The Sailor's Word-Book Part 78

DOB. The animal inhabiting the razor-sh.e.l.l (_solen_), used as a bait by fishermen.

DOBBER. The float of a fis.h.i.+ng-line.

DOBBIN. A phrase on our southern coasts for sea-gravel mixed with sand.

DOCK. An artificial receptacle for s.h.i.+pping, in which they can discharge or take in cargo, and refit.--A _dry dock_ is a broad and deep trench, formed on the side of a harbour, or on the banks of a river, and commodiously fitted either to build s.h.i.+ps in or to receive them to be repaired or breamed. They have strong flood-gates, to prevent the flux of the tide from entering while the s.h.i.+p is under repair. There are likewise docks where a s.h.i.+p can only be cleaned during the recess of the tide, as she floats again on the return of the flood. Docks of the latter kind are not furnished with the usual flood-gates; but the term is also used for what is more appropriately called a _float_ (which see). Also, in polar parlance, an opening cut out of an ice-floe, into which a s.h.i.+p is warped for security.

DOCK-DUES. The charges made upon s.h.i.+pping for the use of docks.

DOCKERS. Inhabitants of the town which sprang up between the docks and the town of Plymouth. Dock solicited and obtained the royal license, in 1823, to be called Devonport--a very inappropriate name, Plymouth being wholly within the county of Devon, while Hamoaze is equally in Devon and Cornwall.

DOCK HERSELF, TO. When a s.h.i.+p is on the ooze, and swaddles a bed, she is said to dock herself.

DOCKING A s.h.i.+P. The act of drawing her into dock, and placing her properly on blocks, in order to give her the required repair, cleanse the bottom, and cover it anew. (_See_ BREAMING.)

DOCK UP, OR DUCK UP. To clue up a corner of a sail that hinders the helmsman from seeing.

DOCKYARD DUTY. The attendance of a lieutenant and party in the a.r.s.enal, for stowing, procuring stores, &c.

DOCKYARD MATIES. The artificers in a dockyard. In former times an established declaration of war between the mates and mids.h.i.+pmen _versus_ the maties was hotly kept up. Many deaths and injuries never disclosed were hushed up or patiently borne. It terminated about 1830.

DOCKYARDS. a.r.s.enals containing all sorts of naval stores and timber for s.h.i.+p-building. In England the royal dockyards are at Deptford, Woolwich, Chatham, Sheerness, Portsmouth, Devonport, Pembroke. Those in our colonies are at the Cape of Good Hope, Gibraltar, Malta, Bermuda, Halifax, Jamaica, Antigua, Trincomalee, and Hong Kong. There Her Majesty's s.h.i.+ps and vessels of war are generally moored during peace, and such as want repairing are taken into the docks, examined, and refitted for service. These yards are generally supplied from the north with hemp, pitch, tar, rosin, canvas, oak-plank, and several other species of stores. The largest masts are usually imported from New England. Until 1831 these yards were governed by a commissioner resident at the port, who superintended all the musters of the officers, artificers, and labourers employed in the dockyard and ordinary; he also controlled their payment, examined their accounts, contracted and drew bills on the Navy Office to supply the deficiency of stores, and, finally, regulated whatever belonged to the dockyard. In 1831 the commissioners of the Navy were abolished, and admirals and captains superintendent command the dockyards under the controller of the Navy and the Admiralty.

DOCTOR. A name which seamen apply to every medical officer. Also, a jocular name for the s.h.i.+p's cook.

DOCTOR'S LIST. The roll of those excused from duty by reason of illness.

DODD. A round-topped hill, generally an offshoot from a higher mountain.

DODECAGON. A regular polygon, having twelve sides and as many angles.

DODECATIMORIA. The anastrous signs, or twelve portions of the ecliptic which the signs anciently occupied, but have since deserted by the precession of the equinoxes.

DODGE. A homely but expressive phrase for shuffling conduct, or cunning of purpose. Also, to watch or follow a s.h.i.+p from place to place.

DODMAN. A sh.e.l.l-fish with a hod-like lump. A sea-snail, otherwise called _hodmandod_.

DOFF, TO. To put aside.

DO FOR, TO. A double-barrelled expression, meaning alike to take care of or provide for an individual, or to ruin or kill him.

DOG. The hammer of a fire-lock or pistol; that which holds the flint, called also _dog-head_. Also, a sort of iron hook or bar with a sharp fang at one end, so as to be easily driven into a piece of timber, and drag it along by means of a rope fastened to it, upon which a number of men can pull. _Dog_ is also an iron implement with a fang at each end, to be driven into two pieces of timber, to support and steady one of them while being dubbed, hewn, or sawn.--_Span-dogs._ Used to lift timber. A pair of dogs linked together, and being hooked at an extended angle, press home with greater strain.

DOG-b.i.t.c.h-THIMBLE. An excellent contrivance by which the topsail-sheet-block is prevented making the half cant or turn so frequently seen in the clue when the block is secured there.

DOG-BOLT. A cap square bolt.

DOG-DRAVE. A kind of sea-fish mentioned in early charters.

DOG-FISH. A name commonly applied to several small species of the shark family.

DOGG. A small silver coin of the West Indies, six of which make a bitt.

Also, in meteorology, _see_ STUBB.

DOGGED. A mode of attaching a rope to a spar or cable, in contradistinction to racking, by which slipping is prevented; half-hitched and end stopped back, is one mode.

DOGGER. A Dutch smack of about 150 tons, navigated in the German Ocean.

It is mostly equipped with a main and a mizen mast, and somewhat resembles a ketch or a galliot. It is princ.i.p.ally used for fis.h.i.+ng on the Dogger Bank.

DOGGER-FISH. Fish bought out of the Dutch doggers.

DOGGER-MEN. The seafaring fishermen belonging to doggers.

DOGS. The last supports knocked away at the launching of a s.h.i.+p.

DOG'S-BODY. Dried pease boiled in a cloth.

DOG-Sh.o.r.eS. Two long square blocks of timber, resting diagonally with their heads to the cleats. They are placed forward to support the bilge-ways on the ground-ways, thereby preventing the s.h.i.+p from starting off the slips while the keel-blocks are being taken out.

DOG-SLEEP. The uncomfortable fitful naps taken when all hands are kept up by stress.

DOG'S TAIL. A name for the constellation Ursa Minor or Little Bear.

DOG-STOPPER. Put on before all to enable the men to bit the cable, sometimes to fleet the messenger.

DOG-TONGUE. A name a.s.signed to a kind of sole.

DOG-VANE. A small vane made of thread, cork, and feathers, or buntin, fastened on the end of a half-pike, and placed on the weather gunwale, so as to be readily seen, and show the direction of the wind. The term is also familiarly applied to a c.o.c.kade.

DOG-WATCH. The half-watches of two hours each, from 4 to 6, and from 6 to 8, in the evening. By this arrangement an uneven number of watches is made--seven instead of six in the twenty-four hours; otherwise there would be a succession of the same watches at the same hours throughout the voyage or cruise. Theodore Hook explained them as _cur-tailed_.

(_See_ WATCH.)

DOIT. A small Dutch coin, valued at about half a farthing; formerly current on our eastern sh.o.r.es.

DOLDRUMS. Those parts of the sea where calms are known to prevail. They exist between and on the polar sides of the trade-winds, but vary their position many degrees of lat.i.tude in the course of the year, depending upon the sun's declination. Also applied to a person in low spirits.

DOLE. A stated allowance; but applied to a scanty share or portion.

DOLE-FISH. The share of fish that was given to our northern fishermen as part payment for their labour.

DOLING. A fis.h.i.+ng-boat with two masts, on the coasts of Suss.e.x and Kent; each of the masts carries a sprit-sail.

DO-LITTLE, OR DO-LITTLE SWORD. The old term for a dirk.

DOLLAR. For this universally known coin, see PIECE OF EIGHT.

DOLLOP. An old word for a lump, portion, or share. From the Gaelic _diolab_.

DOLPHIN. Naturalists understand by this word numerous species of small cetaceous animals of the genus _Delphinus_, found in nearly all seas.