The Sailor's Word-Book Part 6

AIR-FUNNEL. A cavity formed by omission of a timber in the upper works of a vessel, to admit fresh air into the hold of a s.h.i.+p and convey the foul out of it.

AIR-GUN. A silent weapon, which propels bullets by the expansive force of air only.

AIRING-STAGE. A wooden platform, on which gunpowder is aired and dried.

AIR-JACKET. A leathern garment furnished with inflated bladders, to buoy the wearer up in the water. (_See_ AYR.)

AIR-PIPES. Funnels for clearing s.h.i.+ps' holds of foul air, on the principle of the rarefying power of heat.

AIR-PORTS. Large scuttles in s.h.i.+ps' bows for the admission of air, when the other ports are down. The Americans also call their side-ports by that name.

AIR-PUMP. An apparatus to remove the water and gases acc.u.mulating in the condenser while the engine is at work.

AIR-SCUTTLES. The same as _air-ports_.

AIR-SHAFTS. Vertical holes made in mining, to supply the adits with fresh air. Wooden shafts are sometimes adopted on board s.h.i.+p for a similar purpose.

AIRT, OR ART. A north-country word for a bearing point of the compa.s.s or quarter of the heavens. Thus the song--

"Of a' the _airts_ the wind can blaw, I dearly love the west."

AIRY. Breezy.

AKEDOWN. A form of the term _acton_, as a defensive dress.

ALABLASTER. An arbalist or cross-bow man; also the corruption of _alabaster_.

ALAMAK. The name given in nautical astronomy to that beautiful double star _Anak al ard_ of the Arabians, or ? Andromedae.

ALAMOTTIE. The _Procellaria pelagica_, or Storm-finch; Mother Cary's chicken, or stormy petrel.

ALAND. A term formerly used for to the sh.o.r.e, on sh.o.r.e, or to land.

ALARM, ALARUM [from the Italian _all'armi!_] An apprehension from sudden noise or report. The drum or signal by which men are summoned to stand on their guard in time of danger.--_False alarm_ is sometimes occasioned by a timid or negligent sentry, and at others designedly by an officer, to ascertain the promptness of his men. Sometimes false alarms are given by the enemy to hara.s.s the adversary. Old Rider defines _alarm_ as a "watch-word shewing the neernesse of the enemies."

ALARM-POST. A place appointed for troops to a.s.semble, in case of a sudden alarm.

ALBACORE. A fish of the family _s...o...b..idae_, found in shoals in the ocean; it is about 5 or 6 feet long, with an average weight of nearly 100 lbs. when fine.

ALBANY BEEF. A name for the sturgeon of the Hudson River, where it is taken in quant.i.ty for commerce.

ALBATROSS. A large, voracious, long-winged sea-bird, belonging to the genus _Diomedea_; very abundant in the Southern Ocean and the Northern Pacific, though said to be rarely met with within the tropics.

ALBION. An early name of England, from the whiteness of the eastern coast cliffs.

ALBURNUM. The sap-wood of timber, commonly termed the slab-cuts.

ALCAID. A governor, or officer of justice, amongst the Moors, Spaniards, and Portuguese.

ALCATRAZ. The pelican. Alcatraz Island is situated in the mouth of the river San Francisco, in California, so named from its being covered with these birds. Also Alcatraz on the coast of Africa, from _Peleca.n.u.s sula_--b.o.o.by. Columbus mentions the alcatraz when nearing America, and Drayton says--

"Most like to that sharp-sighted _alcatras_, That beats the air above the liquid gla.s.s."

ALDEBARAN. The lucida of Taurus, the well-known nautical star, popularly called Bull's-eye.

A-LEE. The contrary of _a-weather_: the position of the helm when its tiller is borne over to the lee-side of the s.h.i.+p, in order to go about or put her head to windward.--_Hard a-lee!_ or _luff a-lee!_ is said to the steersman to put the helm down.--_Helm's a-lee!_ the word of command given on putting the helm down, and causing the head-sails to shake in the wind.

ALEMAYNE. The early name for Germany.

ALERT. On the look-out, and ready for any sudden duty. Nearly synonymous with _alarm_. _Alerto_--called frequently by Spanish sentinels.

ALEWIFE. The _Clupea alosa_, a fish of the herring kind, which appears in the _Philosophical Transactions_ for 1678, as the _aloofe_; the corruption therefore was a ready one.

ALEXIACUS. The appellation under which Neptune was implored to protect the nets of the tunny fisheries from the sword-fish.

ALFERE, OR ALFEREZ [_alfier_, Fr.; _alferez_, Span.] Standard-bearer; ensign; cornet. The old English term for ensign; it was in use in our forces till the civil wars of Charles I.

ALFONDIZA. The custom-house at Lisbon.

ALGA. A species of millepora.

ALGae. Sea-weeds, and the floating sc.u.m-like substances on fresh water; they deserve to be more studied, for some, as dulse, laver, badderlocks, &c., are eatable, and others are useful for manure.

ALGEBRA. A general method of resolving mathematical problems, by means of equations, or rather computing abstract quant.i.ties by symbols or signs; a literal arithmetic.

ALGENIB. A princ.i.p.al star (?) in Pegasus.

ALGERE. A spear used by fishermen in olden times.

ALGIER DUTY. An imposition laid on merchants' goods by the Long Parliament, for the redemption of captives in the Mediterranean.

ALGOL. A wonderful variable star in Perseus, which goes through its changes in about two days and twenty-one hours.

ALGOLOGY. Scientific researches into the nature of sea-plants.

ALGORAB. A star taking rank as the a of Corvus, but its brightness of late is rivalled by Corvi.

ALHIDADE. An Arabic name for the index or fiducial of an astronomical or geometrical instrument, carrying sight or telescope; used by early navigators. A rule on the back of a common astrolabe, to measure heights, &c.

ALIEN. Generally speaking, one born in a foreign country, out of the king's allegiance; but if the parents be of the king's obedience, the child is no alien. An alien enemy, or person under the allegiance of the state at war with us, is not _generally_ disabled from being a witness in admiralty courts; nor are debts due to him forfeited, but only suspended.--_Alien's duty_, the impost laid on all goods imported into England in foreign bottoms, over and above the regular customs.

ALIGNMENT. An imaginary line, drawn to regulate the order of a squadron.

ALIQUOT PART. That which will exactly divide a number, leaving no remainder.

ALL. The total quant.i.ty; quite; wholly.--_All aback_, when all the sails are taken aback by the winds.--_All ahoo_, or _all-a-ugh_, confused; hanging over; crooked.--_All-a-taunt-o_, a s.h.i.+p fully rigged, with masts in and yards crossed.--_All hands_, the whole s.h.i.+p's company.--_All hands ahoy_, the boatswain's summons for the whole crew to repair on deck, in distinction from the watch.--_All hands make sail!_ the cheering order when about to chase a strange vessel.--_All hands to quarters!_ the call in armed merchantmen, answering to the _Beat to quarters_ in a man-of-war.--_All in the wind_, when a vessel's head is too close to the wind, so that all her sails are s.h.i.+vering.--_All over_, resemblance to a particular object, as a s.h.i.+p in bad kelter: "she's a privateer _all over_."--_All overish_, the state of feeling when a man is neither ill nor well, restless in bed and indifferent to meals. In the tropics this is considered as the premonitory symptom of disease, and a warning which should be looked to.--_All ready_, the answer from the tops when the sails are cast loose, and ready to be dropped.--_All standing_, fully equipped, or with clothes on. To be brought up _all standing_, is to be suddenly checked or stopped, without any preparation.--_Paid off all standing_, without unrigging or waiting to return stores; perhaps recommissioned the next day or hour.--_All's well_, the sentry's call at each bell struck (or half hour) between the periods of broad daylight, or from 8 P.M. to 4 A.M.--_All to pieces_, a phrase used for out-and-out, extremely, or excessively; as, "we beat her in sailing _all to pieces_."--_All weathers_, any time or season; continually.

ALLAN. A word from the Saxon, still used in the north to denote a piece of land nearly surrounded by a stream.