by Dean King
lapsus calami A slip of the pen (Latin).
lapsus linguae A slip of the tongue (Latin).
larboard or larbowlin The lefthand, or port, side of a ship when looking toward the BOW, as opposed to STARBOARD. The term was later replaced by “port” to avoid confusion with “starboard.”
larbolins also larbowlines, larbolines, and larbowlins The part of the ship’s crew who formed the LARBOARD, or port, WATCH.
larder A room or closet in which meat and other provisions are stored.
large Said of a wind that crosses the line of a ship’s course in a favorable direction, especially on the BEAM or QUARTER. In a SQUARE-RIGGED ship, the point where STUDDINGSAILS would draw. To sail large (going large) means to sail with the wind blowing on the stern and the SHEETS eased.
lark A name used to refer generally to any bird of the family Alaudidae, but usually to the skylark. The lark has sandy-brown plumage and very long hind-claws.
lascar An Indian or East Indian sailor.
lash To secure or bind something with a rope or cord. Also, a stroke of the CAT-O’-NINE-TAILS.
lashing-eye Fittings formed from loops made in the ends of ropes, for a lashing (a rope used to secure something) to be ROVE through.
lask To sail LARGE, with the wind on the QUARTER.
La Sybille Taken in 1794 by H.M.S. Romney, Captain Hon. W. Paget, La Sybille (40 guns) became the British fifth rate Sybille. She took the larger LA FORTE in 1799 but lost her captain, Cooke, who was mortally wounded during the battle.
lateen sail or lateen Of ancient origin, the word derives from “Latin,” meaning “Mediterranean,” where the sail was commonly used. A triangular sail suspended by a long YARD (made from two or more timbers and often longer than the boat itself) at an angle of about 45 degrees to the MAST. Frequently used by XEBECS, polacres (see POLACRE RIG), SETTEES, FELUCCAS, DHOWS and other vessels in the Mediterranean. Also, a vessel with a lateen RIG.
Latham, John (1740-1837) An English ornithologist who, between 1821 and 1828, published the 12-volume A General History of Birds, which he illustrated himself.
latibule A hiding-place.
laudanum Alcoholic TINCTURE of OPIUM. The 16th-century German alchemist and physician Bombast von Hohenheim (also known as PARACELSUS) introduced the medicinal use of opium in an expensive mixture he called laudanum.
Lauds A religious office of solemn praise to God that follows Matins and forms with it the first of the seven canonical hours.
launch The largest boat of a MAN-OF-WAR, longer, lower, and more flat-bottomed than a merchantman’s LONG-BOAT, often carrying one FORE-AND-AFT sail and capable of short autonomous cruises. Also, a somewhat larger, flat-bottomed boat used in the Mediterranean as a GUNBOAT, and a similar but smaller rowboat used in shallow waters. In 1789, Captain BLIGH sailed the Bounty’s launch for 41 days from the site of the mutiny to Timor. See illustration, page 71.
laurel The bay-laurel, a southern European tree, the foliage of which was used by the ancient Greeks to crown the winners at the Pythian games. Used occasionally as a medicine.
lavender A small shrub with purple flowers and thin oblong leaves, native to southern Europe and northern Africa but cultivated in other countries for its perfume. Sometimes used as a tonic remedy.
Lawrence, James (1731-1813) American naval officer who, commanding the 18-gun SLOOP Hornet, on January 25, 1813, sank the British 16-gun BRIG H.M.S. Peacock off British Guiana (now Guyana). Considered very capable, he was promoted to Captain. But Lawrence made a fatal miscalculation as commander of the Chesapeake in 1813, when, with an inexperienced crew and short of officers, he nonetheless attacked the British FRIGATE H.M.S. Shannon off Boston. Almost immediately, he was mortally wounded and the Chesapeake was seriously damaged, with 146 men killed and wounded. The Chesapeake was captured and sailed to England. Lawrence’s dying words became an American battle cry: “Don’t give up the ship.”
lay To twist the strands of a rope together. Also, to direct the course of a vessel.
lay by See LIE TO. Also, a wide section of a river or canal where a vessel can tie up and allow another to pass. To “lay by the heels” means to put in irons or the stocks, to arrest; also, to overthrow, disgrace.
lay lord A peer who is not a lawyer, as opposed to a “law lord.”
lay up in ordinary Said of a ship when out of commission.
lazaretto or lazarette A hospital where seamen or others with contagious or infectious diseases were isolated and quarantined. Often called “Lazaretto’s island,” though a lazarette was not necessarily an island. Also, a compartment in smaller ships used for storing provisions, usually regulated by the Master to prevent pilfering.
lead (pronounced “led”) A device for determining the depth of water consisting of a large piece of lead weighing from seven to 14 pounds attached to a long rope, called the LEAD-LINE, about 25 FATHOMS in length for shallow water and more than 100 fathoms for deep water. The lead was HOVE into the water by the LEADSMAN, who called out the depth by sighting the MARK on the line at the surface of the water.
leading mark An object, such as a tree, spire, or buoy, that when aligned with another object guides the pilot safely into port.
lead-line A sounding line or plumb line (plumbum is Latin for “lead,” the metal), usually 25 FATHOMS long for relatively shallow water and 100 fathoms for deep-sea SOUNDINGS. See also LEAD.
leadsman The man who, standing in the CHAINS, heaves the LEAD to take SOUNDINGS.
league A distance of three nautical miles, or 3,041 FATHOMS (one fathom equals six feet). Before the SEA MILE came into use, navigators measured distance traveled in leagues. This was not a very precise measurement but was about three land miles.
Leander, H.M.S. A fourth-rate 52-gun ship launched in 1780. In Post Captain, Aubrey reveals that he was on board her at the Battle of the NILE (1798). Following the battle, she carried Captain Edward Berry with NELSON’S dispatches to Admiral St. Vincent (See JERVIS) and was captured by the 74-gun GÉNERÉUX, a French survivor of the battle. The Leander, commanded by Captain Thomas Boulder Thompson, fought against overwhelming odds for six and a half hours and was severely battered before striking colors. Afterward the crew was treated very harshly by its captors. The ship was recaptured from the French by the Russians at Corfu in 1799 and returned to the Royal Navy. Renamed Hygeia in 1813, she served as a medical depot ship before being sold in 1817. A second Leander of 58 guns was launched in 1813 and served until 1830.
leather stock A stiff, tight neckcloth once worn by men.
lee The side sheltered from the wind; the side of a ship, the land, a rock, or any other object that is away from the wind. Used also to indicate that an object is on the lee side of a vessel, as in “lee shore,” a shore that is downwind of a ship. A lee shore is dangerous to a ship that has not provided itself with enough “leeway,” the lateral distance a ship is displaced from its course in the direction of the wind, as the ship is in danger of being driven onto the shore.
leech The free vertical edges of a sail, for example, the vertical edge of a square sail (called the LARBOARD or STARBOARD leech) and the aft edge of a FORE-AND-AFT sail.
leeches Aquatic, blood-sucking worms. The species Hirudo medicinalis was used in therapeutic bleeding (for its rationale, see “Stephen Maturin and Naval Medicine in the Age of Sail,” p. 31). Leeches, each of which could remove up to an ounce of blood before becoming fully engorged and falling off, were placed over parts of the body in which an inflammation was assumed to be causing the patient’s symptoms; for instance, for severe headaches, one or two leeches would be induced to suck blood through the skin over one or both temples, or four or five might be placed over the chest of a pneumonia patient.
legation The sending of a representative, as a papal legate. A group, such as a diplomatic minister and his suite, dispatched on a mission.
Leghorn The English name for Livorno, a major Tuscan seaport, free and neutral and used by the merchants of many nations until 17
96, when Napoleon seized all the hostile ships in the port. After a brief time, the port returned to its free and neutral status until 1867, when it was incorporated into the newly formed nation of Italy.
Leguat, Francois (1637-1733) A Frenchman who published a description of his voyage to Rodriguez, MAURITIUS, Java, and the Cape of Good Hope from 1690 to 1698. It was translated into English in 1708. There is doubt as to whether this was an authentic voyage.
lemon rob A conserve made from lemon juice that is reduced by boiling and preserved with sugar. Sometimes used to prevent or treat SCURVY.
Le monsieur est touché.... Sais pas, commandant. Il parle plus: je crois bien que c’est un macchabeé à présent. Y à du sang partout. Vous voulez pas me faire passer une élingue? ... Parlez The gentleman is hit.... Don’t know, commander. He ain’t talking: I really believe he’s a corpse now. ‘S blood everywhere. You mind handing round a sling? ... Speak (French).
lemur A family of nocturnal mammals found mainly in Madagascar, allied to the monkey but with a pointed, foxlike muzzle.
lenitive A soothing or softening medicine, usually laxative.
Lenten Pertaining or appropriate to Lent. Of provisions or diet, meager. Of clothing or disposition, gloomy or sorrowful.
lentisk Wood of the mastic tree, Pistachia lentiscus, used in some medicines. Also, its gum, mastic, also used medically.
Leopard, H.M.S. A fourth-rate ship of 50 guns launched in 1790, which was involved in a confrontation with the U.S. FRIGATE CHESAPEAKE on June 22, 1807, off Norfolk Roads, Virginia. During a search for British seamen, the Leopard fired on the Chesapeake, boarded her, and seized four seamen said to be deserters from the British Navy. The Chesapeake was not fully armed at the time, and the incident created an outcry for war against Britain. But President Thomas Jefferson preferred to use other means to gain reparation, and a trade embargo resulted. In Patrick O’Brian’s Desolation Island, it is aboard the Leopard that Captain Aubrey duels with the Dutch 74-gun Waakzaamheid. Later, at an inopportune moment, he feels the bitter scorn of the crew of an American whaler because of the earlier event involving the Leopard.
leopard’s bane A remedy made from the leaves of Arnica montana that was introduced as a substitute for the BARK in 1712, and later promoted for the treatment of paralysis and fever.
Lepanto A naval battle fought on October 7, 1571, between a fleet from Christian nations in the Holy League and the Ottoman fleet and named for the site of the confrontation, the Lepanto strait, which separates the northern Peloponnesus from the Greek mainland. The battle was viewed as a major Christian triumph and demonstrated the ultimate development in Mediterranean GALLEY warfare. Some 30,000 Turks died in the battle, about half of whom were experienced seamen.
Lepidoptera A large order of insects having four membranous wings covered with scales, including butterflies and moths.
les agissements néfastes ... le perfide The evil doings ... the treacherous (French).
lese-majesty An offense against a sovereign authority; treason.
Les hommes: c’est difficile de s’endormir sans Men: it’s difficult to fall asleep without them (French).
Letter to the Ephesians A letter addressed to the residents of Ephesus, a Greek city in what is now Turkey. This letter is a portion of the New Testament, attributed to Paul writing in prison, but it was probably written by one of Paul’s disciples before A.D. 90.
letter of marque (and reprisal) A license granted by a sovereign authorizing the Captain of a privately owned and armed ship to make reprisals on the subjects of a hostile state for injuries allegedly committed against the holder of the letter. In the 18th century, the PRIVATEERS, as they were known, were basically profiteers attempting to make money by capturing enemy merchant ships. The holders of letters of marque were entitled by international law to commit acts that might otherwise have constituted piracy. Ships captured in this way were dealt with as PRIZE cases and adjudicated in Admiralty Court.
Levant Name for the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, lying between Greece and Egypt.
Levanter A strong, often humid, easterly or northeasterly wind blowing in the Mediterranean from its eastern shore, the LEVANT.
Levantine Of or pertaining to the LEVANT. A ship trading to the Levant. In the manner of the Levantines. Also, a twilled black silk material, very soft, of excellent wear and having a face and back of different shades.
levator A muscle that raises the part to which it is attached.
levee A formal reception of visitors just after rising from bed, a morning assembly held by a king, prince, or person of distinction.
Leviathan An enormous sea creature first mentioned in Scripture, similar to either a crocodile or a sea serpent. Also, a whale or an exceptionally large ship.
levin Lightning or a flash of lightning. Also, a bright light or flame.
Leviticus The third book of the PENTATEUCH, containing details of Levitical law relating to priests and rituals. It also contains an account of events in the final month of the second year of the exodus from Egypt.
le voilá Here he is (French).
liana Various climbing and twining plants that proliferate in tropical forests.
libeccio In Italian, the southwest wind.
liberty man A sailor with leave to go ashore.
lickerous Pleasing or tempting to the palate, delightful. Of a person, having an appetite for delicious food, a keen desire for something pleasant. Also, lecherous, lustful, wanton.
lictor An ancient Roman officer who attended upon a magistrate, bearing the fasces, a symbol of authority, before him, and who executed sentences on offenders. A dictator had 24 lictors to attend him, a consul, 12.
lie to or try, lie-a-try, lie by In a gale, where the ship could not run before the wind, sufficient canvas was set to keep her head about six points from the wind, coming up and falling off, and maintaining enough way to maintain steerage.
lie (or lay) on one’s oars To cease rowing. To lean on the handles of one’s oars and raise the oar blades out of the water. To halt one’s efforts.
Lieutenant The most junior of the traditional sea officers’ ranks in the Navy. See also page 15.
life-line A line or rope running along the decks of a ship for the sailors to hang on to in heavy seas.
ligature Something used in binding or tying, a bandage. In surgery, a thread used for many purposes, especially to tie off a bleeding artery.
light along Lend assistance in HAULing CABLES, HAWSERS, or large ropes.
light-ball A combustible fired from a mortar at night to light up the enemy’s operations.
light diet One without meat, especially red meat, or strong drink, so as not to further fuel the internal fires of a feverish inflammation.
lighter A vessel, usually a BARGE, used in ferrying cargo to or from ships that cannot be discharged or loaded at a wharf and for moving goods of any kind in a harbor.
lights An ancient word for the lungs.
lightship A vessel with a small crew moored in dangerous waters and serving the same purpose as a lighthouse. Lightships were first employed in British waters in 1732.
lignum vitae Literally, wood of life, Guaiacum officinale. It was introduced in 1519, in the form of a powder made from its bark that was taken in wine or water, as the antisyphilitic remedy called guaiac, but it had come to be used chiefly as a DIAPHORETIC by the late 18th century. (However, Maturin uses it, or the thick gum extracted from the wood, to repair his viola.)
Ligny, Battle of While attempting to drive a wedge between the allied armies of WELLINGTON and BLUCHER in Belgium, NAPOLEON (with 80,000 men) encountered the Prussians (84,000 men) on June 16, 1815. In fierce fighting, the Prussians suffered 25,000 casualties (and deserters, mostly recent recruits), while the French lost 11,000. Blucher himself was dismounted in a cavalry charge while attempting unsuccessfully to turn the tide. The French failed to deliver a knockout blow, however, and the Prussians’ retreat to Wavre under GNEISENAU, made possible by Bluc
her’s brave counterattack, put them in a position to determine the outcome of the Battle of WATERLOO, two days later.
Liguria An ancient geographical region in northwestern Italy. In 1797 the strip of coast surrounding Genoa was made the Ligurian Republic. It was annexed by France in 1805.
limber The detachable fore part of a gun-carriage, consisting of two wheels and an axle, a pole for the horses, and a frame that holds one or two ammunition chests. It is attached to the trail of the gun-carriage proper by a hook. Also, one of a series of square holes cut through the floor-timbers on each side of the KEELSON allowing BILGE water to pass to the PUMP-well.
limicole An earth-dwelling worm lacking a specialized head.
limmer A rogue or scoundrel; a strumpet; a hussy or minx.
limpet A gastropod mollusk with a flat conical shell and a wide opening at one end where it clings to wood and rocks. Hence, one who clings to someone or something, especially superfluous officials who cling to their offices.
linctus A solid medicine ingested by licking it like a lollipop.
Lind, James (1716-1794) An Edinburgh University-trained naval surgeon whose chief place in medical history lies in his verification that oranges and lemons counteract SCURVY. Although he published these findings in Treatise of the Scurvy in 1753, it wasn’t until 1795 that Sir Gilbert BLANE managed to have lemon juice issued regularly in the Royal Navy. Lind, who was in charge of the naval hospital HASLAR from 1758 to 1783, also wrote books on hygiene and the first handbook on tropical medicine.
line-of-battle ship A RATEd ship; a ship of sufficient size to take part in the battle line during a major fleet action.
lingua franca A mixed language used in the LEVANT, chiefly Italian without its inflections. Any mixed language used as a common language by people who speak different languages.
linhay A shed or farm building with an open front and usually a lean-to roof.
link A torch made of tow, or yarn, and pitch, wax, or tallow and used to light one’s way through the streets.
Linnaeus, or Linne, Carl von (1707-1778) Swedish botanist and founder of the modern study of botany. Professor of medicine (1741) and botany (1742) at Uppsala University. He established a system of plant classification based on sexual characteristics.
