William Symonds drew the various boats of H.M.S. Pique, a fifth rate captured from the French.
barge, 30 feet
launch, 30 feet
barge, 32 feet, lateen-rigged
first and second cutter, 25 feet
jolly boat, 18 feet
gig, 30 feet
dinghy
A
aback A sail is aback when it acts to drive a ship in the direction of the STERN.
abaft Toward the after part, or STERN, of the ship. Used relatively, as in abaft the BEAM: on the stern side of an imaginary line across the middle (or WAIST) of a vessel.
Abd-ar-Rahman I (731-788) The first Umayyad emir of Córdoba (756-88). The only survivor of the Abbasid massacre of his family in Damascus, he fled from Syria and eventually entered Spain, where he defeated the emir of Córdoba at Alameda and seized power. He reorganized the state and attempted to unite the various Muslim groups. His great mosque at Córdoba—finished by his son and successor, Hisham I (757-796)—is a monument of Moorish architecture, known for its complex interior of low rounded arches with alternating black and white stones.
Abercrombie, General Sir Ralph (1734-1802) Scottish-born general. Studied law in Edinburgh and Leipzig, but joined the Dragoons in 1756 and fought in the Seven Years’ War. Member of Parliament for Clackmannanshire, Scotland, 1774-1780. After serving in Holland in 1793 and commanding an expedition in the West Indies, he commanded British forces in Ireland and Scotland. In 1801 he was appointed to command the expedition to the Mediterranean. He died on board H.M.S. Foudroyant of wounds suffered during the successful landing of Anglo-Turkish troops at Aboukir Bay in Egypt.
ablation The removal of any part of the body by surgery.
able seaman A general term for a sailor who has a great deal of experience in performing the basic tasks of sailing a ship. In the Royal Navy in the 18th century the most senior, best paid, and most prestigious of the three basic RATES of sailors: able seaman, ORDINARY SEAMAN, and LANDSMAN.
Aboukir An island and bayou on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt located to the east of Alexandria and to the west of the Rosetta Mouth of the Nile. The Battle of the NILE was fought in Aboukir Bay on August 1, 1798.
Abraham-man Among sailors, one who feigns sickness. Possibly an allusion to the parable of the beggar Lazarus, in Luke 16.
Abraham’s bosom From Luke 16:22, the abode of the blessed dead, where the beggar Lazarus was carried by the angels.
abroad Spread, as in “all sail abroad.”
Absit, o absit omen May it not, oh may it not be an omen (Latin).
abune Provincial form of “above.”
Acacia A genus of leguminous shrubs or trees with white or yellow flower clusters found in the warmer regions of the Old World. Acacia Senegal yields gum arabic, also known as gum acacia, a water-soluble gum used in preparing pills and emulsions and making candy and as a general thickener and stabilizer.
accommodation-ladder A flight of steps at the GANGWAY to enable officers and visitors to enter and exit the ship.
accoucheur One who assists women in childbirth.
Achilles, H.M.S. Launched in 1798, a 74-gun ship that captured the 90-gun Spanish FLAGSHIP Argonauta and recaptured the former British third-rate Berwick from the French at TRAFALGAR in 1805 while under the command of Captain Richard King. She remained in service until 1865.
achromatic Colorless. An achromatic lens or telescope is one that refracts light without separating it into its constituent colors.
a-cockbill or cockbill Having the tapered ends cocked or turned upward. Said of the anchor when it hangs from the CATHEAD, ready for dropping and of the YARDS of a vessel, when they are placed at an angle to the deck. The latter denotes mourning.
Acre or Saint-Jean-d’Acre An ancient port with a fortress northwest of Mount Carmel between Tyre and Haifa in present-day Israel. It was taken by the Crusaders in 1191 and besieged by Napoleon in 1799.
Actaeon In Greek mythology, Actaeon was a hunter who was turned into a stag and killed by his own hounds after he
accidentally saw Artemis, the virgin huntress, bathing. Thus, a cuckold, from the play upon his becoming horned.
Actian games Ancient Roman gymnastic competition and musical festival.
acting-order An order to act in a certain capacity. More specifically, a temporary appointment to a vacant position made by one entitled to do so but not necessarily confirmed by the superior authority, as in a field promotion.
acushla A term of endearment, like “dear heart” or “my darling.” Originally from Irish cuisle, “pulse of the heart.”
adagio A direction for the musical time in which a piece is to be sung or played: slowly, leisurely, and gracefully.
Adanson, Michel (1727-1806) A French naturalist and the author of Les Families naturelle des plantes (1763). Adanson’s system of naming and classification was later superceded by that of LINNAEUS.
Adansonia A genus of large trees containing only two species: the BAOBAB, monkey-bread, or Ethiopian sour gourd of western and central Africa and the cream-of-tartar tree, or sour gourd, of northern Australia.
ad captandum vulgus To win over to the masses (Latin).
Addington, Henry, Lord Sidmouth (1757-1844) The Tory Prime Minister (1801-1805) who negotiated the Treaty of Amiens with Napoleon. Taking effect in March of 1802, it contained provisions for the return of all British colonial conquests to France, except for Trinidad and Ceylon; in return, France promised to leave Egypt. The treaty collapsed and war recommenced in April of 1803.
Admiral A naval officer of FLAG RANK. The fleet commander or the commander of one of its principal divisions. Until 1864, the rank structure for Admirals was based on traditional red, white, and blue squadrons, each of which contained van, middle, and rear divisions, commanded by Admirals, Vice-Admirals, and Rear-Admirals, respectively. Beneath Admiral of the Fleet, the highest rank, the rungs on the ladder of promotion were as follows:
Admiral of the Red
Admiral of the White
Admiral of the Blue
Vice-Admiral of the Red
Vice-Admiral of the White
Vice-Admiral of the Blue
Rear-Admiral of the Red
Rear-Admiral of the White
Rear-Admiral of the Blue
Admiralty The administrative department superintending the Navy, directed by the Lord Admiral or Board of Admiralty. During the Napoleonic wars the Admiralty became a center of operational command, with a constant inflow of dispatches and information and a constant outflow of orders. On the roof of the Admiralty, the TELEGRAPH could send a signal reaching SPITHEAD in three minutes on a clear night or day. Various telegraph lines connected to other Naval centers, and a fleet of schooners and cutters laid ready to carry messages to the fleets and squadrons deployed in home and foreign waters. Also, the building housing the administration, located in Whitehall, London. In England, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, together with the First Secretary of the Admiralty, formerly carried out this function. The Admiralty was incorporated as part of the Ministry of Defence in 1964. See also page 3.
The Admiralty, Whitehall
Adriatic Sea Five-hundred-mile arm of the Mediterranean Sea between the east coast of Italy and Croatia, Bosnia, and the Dalmatian coast. At its northern point lie Venice and Trieste.
advice-note A commercial form, partly printed and partly written, used to advise consignees of the arrival of their goods and to request removal of same from the station.
adze A carpenter’s or cooper’s tool, like an ax with the blade set at right angles to the handle and curving in toward it, often used by shipwrights for the shaping of wooden beams.
aetat Of or at the age of; aged (a particular number of years).
aetiology or etiology The cause(s) of an illness or abnormal condition. Also the branch of medical science that investigates the causes of diseases. In a larger sense, the science or philosophy of causation.
affusion The act of pouring a liquid on or into; a method of administering baptism. Also a remedy for fevers whereby water, usually between 50°F and 70°F, is poured onto the patient.
after-cabin The cabin in the after part of the ship used by a Captain, COMMODORE, or ADMIRAL, having superior accommodation and usually its own companionway.
afterguard The men stationed on the QUARTERDECK and POOP to work the after sails, generally composed of ORDINARY SEAMEN and LANDSMEN.
a fortiori Even more strongly (Latin).
aga In Muslim countries, especially under the Ottoman empire, a commander or chief officer. Originally a military title, it was also used for civil officers and as a title of distinction.
Agamemnon, H.M.S. A 64-gun ship launched in 1781 and commanded by Nelson from 1793 to 1796. After surviving both the battles of Copenhagen and TRAFALGAR, she ran aground and was abandoned in 1809.
Agave A genus of plants that includes the American aloe and whose flower-stem can reach a height of up to 40 feet.
age ingrat The awkward age, as in the teenage years (French).
agent provocateur An agent employed to induce or incite a suspected person or group to commit an incriminating (often political) act, especially by seducing, decoying, entrapping, or impressing them.
Agnus Lamb, that is, the lamb of God, Jesus (Latin).
Agnus Dei In Latin, “lamb of God.” A part of the Roman Catholic Mass so named because it starts with the words “Agnus Dei.” Also the music set to it. Now also used in the Anglican service.
aguardiente A coarse brandy made in Spain and Portugal.
ague An acute or violent fever, usually malaria, marked by periodic paroxysms with cold, hot, and sweating stages. At first more associated with the feverish stage, the term later became synonymous with a fit of shivering, a chill.
a-high-lone A way of emphasizing the word “alone.”
Ah tutti contend saremo cosi Ah, and so we shall all be happy at last (Italian; from the final chorus of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro).
aide-de-camp An officer who assists a general in his military duties, conveying his orders and procuring information.
aide-memoire A memorandum or précis (French).
aigrette A tuft of feathers such as that borne by the egret and some other birds. A spray of gems, or similar ornament, worn on the head.
Ajax, H.M.S. Launched in 1798, a 74-gun, third-rate ship that fought in General Abercromby’s Egyptian expedition of 1801 and at TRAFALGAR in 1805. Burned and exploded with 250 hands on board during the DARDANELLES expedition in 1807.
akavit or aquavit A colorless or yellowish alcoholic spirit distilled from potatoes or other starch-containing plants. Akavit is the schnapps of Scandinavia.
alba mistura Literally, white mixture, an ointment made of olive oil, white wax, and white lead (lead monoxide).
albatross A family of large web-footed seabirds related to the PETRELS and SHEARWATERS and inhabiting the Pacific and southern oceans. The 14 species of albatross include the mollymawks, gooney birds, and the great albatross, Diomedea exulans, to which the name is usually applied. The largest of seafowls, with a wing-span up to 15 feet, great albatrosses have dark-gray or gray-brown and white plumage, large hooked bills with horny plates, and prominent tubular nostrils. They are capable of very long flights, sometimes following ships at sea for weeks, scavenging the ship’s refuse and eating squid, drinking seawater, and sleeping on the ocean’s surface. It was once believed by sailors that albatrosses contained the souls of dead sailors, and so killing one was thought to bring bad luck. “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor COLERIDGE, written in 1798, told the tale of a seaman who tragically killed an albatross: “Ah! well a-day! what evil looks/Had I from old and young!/Instead of the cross, the Albatross/About my neck was hung.” Also, a burden or encumbrance, causing deep anxiety.
The great albatross, Diomedea exulans, the largest of all sea fowl.
Alberes The easternmost section of the Pyrenees Mountains, between France and Spain.
Alca impennis See great AUK.
a-
lee or alee On or toward the LEE or sheltered side of the ship; away from the wind. Helm’s a-lee: the response of the helmsman when ordered to bring the bow into the wind in order to TACK.
aleph The name of the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Aleppo button A disease, also known as oriental sore, endemic in parts of Asia and Africa and caused by infection with Leishmania tropica, a parasite transported by sand flies. Various regional synonyms are used for the disease, for example, Baghdad boil, Delhi boil, Biskra button, and many others.
alexipharmic Originally an antidote against poisons, but by the 18th century it had come to mean a medicine made with variable ingredients used primarily in fevers, that is, as a FEBRIFUGE.
Algaroth Powder of antimony oxychloride, used as a caustic to scarify superficial wounds.
Algiers Ancient Mediterranean port on the BARBARY Coast that served as a base for Algerine or Barbary pirates, who attacked European and American merchant ships and sold Christian captives into slavery. The city was bombarded by the British fleet under Admiral Lord Exmouth in 1816.