Cut and Run: The Fourth Book in the Fighting Sail Series (52 page)

John Company

Sl.
The Honourable East India Company (H.E.I.C.).

Jury mast/rig

Temporary measure used to restore a vessels sailing ability.

Kinchins

Sl.
Children.

Lading

The act of loading.

Landsman

The rating of one who has no experience at sea.

Lanyard

Short piece of line to be used as a handle. Also decorative tassel to a uniform.

Larboard

Left side of the ship when facing forward. (Later known as Port.)

Lascar

A sailor or militiaman from the Indian subcontinent or other countries east of the Cape of Good Hope. Employed on European ships from the 16
^th
century.
 

Leaguer

Water cask, holding 159 imperial gallons.

Leeward

The downwind side of a ship.

Leeway

The amount a vessel is pushed sideways by the wind, (as opposed to headway, the forward movement, when the wind is directly behind).

Letter of marque

A commission, formerly granted by a country or power, allowing privateers to make prizes of enemy shipping. Also
lettre de course.
 

Lifts

Lines that keep the yards horizontal, each lift leads from the mast, through a block at the yard arm, and back through another block at the head of the mast, and down to the deck, where it is secured.

Lighter

A large, open, flat-bottomed boat, with heavy bearings, employed to carry goods to or from ships.
 

Lily white

Sl.
A chimney sweep.

Lind

James Lind, (1716– 1794). Scottish physician and pioneer of naval hygiene in the Royal Navy.
 

Liner

Sl.
Ship of the line—Ship of the line of battle (later battleship).

Listed on the books

The sons, or protégés of senior officers were frequently entered on ships books while still too young to serve. This gave them additional sea time necessary for rapid promotion.

Lobscouse

A mixture of salted meat, biscuit, potatoes, onions and spices, minced small and stewed together.

Loblolly men/boys

Surgeon's assistants.

Lubberly/Lubber

Sl.
Unseamanlike behaviour; as a landsman.

Luff

Intentionally sail closer to the wind, perhaps to allow work aloft. Also the flapping of sails when brought too close to the wind. The side of a fore and aft sail laced to the mast.

Man Rope

A side rope to aid boarding.

Master-at-Arms

Senior hand, responsible for discipline aboard ship.

Midshipman

Junior, and aspiring, officer.

Mot

Sl.
Girl, or wench.

Nigit

Sl.
an idiot, a fool.
 

Ordinary

Term used to describe a ship laid up; left in storage, with principle shipkeepers aboard, but unfit for immediate use.

Ordinary seaman

One who can make himself useful on board, although not an expert, or skilful sailor.

Orlop

Deck directly above the hold, and below the lower gun deck. A lighter deck than the gun deck (no cannon to support) and usually level or below the waterline. Holds warrant officers mess, and midshipmen's berth, also carpenters and sail makers stores. Used as an emergency operating area in action.

Overhead

The underside of the deck above, also deckhead

Parbuckle

The rig, consisting of two looped lines, used to drag barrels etc. on board without using a davit.

Parbuckle rails

Rails, often near the entry port, that aid items entering the ship, see above.

Peach

Sl.
To betray or reveal; from impeach.

Pompey

Sl.
Portsmouth.

Poop

Aft most, and highest, deck of a larger ship.

Portable Soup

A dehydrated (and fat free) meat soup.

Pox

Sl.
Venereal Disease, Common on board ship; until 1795 a man suffering had to pay a 15/- fine to the surgeon, in consequence, many cases went unreported. Treatment was often mercurial, and ineffective.

Pugilist

One who fights with fists; usually a professional.

Pumpdale

Gully that crosses a deck, carrying water cleared by a pump.

Purser

Officer responsible for provisions and clothing.

Pusser

Sl.
Purser.

Quarterdeck

Deck forward of the poop, but at a lower level. The preserve of officers.

Queue

A pigtail. Often tied by a man's best friend (his tie mate).

Quid

The quantity of tobacco chewed at one time.

Quoin

Wedge for adjusting elevation of a gun barrel.

Rapper

Sl.
A particularly large lie.

Ratlines

Lighter lines, untarred, and tied horizontally across the shrouds at regular intervals, to act as rungs and allow men to climb aloft.

Reef

A portion of sail that can be taken in to reduce the size of the whole.

Rib

Sl.
Wife.

Rigging

Tophamper; made up of standing (static) and running (moveable) rigging, blocks
etc
.
Sl.
Clothes.

Rook

Sl.
Thief.

Round house

On a merchant this is the better class of accommodation, set where the senior officers cabins would be in a man of war. Also (and confusingly!) the enclosed (private) heads at the stem of a warship. Larboard side for midshipmen, warrant officers and mates, starboard for patients in the sick bay.

Rudder horn

An iron shackle bolted to the back of the rudder, for attaching auxiliary chains should the tiller fail.

Running

Sailing before the wind.

Saw-bones

Sl.
surgeon, or any medic.

Scarph / Scarphing

The process of joining wood to build keels, masts and other major items.

Sconce

Candle holder, often made of tin, usually large and flat for stability.

Scupper

Waterway that allows deck drainage.

Scuttle-butt

Bucket with holes for line or leather handles used for water for immediate consumption.
Sl.
gossip (the modern equivalent is chatting by the water cooler).

Seven bell men

That part of a watch who are sent to dine early, to cover the others while they eat.

Sheet

A line that controls the foot of a sail.

Shrouds

Lines supporting the masts athwart ship (from side to side) which run from the hounds (just below the top) to the channels on the side of the hull. Upper run from the top deadeyes to the crosstrees.

Skeel

A cylindrical wooden bucket. A large water-kid.

Skylarking

Sl.
Unofficial exercise aloft, often in the form of follow my leader, or other games.

Slatches

Large cat's-paws on the water, an indication of strong wind.

Slush

Sl.
Fat from boiled meat, sold by the cook to the men to spread on their biscuit. The money made was known as the slush fund.

Snow

Type of brig, with an extra trysail mast stepped behind the main.

Spick

Sl.
Spick and span. New, or at least, clean and tidy.

State / State Lottery

The English State Lottery ran from 1694 until 1826.

Stay sail

A quadrilateral or triangular sail with parallel lines, usually hung from under a stay.

Stern sheets

Part of a ship's boat between the stern and the first rowing thwart, used for passengers.

Stood/Stand

The movement of a ship towards or from an object.

Strake

A plank.

Studding sail

Light sail that extend to either side of main and top sails to increase speed in low winds. Made of the thinnest canvas (No 8).

Swab

Cloth, or (
Sl.
) an officer's epaulette.

Tack

To turn a ship, moving her bow through the wind. Also a leg of a journey. Also relates to the direction of the wind—if from starboard, a ship is on the starboard tack. Also the part of a fore and aft loose footed sail where the sheet is attached or a line leading forward on a square course to hold the lower part of the sail forward.

Taffrail

Rail around the stern of a vessel.

Thwart

(Properly athwarts). The seats or benches athwart a boat whereon the rowers sit to manage their oars.
 

Tie Mate

A seaman's best friend, one who ties his queue, and attends to his body should he die.

Tophamper

Literally any unnecessary weight either on a ship’s decks or about her tops and rigging, but often used loosely to refer to spars and rigging.

Touched

Sl.
Mad.

Tow

Sl.
Cotton waste.

Traverse board

A temporary log used for recording speed and headings during a watch.

Trick

Sl.
Period of work time; an hour, when served by a helmsman.

Trotter

Thomas Trotter, (1760-1832) surgeon to the fleet.
 

Veer

Wind change, clockwise.

Waist

Area of main deck between the quarterdeck and forecastle.

Warm

Sl.
When describing a person, rich.

Watch

Period of four (or in case of a dog watch, two) hour duty. Also describes the two or three divisions of a crew.