The Sailor's Word-Book Part 22

BANNOCK. A name given to a certain hard s.h.i.+p-biscuit.

BANQUETTE. In fortification, a small terrace, properly of earth, on the inside of the parapet, of such height that the defenders standing on it may conveniently fire over the top.

BANSTICKLE. A diminutive fish, called also the three-spined stickleback (_Gasterosteus aculeatus_).

BAPTISM. A ceremony practised on pa.s.sengers on their first pa.s.sing the equinoctial line: a riotous and ludicrous custom, which from the violence of its ducking, shaving, and other practical jokes, is becoming annually less in vogue. It is esteemed a usurpation of privilege to baptize on crossing the tropics.

BAR, OF A PORT OR HARBOUR. An acc.u.mulated shoal or bank of sand, s.h.i.+ngle, gravel, or other uliginous substances, thrown up by the sea to the mouth of a river or harbour, so as to endanger, and sometimes totally prevent, the navigation into it.--_Bars of rivers_ are some s.h.i.+fting and some permanent. The position of the bar of any river may commonly be guessed by attending to the form of the sh.o.r.es at the embouchure. The sh.o.r.e on which the deposition of sediment is going on will be flat, whilst the opposite one is steep. It is along the side of the latter that the deepest channel of the river lies; and in the line of this channel, but without the points that form the mouth of the river, will be the _bar_. If both the sh.o.r.es are of the same nature, which seldom happens, the bar will lie opposite the middle of the channel. Rivers in general have what may be deemed a bar, in respect of the depth of the channel within, although it may not rise high enough to impede the navigation--for the increased deposition that takes place when the current slackens, through the want of declivity, and of sh.o.r.es to retain it, must necessarily form a bank. Bars of small rivers may be deepened by means of stockades to confine the river current, and prolong it beyond the natural points of the river's mouth. They operate to remove the place of deposition further out, and into deeper water. Bars, however, act as breakwaters in most instances, and consequently secure smooth water within them. The deposit in all curvilinear or serpentine rivers will always be found at the point opposite to the curve into which the ebb strikes and rebounds, deepening the hollow and depositing on the tongue. Therefore if it be deemed advisable to change the position of a bar, it may be in some cases aided by works projected on the last curve sea-ward. By such means a parallel ca.n.a.l may be forced which will admit vessels under the cover of the bar.--_Bar_, a boom formed of huge trees, or spars lashed together, moored transversely across a port, to prevent entrance or egress.--_Bar_, the short bits of bar-iron, about half a pound each, used as the medium of traffic on the Negro coast.--_Bar-harbour_, one which, from a bar at its entrance, cannot admit s.h.i.+ps of great burden, or can only do so at high-water.--_Capstan-bars_, large thick bars put into the holes of the drumhead of the capstan, by which it is turned round, they working as horizontal radial levers.--_Hatch-bars_, flat iron bars to lock over the hatches for security from theft, &c.--_Port-bar_, a piece of wood or iron variously fitted to secure a gun-port when shut.--_Bar-shallow_, a term sometimes applied to a portion of a bar with less water on it than on other parts of the bar.--_Bar-shot_, two half b.a.l.l.s joined together by a bar of iron, for cutting and destroying spars and rigging. When whole b.a.l.l.s are thus fitted they are more properly double-headed shot.--_To bar._ To secure the lower-deck ports, as above.

BARACOOTA. A tropical fish (_Sphyraena baracuda_), considered in the West Indies to be dangerously poisonous at times, nevertheless eaten, and deemed the sea-salmon.

BARBACAN. In fortification, an outer defence.

BARBADOES-TAR. A mineral fluid bitumen resembling petroleum, of nauseous taste and offensive smell.

BARBALOT. The barbel. Also, a puffin.

BARB-BOLTS. Those which have their points jagged or barbed to make them hold securely, where those commonly in use cannot be clinched. The same as _rag-bolt_. Those of copper used for the false keel.

BARBECUE. A tropical custom of dressing a pig whole.

BARBEL (_Barbus vulgaris_). An English river-fish of the carp family, distinguished by the four appendant beards, whence its name is derived.

It is between 2 and 3 feet in length, and coa.r.s.e. Also, _barbel_ is a small piece of armour which protects part of the ba.s.senet.

BARBER. A rating on the s.h.i.+ps' books for one who shaves the people, for which he receives the pay of an ordinary seaman. In meteorology, _barber_ is a singular vapour rising in streams from the sea surface,--owing probably to exhalations being condensed into a visible form, on entering a cold atmosphere. It is well known on the sh.o.r.es of Nova Scotia. Also, the condensed breath in frosty weather on beard or moustaches in Arctic travelling.

BARBETTE. A mode of mounting guns to fire over the parapet, so as to have free range, instead of through embrasures.

BARCA-LONGA. A large Spanish undecked coasting-vessel, navigated with pole-masts, _i.e._ single-masts, without any top-mast or upper part; and high square sails, called lug-sails. Propelled with sweeps as well. The name is also applied to Spanish gunboats by our seamen.

BARCES. Short guns with a large bore formerly used in s.h.i.+ps.

BARCHETTA. A small bark for transporting water, provisions, &c.

BARCONE. A short Mediterranean lighter.

BAREKA. A small barrel: spelled also _barika_ (Sp. _bareca_). Hence the nautical name _breaker_ for a small cask or keg.

BARE-POLES. The condition of a s.h.i.+p having no sails set when out at sea, and either scudding or lying-to by stress of weather. (_See_ UNDER BARE POLES.)

BARE-ROOM. An old phrase for _bore-down_.

BARGE. A boat of a long, slight, and s.p.a.cious construction, generally carvel-built, double-banked, for the use of admirals and captains of s.h.i.+ps of war.--_Barge_, in boat attacks, is next in strength to the launch. It is likewise a vessel or boat of state, furnished and equipped in the most sumptuous style;--and of this sort we may naturally suppose to have been the famous barge or galley of Cleopatra, which, according to the beautiful description of Shakspeare--

"Like a burnished throne Burnt on the water: the p.o.o.p was beaten gold, Purple her sails; and so perfumed, that The winds were love-sick with them; the oars were silver.

Which to the tune of flutes kept time, and made The water which they beat to follow faster As amorous of their strokes."

The barges of the lord-mayor, civic companies, &c., and the coal-barges of the Thames are varieties. Also, an early man-of-war, of about 100 tons. Also, an east-country vessel of peculiar construction. Also, a flat-bottomed vessel of burden, used on rivers for conveying goods from one place to another, and loading and unloading s.h.i.+ps: it has various names, as a Ware barge, a west-country barge, a sand barge, a row-barge, a Severn trough, a light horseman, &c. They are usually fitted with a large sprit-sail to a mast, which, working upon a hinge, is easily struck for pa.s.sing under bridges. Also, the bread-barge or tray or basket, for containing biscuit at meals.

BARGEES. The crews of ca.n.a.l-boats and barges.

BARGE-MATE. The officer who steers when a high personage is to visit the s.h.i.+p.

BARGE-MEN. The crew of the barge, who are usually picked men. Also, the large maggots with black heads that infest biscuit.

BARGET. An old term for a small barge.

BARILLA. An alkali procured by burning _Salsola kali_ and other sea-sh.o.r.e plants. It forms a profitable article of Mediterranean commerce. (_See_ KELP.)

BARK. The exterior covering of vegetable bodies, many of which are useful in making paper, cordage, cloth, dyes, and medicines.

BARK, OR BARQUE [from _barca_, Low Latin]. A general name given to small s.h.i.+ps, square-sterned, without head-rails; it is, however, peculiarly appropriated by seamen to a three-masted vessel with only fore-and-aft sails on her mizen-mast.--_Bark-rigged._ Rigged as a bark, with no square sails on the mizen-mast.

BARKANTINE, OR BARQUANTINE. A name applied on the great lakes of North America to a vessel square-rigged on the fore-mast, and fore-and-aft rigged on the main and mizen masts. They are not three-masted schooners, as they have a regular brigantine's fore-mast. They are long in proportion to their other dimensions, to suit the navigation of the ca.n.a.ls which connect some of these lakes.

BARKERS. An old term for lower-deck guns and pistols.

BARKEY. A sailor's term for the pet s.h.i.+p to which he belongs.

BARKING-IRONS. Large duelling pistols.

BARLING. An old term for the lamprey.--_Barling-spars_, fit for any smaller masts or yards.

BARNACLE (_Lepas anatifera_). A species of sh.e.l.l-fish, often found sticking by its pedicle to the bottom of s.h.i.+ps, doing no other injury than deadening the way a little:

"_Barnacles_, termed _soland geese_ In th' islands of the Orcades."--_Hudibras._

They were formerly supposed to produce the barnacle-goose! (vide old cyclopedias): the poet, however, was too good a naturalist to believe this, but here, as in many other places, he means to banter some of the papers which were published by the first establishers of the Royal Society. The sh.e.l.l is compressed and multivalve. The tentacula are long and pectinated like a feather, whence arose the fable of their becoming geese. They belong to the order of _Cirripeds_.

BARNAGH. The Manx or Gaelic term for a limpet.

BAROMETER. A gla.s.s tube of 36 inches in length, filled with the open end upwards with refined mercury--thus boiled and suddenly inverted into a cistern, which is furnished with a leathern bag, on which the atmosphere, acting by its varying weight, presses the fluid metal up to corresponding heights in the tube, easily read off by an external scale attached thereto. By attentive observations on this simple prophet, practised seamen are enabled to foretell many approaching changes of wind or weather, and thus by shortening sail in time, save hull, spars, and lives. This instrument also affords the means of accurately determining the heights or depressions of mountains and valleys. This is the _mercurial_ barometer; another, the _aneroid_ barometer, invented by Monsr. Vidi, measures approximately, but not with the permanence of the mercurial. It is constructed to measure the weight of a column of air or pressure of the atmosphere, by pressure on a very delicate metallic box hermetically sealed. It is more sensible to pa.s.sing changes, but not so reliable as the mercurial barometer. 2960 is taken as the mean pressure in England; as it rises or falls below this mark, fine weather or strong winds may be looked for:--3060 is very high, and 2900 very low. The barometer is affected by the direction of the wind, thus N.N.E. is the highest, and S.S.W. the lowest--therefore these matters govern the decision of men of science, who are not led astray by the change of reading alone. The seaman pilot notes the heavens; the direction of the wind--and the pressure due to that direction--not forgetting sudden changes of temperature. Attention is due to the surface, whether convex or concave.

BARQUE. The same as _bark_ (which see).

BARR. A peremptory exception to a proposition.

BARRA-BOATS. Vessels of the Western Isles of Scotland, carrying ten or twelve men. They are extremely sharp fore and aft, having no floor, but with sides rising straight from the keel, so that a transverse section resembles the letter V. They are swift and safe, for in proportion as they heel to a breeze their bearings are increased, while from their lightness they are as buoyant as Norway skiffs.

BARRACAN. A strong undiapered camblet, used for garments in the Levant and in Barbary; anciently it formed the Roman toga.

BARRACK-MASTER. The officer placed in charge of a barrack.

BARRACKS. Originally mere log-huts, but of late extensive houses built for the accommodation and quartering of troops. Also, the portion of the lower deck where the marines mess. Also, little cabins made by Spanish fishermen on the sea-sh.o.r.e, called _barracas_, whence our name.

BARRACK SMACK. A corruption of _Berwick smack_; a word applied to small Scotch traders. The masters were nicknamed _barrack-masters_.

BARRATRY. Any fraudulent act of the master or mariners committed to the prejudice of the s.h.i.+p's owners or underwriters, whether by fraudulently losing the vessel, deserting her, selling her, or committing any other embezzlement. The diverting a s.h.i.+p from her right course, with evil intent, is barratry.