C.
CABANE, a flat-bottomed passage-boat, with a deck, navigated on the river Loire.
CABANES, the cabins or apartments wherein the officers and sailors sleep or mess aboard a ship. See Teugue.
CABESTAN, the capstern or crab of a ship.
Virer au Cabestan, to heave the capstern round with bars.
CABILLOT, a toggel; also a wooden pin for belaying ropes.
CABLE, the cable; also a measure of 120 fathoms, called by the English seamen a cable’s length.
Cable à pic, the situation of the cable when the ship is close a-peek on her anchor.
Cable de touei, a stream-cable, or large hauser.
Cable tourné, or qui à un tour, or demi-tour, a foul hause, a cross or elbow in the hause.
Bitter le Cable, to bit the cable, or clap it on the bits. See Bitter.
Couper, or tailler le Cable, to cut the cable in the hause.
Donner le Cable à un vaisseau, to give a cable’s end to another ship; to take a ship in tow at sea.
Filer du Cable, to slack out or veer away the cable. See Filer.
Laisser trainer un Cable sur le sillage du vaisseau, to drag a cable in the ship’s wake in order to prevent her sailing swiftly, when she is chased by a vessel of inferior force, which is decoyed by this stratagem within reach of her cannon.
Lover un Cable, to coil a cable.
CABLEAU, the painter, or mooring-rope of a boat.
CABLER, to make large ropes or cables.
CABOTAGE, the art of a coasting-pilot; as the knowledge of the shore, the tides, ports, rivers, capes, soundings, &c. on any particular coast.
CABOTER, to coast, or sail along the shore between cape and cape.
CABOTIERE, a large flat-bottomed lighter, with a long rudder.
CABRE, sheers, a machine resembling the sheers of a ship, used to heave up pieces of timber on the wharf of a river.
CABRIONS, certain wedges fixed under the train of a gun-carriage, to secure the cannon when the sea is very high.
CADENE, a chain by which a galley-slave is confined to his oar.
CADENES de hauban, the chains of the shrouds, the chain-plates.
CADRE, a bed frame, resembling the frame of a cott, wherein the sea-officers sleep: these are usually bottomed with small cords by the French, and slung by the corners without a cott.
CAGE. See Hune.
CAGOUILLE, a sort of volute or ornament on the extremity of the prow of polacres, xebecs, tartans, &c.
CAIC, the yawl or skiff of a galley; also a small Polish vessel, navigated in the Black Sea.
CAIES, a ridge of rocks, or sand-banks; called in the West indies, keys.
CAILLEBOTIS, the gratings of the hatches.
CAJOLER, to ply to windward with the tide, to work by short tacks.
CAISSE de poulie. See Arcasse and Mouffle.
CAJUTES, the cabins which are ranged along the inside of a ship, to sleep in.
CALANGE, or Cale, a small harbour behind a hill, or rising ground, on the sea-coast.
CALCETS, the cheeks or hounds of the mast, which support the brazen blocks in a galley.
CALE, the hold of a ship; also a sloping or shelving on the sea-coast; likewise the lead of a fishing-line used to sink the bait.
Donner la Cale, to duck or plunge an offender from the yard-arm into the sea, by way of punishment.
Donner la grand Cale, to keel-haul; a punishment peculiar to the Dutch.
CALE-BAS, a down-haul, or down-haul tackle.
CALE-HAUBAN, a breast back-stay for the top-mast or top-gallant-mast.
CALER, to sink down in the water; also to founder at sea.
Caler les voiles. See Amener.
Caler also signifies to quoin or wedge up any thing.
CALE-TOUT, let go amain, or at once.
CALFAS, or rather Calfat, caulking.
CALFAT, or Calfateur, a caulker.
Calfat also signifies a caulking-iron. Calfat double, a making-iron.
CALFATER, to caulk a ship or boat.
CALFATIN, a caulker’s boy, who spins or twists his oakum.
CALIBRE, the bore of a cannon or other fire-arm, or the diameter of a cannon-ball.
Calibre de vaisseau, the model of a ship.
CALIORNE, a winding-tackle; a tackle formed by a rope passing through two three-fold blocks.
CALME, calm, a cessation of wind.
Calme tout plat, a dead calm, or a flat calm. Whence
CALMER, to become calm.
CAMBRER, to bend the planks or boards of a ship to their proper curve, by stoves, &c.
CAMPAGNE sur mer, a voyage, a cruise at sea for a season, or limited space of time.
CANAL, a canal, streight, or channel.
Canal de l’étrave, the concavity in the top of the stem, wherein the bowsprit rests.
Canal, or Creux autour d’un poulie, the hole in a block between the shell and the sheave, through which the rope passes.
CANDELETTE, or Bosse de bossoir, the cat tackle and hook. See Capion.
CANEFAS, or Canevas, canvas or sail-cloth. See Toile.
CANON, a cannon or piece of ordnance.
Canon à la serre, a gun housed athwart, with the top of its muzzle bearing against the upper edge of the port.
Canon alongé contre le bord, a gun housed lengthways, close to the ship’s side, abreast of its own port.
Canon aux sabords, a gun levelled to the point-blank range.
Canon de coursier, the bow-chase of a row-galley.
Canon demare, a cannon drawn in to be charged.
Canon détape, a cannon with its tompion taken out.
Canon moindre, a cannon whose calibre is not proportioned to the thickness of the metal.
Canon renforcé, a cannon whose breech is reinforced, i. e. thicker than the calibre, which is the usual dimension.
CANONNER, to cannonade, to fire a broadside.
CANONNIER de vaisseau, the gunner of a ship.
Second maître Canonnier, the gunner’s mate.
CANONNIERS, the quarter-gunners or artillery-men of a ship.
CANOT, a ship’s boat, cutter, or yawl.
Canot de bois, a canoe.
Canot jaloux, a crank boat.
CANOTS, Indian canoes of various kinds.
CANTANETTES, the light-ports in the stern of a galley.
CANTIBAI, a name given by shipwrights to timber which is full of cracks, &c.
CANTIMORON. See Catimoron.
CAP, the head or prow of a ship.
Porter le Cap sur l’ennemi, to bear towards the enemy.
Ou as-tu le Cap? how is the head? how does the ship wind?
Cap, a cape, head-land, or promontory.
Doubler le Cap, to double, or sail round, a cape.
Cap de more. See Chouquet.
Cap de mouton, the dead-eye of a shroud or stay.
Cap de mouton à croc, an iron-bound dead-eye, with a hook.
Cap de mouton de martinet, the dead-eye of a crow-foot. See Trelingage.
CAPACITÉ d’un vaisseau, the burthen of a ship.
CAPE, or Grand Pacfi, the mainsail.
Etre à la Cape, to lie-by under the main-sail, or some other of the courses.
CAPÉER, Capier, or Capeyer, aller à la cape, mettre le vaisseau à la cape, to lie under the mainsail when all the other sails are furled.
CAPELER les haubans, to fix the shrouds on the mast-head.
CAPION, the stern-post of a galley. See Rode.
Capion de proue, the stem of a galley.
Capion à capion, from stem to stern.
CAPITAINE d’un vaisseau de guerre, the captain of a ship of war.
Capitaine d’armes, a captain of marines.
Capitaine de frégate legére, de brulot, de galiote, a master and commander.
Capitaine du hautbord, the captain of a ship of the line.
Capitaine de ports, the commandant of a detachment of marines, appointed to guard a dock-yard, and the shipping in the harbour.
Capitaine des matelots, an officer resembling our captain of the fore-castle.
Capitaine en second, the second captain, or first lieutenant, of a ship of war.
Capitaine garde-côte, a captain of the militia appointed to guard the coasts.
CAPITANE, or Capitainesse, a name formerly given to the principal galley of France.
CAPLANIER, a cod-fisher, a vessel appointed to fish and cure cod; also the men employed in this service.
CAPON, the cat-tackle.
CAPONNE, the order to cat the anchor.
CAPONNER l’ancre, to cat or draw up the anchor to the cat-head.
CAPOSER, to bring a ship to, with her helm a-lee.
Faire CAPOT, to cant, over-set, or turn topsy-turvy.
CAPRE, a vessel of war, or armed ship.
CAQUE de poudre, a powder-cask; also a herring-barrel, whence
CAQUEURS, sailors appointed to cure and barrel the herring.
CARACORE, an Indian vessel, peculiar to the island of Borneo.
CARAMOUSSAL, or Caramoussail, a merchant-ship of Turky, constructed with a very high stern.
CARAQUE, a name given by the Portuguese to ships employed in the Brazil and the East Indian trade.
CARAVELLE, a small square-sterned Portuguese vessel, navigated with lateen sails; and esteemed very expeditious, and therefore used in business that requires dispatch.
CARCASSE, the carcase or ribs of a ship before the planks are laid on, or after they are ripped off.
CARENAGE, a careening wharf.
CARENE, the outside of a ship’s bottom. This word is sometimes used for the keel.
Carene entier, to heave down a ship keel-out.
Demie Carene, a parliament-heel, or boot-topping.
CARENER, donner la carene à un vaisseau, to careen or heave down a ship with careening tackles to a wharf or pontoon.
CARGADOR, the person who procures a freight or voyage for a merchant-ship.
CARGAISON, the cargo, or articles of a ship’s lading.
CARGUE à veu, a slab-line.
CARGUER, to clue up a sail, or haul it up in the brails.
Carguer l’artimon, to brail up the mizen.
Carguer le point de la voile qui est sous le vent, to haul up the lee-clue-garnet, or goose-wing of a sail.
CARGUES, a general name for the brails of a sail, comprehending the clue-lines, bunt-lines, leech-lines, &c.
Cargues d’artimon, the brails of the mizen.
Mettre les basses voiles sur les Cargues, to haul up the courses, or haul the courses up in the brails.
Mettre les huniers sur les Cargues, to clue up the top-sails.
Cargues bouline, the leech-lines.
Cargues de fond, the bunt-lines.
Cargues de hune. See Retraite de hune.
Cargues dessous le vent, the lee-brails, &c.
Cargues du vent, the brails to windward, or weather-brails.
Cargues point, the clue-garnets, or clue-lines.
CARGUEUR, the top-block of a top-gallant-mast.
CARLINGUE, contre-quille, the kelson.
Carlingue de cabestan, the step of the capstern.
Carlingue de pied de mât, the step of the mast, with its block.
CARNAU, the lateen fore-sail of a settee or polacre.
CARREAU. See Lisse de platbord.
CARTAHU, girt-line, or gurt-line.
CARTE marine, a chart or map of the sea, representing its banks, rocks, shoals, bays, havens, &c.
Carte plate, or au point commun, the plain chart.
CARTON, a book containing a collection of charts in folio.
CARTOUCHE, a cartridge to contain a charge of powder for a cannon or other fire-arm.
CATARACTES, water-falls.
CATIMARON, a catamaran, or Indian raft.
CATURS, armed vessels of Bantam.
CAYES, keys, or chains of rocks, nearly even with the surface of the sea.
CEDRE, bois de Cedre, cedar-wood, which is excellent for ship-building.
CEINTES, a name formerly given to the wales. See Perceintes and Lisses.
CENTRE de pesanteur, the center of gravity.
CERCLE d’étambraie, or de cabestan, an iron hoop that lines the hole of the deck, within which the capstern turns upon its spindle.
CERCLES de boute-hors, the studding-sail boom-irons.
Cercles de hune, the top-rails, which formerly surrounded the tops, when circular.
Cercles de pompe, the iron hoops fixed on the top of the pump, to strengthen it.
CHABLEAU, a tow-line, a large warp.
CHABLEUR, a water-officer, who has the care of the wherries.
CHAINES de chaudiere, the chains of the copper, or kettle, which boils victuals in the cobose, for the ship’s crew.
Chaînes de port, the boom or chain of a harbour. See Barre.
Chaînes de vergues, the top-chains.
CHALAND, or Bac, a sort of lighter used on the Loire.
CHALINGUE, a light high-built Indian vessel, formed without nails.
CHANDELIER de fanal, the iron brace, or crank, with its stool, which supports the poop-lanthorn.
Chandelier de pierrier, the iron crutch of a swivel gun; also the wooden stock, hooped with iron, in whose socket it rests, and is turned.
CHANDELIERS de chaloupe, the crutches of a boat, which sustain the main-boom, or the mast and sail, when they are lowered, for the conveniency of rowing.
Chandeliers d’écbelle, the stancheons which support the entering ropes at the gangway.
Chandeliers de lisses, the iron crutches, or double stanchions, of the quarters, &c. fixed in a vessel of war, to extend the double nettings. See Filaret.
Chandeliers, de petite batiments, the crutches on the stern or quarter of a boom-sail vessel. See Chandeliers de chaloupe.
CHANGER, in a naval sense, generally implies to tack, shift, or relieve.
Changer de bord, to tack or veer. See Virer de bord.
Changer l’artimon, to shift over the mizen to the other side.
Changer le quart, to change or relieve the watch.
Changer les voiles, to shift the sails, to brace about, to jibe.
Changer les voiles d’avant, & les mettre sur le mât, to brace the head-sails to the wind, to lay the head-sails to the mast.
CHANTIER, the stocks upon which a ship is laid down to be built.
Chantier, or Attelier, also signifies a shipwright’s yard or wharf.
CHANVRE, hemp employed to make the sails and cordage of a ship.
CHAPE, the inner box of a sea-compass.
CHAPEAU de maître, a gratuity or due, required by the master of a ship for each ton of goods which his vessel carries.
CHAPELLE, the chapelling of a ship, or suffering her to be taken aback, so that she cannot recover her course till she has gone quite round. This seldom happens, unless when the vessel is close-hauled in light winds, and is usually occasioned by the negligence of the steersman.
Faire, or prendre Chapelle, to build a chapel at sea, or chapel a ship.
CHARGE, the cargo, burthen, or lading of a ship. This is also called chargement.
Etre Chargé â la côte, to be upon, or near a lee-shore.
CHARGEOIR, or lanterne à charger, a gunner’s ladle.
CHARGER, to load a ship, or take in her cargo.
Charger en grenier, to load a ship in bulk.
Charger la pompe, to fetch the pump.
CHARGEUR-MARCHAND, or Marchand-chargeur, the merchant who loads a ship, or freights her to convey a cargo to some distant place.
CHARNIER, a scuttled cask, to contain water for the ship’s crew to drink on the deck.
CHAROI. See Charroi.
CHARPENTIER de navire, a shipwright; also the carpenter of a ship.
CHARTE-PARTIE, a charter-party, or compact made between the owner of a ship and the merchant, or contractor, who hires her for a limited time; also a convention made by a company of merchants who trade together.
CHASSE, a chase at sea, or flight of one vessel from another who pursues her.
Prendre Chasse, to stand away from, to fly from.
Donner Chasse, or Chasser, to give chase, to pursue.
Soutenir Chasse, to make a running fight, to fight in retreat.
Chasse de proue, the head-chase, or bow-chase. See Piece de chasse.
CHASSER sur son ancre, to drag the anchor, to bring the anchor home.
CHAT, a cat; a ship so called.
CHATEAU, a general name for the fore-castle and quarter-deck of a deep-waisted vessel.
Chateau d’arriere, or de pouppe, the quarter-deck and poop.
Chateau d’avant, or de proue, the forecastle.
CHATTE, a small two-masted vessel, formed like a cat or Norwegian pink.
CHAUDERON de pompe, a plate of lead or copper, perforated with holes, to cover the bottom of a pump.
CHAUDIERE, the great copper, or kettle, in which the provisions for the sailors are boiled.
Chaudiere à brai, or à goudron, a pitch-kettle.
CHAUFFAGE, breaming-fuel, furze, or faggots, to burn the dirt from off a ship’s bottom at the time of breaming.
CHAUFFER, to bream a ship, or burn the filth from off her bottom.
Chauffer les soutes, to dry or season the bread-room, in order the better to preserve the biscuit during a sea-voyage.
Chauffer un bordage, to bend a plank, or make it pliant by heating it.
CHAVIRER, or Trevirer, to over-set, capsize, or turn any thing topsy turvy.
CHAUSSE, a present of money, or wine, given by the merchant to the master of a trading vessel, partly for himself, and partly to be distributed amongst the ship’s crew on a proper occasion.
CHEBEC, or Chabek, a xebeck.
CHEF, the stem or head of a boat.
Chef is also a junk, or end of a cable, used as an headfast to a ship, when she is ready to be launched, and which is to retain her after she floats, till her anchor is carried out, or let fall from the bow.
Chef d’eau, high-water. See Haute marée.
Chef d’escadre, a commodore.
CHEMIN, a range of skeeds laid by seamen, to roll full casks upon, either on shore or aboard.
Chemin du halage, a path on the side of a river, or canal, for horses to track boats and vessels along the stream.
CHEMISE à feu, or Soufrée, a tarpawling, or a piece of old canvas, dipped in a composition of oil, petrol, camphire, and other combustible materials, and nailed to the planks of an enemy’s ship, when it is intended to set her on fire.
CHENALER, to find out a channel by the help of buoys, or of sounding, where the water is shallow.
CHENETS, a sort of iron claws used to bend the planks of a ship by fire.
CHERSONESE, a peninsula.
CHEVALET, a roller for passing the cables from one place to another.
CHEVAUCHER, to ride, or be fayed upon; a term in ship-building.
CHEVET de traversin de bittes, the lining or doubling of the bitts, which is employed to prevent the cable from galling them when the ships ride with a great strain.
CHEVILLE, an iron bolt, of which there are several sorts used in the construction of a ship: as,
Cheville à boucle, a ring-bolt.
Cheville à boucles & à goupilles, a ring which is fastened with a forelock.
Cheville à croc, a hook-bolt for the gun ports.
Cheville à goupilles, a forelock-bolt, or bolt fitted to receive a forelock.
Cheville à grille & à boucles. See Goujon.
Cheville æilettes d’affut, the eye-bolts of the gun-carriages.
Cheville à tête de diamant, or à tête ronde, a round-headed bolt.
Cheville à tête perdue, a bolt whose head is sunk into the timber wherein it is driven.
Cheville d’offut, a gun-carriage bolt.
Cheville de fer à charger le canon, langrage-shot.
Cheville de pompe, the short pump-bolt, or bolt to connect the brake with the spear.
Cheville de potence de pompe, a long pump-bolt, or bolt which fastens the brake to the cheeks or ears of the pump.
CHEVILLER, to bolt a ship, or drive the bolts which fasten one part to another.
CHEVILLOTS, belaying-pins, fixed in the rails fore and aft.
CHEVRE, a gin, or triangle with pullies.
CHICAMBAUT, or Chicabaut, a bumkin. See Boute-lof.
CHICANER le vent, to ply or beat to windward. See Louvier.
CHIORME, or rather Chiourme, the troop or crew of slaves belonging to one row-galley, together with the volunteers who row at the oars.
CHIRURGIEN major, the surgeon of a ship.
CHOPINE, or Chopinette de pompe, the lower pump-box.
CHOQUER la tournevire, to surge the capstern; to lift up the rope passing round the body of the capstern, that it may not ride while the capstern turns.
CHOSES de la mer, or du flot, wreck, or whatever is found floating at sea, or within certain limits of the sea-coast.
CHOUQUET, a cap of the mast-head.
CHUTE de voiles, the depth of the sails.
CIEL embrumé, a cloudy, heavy, or dark sky.
Ciel fin, fine weather, a clear sky.
CINGLAGE, or Singlage, the run of a ship for twenty-four hours, or the course and distance she has made between noon and noon.
Cinglage also imports the pay or wages of mariners.
CINGLER, or Singler, to sail with a favourable wind on a particular course.
CINQUENELLE, or Cincenelle, a general name for the tackling of the great guns, by which they are fastened to the ship’s sides, &c.
CINTRAGE, or Ceintrage, a name given to any kind of lashing, or frapping, which surrounds the object it is intended to secure.
CINTRER, or Ceintrer un vaisseau quand il largue, to frap a ship.
CIVADIERE, the sprit-sail.
CLAIRON, a clear spot in a cloudy sky.
CLAMP, a sheave, or small wheel, placed in a mortise, as in the foot of a top mast, to pass a rope through.
CLAN, a mortise or hole cut in a plank, mast, &c. lengthwise, to admit a sheave.
Clan, or Clamp de beaupré. See Coussin.
Clan, a sort of breast-hook in a large lighter.
CLAPET de pompe, the clapper of a pump-box.
CLAPETS, leathern flaps nailed on the outside of the scuppers, instead of scupperhoses.
CLASSE, a division of pilots, gunners, seamen, &c. engaged to serve in any naval armament for a limited time, after which they are relieved by another division sent from the shore.
CLAVETTE, or Goupille, a forelock.
CLEF. See Chef.
Clef de beaupré, or Barrot de coltis, the collar-beam, which is raised a little above the second deck, to fortify the bowsprit.
Clef de pierrier, the forelock of a pedrero or swivel-gun.
Clef de pompe, a sort of wooden pump-bolt, to confine the brake within the cheeks or ears of the pump. See Cheville de potence.
Clef des étains, or contre-port, a triangular cheek of timber, formerly used to connect the fashion-pieces with the stern-post.
Clef de ton du mât, or Clef de mât de hune, the iron or wooden fid of a top-mast.
CLEFS des guindas, the cheeks of the windlas.
CLERC du guet, the clerk who assembles and musters the militia appointed to guard the sea-coast.
CLERCS de la secretaire, or du gresse de l’amirauté, the messengers of the admiralty.
CLINCAR, a sort of flat-bottomed clinker-built pram, or lighter, of Sweden and Denmark.
CLOCHE de plongeurs, a diving-bell.
CLOISSON, a range of stanchions to support the bulk-heads, or partitions, which separate one cabin from another.
CLOPOTEUSE, turbulent or agitated; an epithet given to the sea when it runs high.
CLOU, an iron spike, or nail, of any size.
CLOUS à river, a rivet, or riveting-nail to be clenched at both ends.
Clous des sabords, doubling-nails, to line the gun ports.
CO-BOURGEOIS, a co-partner in, or part-owner of, a ship.
COCHES d’assut de bord, the notches or steps of a sea-carriage.
COEFFÉ, aback. Un vaisseau Coeffé, a ship laid aback.
COEFFER, to back a sail, to lay aback, or to the mast.
COFFRE à feu, a powder-chest, fixed on the deck or side of a ship, to-be discharged upon a boarding enemy.
Coffre à gargousses, a cartridge-chest, which contains the filled cartridges in a ship’s magazine.
Coffre de bord, a sea-chest, a sailor’s chest.
COINS d’arrimage, the quoins or coins used in the stowage of a ship’s hold, &c.
Coins de chantier, the wedges driven between the blocks and the keel, when a ship is building.
Coins de mât, the wedges of a mast, by which it is confined in the partners, or in the cap.
COITES, the ways, or cradles, upon which a ship gradually descends, when she is launched into the water.
Coites de guindas, the cheeks or bits of the windlas. See Clef de guindas.
COLLET d’étai, the eye of a stay placed over a mast-head.
COLLIER d’étai, the collar or lower part of a stay.
Collier du ton, or du chouquet, the iron clamp of a French cap. As the caps of English vessels are formed wholly of wood, this clamp is not in use amongst our shipping.
COLLIERS de défense, the puddening of a boat’s stem.
COLOMBIERS, two shoars employed to launch a ship into the water.
COLONNE, a line of ships, a line of battle.
COLTIS, the breast or front of a ship’s fore-castle, comprehended between the two cat-heads athwart, and descending from the top of the fore-castle to the platform of the head.
COMBAT naval, a general or particular sea-fight.
COMBUGER les sutailles, to fill the water-casks of a ship with fresh water.
COMITE, an under-officer of a galley, who commands the slaves.
COMMANDANT, a commodore. See Chef d’escadre.
COMMANDE, holloa! the answer given by the sailors to the master, boatswain, or other officer, when he calls to them by the name of the place where they are; as, “Fore-castle, there! main-top, there! main-top, hoay!” &c.
COMMANDEMENT, the order or command to do any thing relative to the working of a ship.
COMMANDER à la route, to order or direct the course of a ship.
COMMANDES, knittles or seizings.
COMMANDEUR, the master or commander of a ship.
COMMIS, the supercargo of a merchant-vessel.
Commis des bureaux des douanes, the surveyors of the customs who visit shipping.
Commis du munitionnaire, or Commis à la distribution des vivres, a clerk or steward to the commissary or purser of a ship of war.
Commis général des convois & congés, an overseer or inspector of the customs with regard to shipping.
COMMISSAIRE de la marine imports in general a civil officer, or commissioner of the marine, of which there are several: as,
Commissaire général à la suite des armées navales, an officer who receives the orders and instructions of the intendant of a fleet of men of war, and performs his duty when he is absent. See Intendant des armées navales.
Commissaire général de la marine, the principal officer under the intendant de marine, in his department. It is his duty, 1. To execute the orders of the admiral, or commissioners of the admiralty, with regard to the number of ships which are ordered to be taken into the service of the state; to provide for their being equipped, manned, and victualled, for the expedition to which they are destined; to press the masters and mates who refuse to serve, and to break, or disband and return, those who will not do their duty. 2. To measure the ships which attend a fleet; to give them orders, either to sail with the fleet, or to join it according to the regulations which have been made; to keep account of those who have been discharged from duty, and send them back in due time to the appointed place. 3. To attend the affairs of the dock-yards and harbours, and controul the clerks, artificers, and ordinary-men; to administer the oath of allegiance to them; to review the shipping, and take an inventory of the prizes. 4. To take care that the oldest and best seasoned timber is first used; and that the bolts, nails, and other iron-works, have their due proportions, and conform to their dimensions. 5. To examine, once every fortnight, the muster-roll of the artificers, signed by the clerks. 6. To observe that the master-shipwrights do in nowise depart from the draught which has been established by the council of construction, of which he is always possessed of a copy. 7. To inspect whatever concerns the port, and to take care that the ordonnances relative thereto are faithfully executed; and to see that the ships are properly situated, and each one moored in the birth assigned.
It is also the office of the commissaire général to keep a list of the sea-officers and sailors, able and ordinary; and to minute the ships in which they have served, and upon what footing they have been paid. With respect to the youths, officers servants, and other boys, their names, privileges, and time of service, are enrolled in a particular list; and each of them is furnished with a certificate, representing these articles.
The commissaire général is not, however, always charged with these several employments himself. There are under his department, in different places, or according to the times, other commissaries, who share such services with him: as, Commissaire ordinaires de la marine; Commissaires ayant inspection sur les vivres d’un port, an agent victualler; Commissaire préposé pour l’enrôlement des matelots, clerk of the cheque; Commissaire pour les constructions des vaisseaux; and Commissaire des ports, master-attendant.
Commissaire général de la marine ambulant, an officer whose duty resembles that of the former, but who has no particular residence, being intended to visit any one port or harbour occasionally.
Commissaire de l’artillerie de la marine, an officer who, under the orders of the intendant, has the charge of the foundery, the proof of cannon and mortars, and of all other arms, gunpowder, ammunition, instruments, and implements of war. He has also the command of the gunners, matrosses, and bombardiers, maintained in a royal port, who are divided into squads, commanded by lieutenants de marine, or lieutenants of bomb-ketches. There are two of these Commissaires généraux, one for the western ports of France, and the other for Provence, or the eastern ports.
Commissaire ordinaire de la marine, an officer whose duty it is to superintend the ordinary, the several clerks in a dock-yard, the store-keepers accounts in a port, and the out-fits and return of stores of a fleet.
Commissaire ordînaire de l’artillerie de la marine, an officer who performs the duty of the Commissaire général de l’artillerie de la marine, when he is absent. He keeps the keys of the naval magazine and artillery store rooms jointly with the garde-magazin. He has also a key of the arsenal, wherein the fire-arms are disposed according to their length and calibre; and he keeps a register of all the artillery within the warren where he resides. This register contains principally the matter and fabric of such artillery.
COMMISSION, an order given by the king to an admiral, vice-admiral, or other superior officer, to cruise against, and seize, the enemy’s ships, &c.
COMPAGNE, the cabin of the steward of a row-galley.
COMPAGNIE de navires, or Conserve, a convoy or fleet of vessels.
COMPAGNONS, a general name for sailors, mariners, or whoever forms a part of a ship’s crew.
COMPAS azimutal, an azimuth-compass.
Compas, de carte, or Compas marin, a pair of compasses, or dividers, used to prick a chart, or discover courses and distances thereon.
Compas de route, or de mer, a common sea-compass.
Compas de variation, an amplitude-compass.
Compas mort, a compass whose needle has lost its magnetical virtue.
Compas renversé, a swinging compass whose face is downwards; it is usually hung over-head in the great cabin, to shew the ship’s course to the captain.
COMPASSER. See Pointer la carte.
COMPOST, a tide-duty, or revenue; arising from shipping.
CONFLUENT, the place where two rivers are united.
CONGÉ, a pass, or permission, granted to the master of a merchant-ship, by the office of admiralty, when he is ready to sail.
CONNOISSANCE, the skill and intelligence of a pilot; also a prospect of the land and sea-coasts.
CONNOISSEMENT, a ship´s bill of lading, or the manifest of her cargo.
CONSEIL de construction, a council held in any of the king’s ports, consisting of the intendant (or commissioner), le commissaire général, and the principal officers, for the construction or repairing of ships of war. These last are usually styled the builders, and sometimes les charpentiers-constructeurs, the shipwrights.
Conseil de guerre, a council of war.
Conseil de l’amirauté a jurisdiction exercised under the name and authority of the lord-admiral, who has certain claims called the dues of the admiralty. The officers of the admiralty have their patents from the king, but they are nominated by the lord-admiral. The admiralty of France consists of a lieutenant-general, who is president, a lieutenant particulier, three counsellors, an advocate, and a royal proctor; of a register in chief, and two serjeants or bailiffs.
Conseil de marine, a secret council held by the king and his ministers, to which he usually summons the princes and the chief officers of his fleet, to deliberate with them about the affairs of naval war.
CONSERVE, a fleet or convoy of ships, associated for their mutual defence and safety. See Compagnie.
CONSOLE, a bracket, or part where two pieces of timber are united by a bracket.
CONSOMMATION, the consumption of a ship during a sea-voyage, comprehending whatever has been expended, as cordage, canvas, ammunition, &c.
CONSTRUCTION des vaisseaux, the art of ship-building, or the practical part of naval architecture.
CONSUL, a consul established in foreign parts, for the protection of the commerce of his country.
CONTINENT, a continent, or vast tract of land.
CONTRAT à la grosse. See Bomerie.
CONTRE-AMIRAL, the rear-admiral of France.
Contre-bande, prohibited goods.
Contre-bittes, the standards which support the cable-bits.
Contre-brasser, to brace about the yards.
Contre-capion de pouppe, the upper part of the salse=post of a row-galley, which is a crooked piece of timber placed on the fore-side of the stern-post to support it. See Contre-rode de pouppe.
Contre-capion de proue, the upper part of the stemson of a galley. See Contre-rode de proue.
Contre-carene, the kelson of a galley. See Carlingue.
Contre-étambot, the knee of the stern-post, by which it is attached to the keel.
Contre-étambot, or Faux-étambot, is also the false stern-post.
Contre-étrave, the apron; a piece of timber which supports the scarf of the stem.
Contre-maitre, the boatswain of a ship.
Contre-marche, the general tacking of a division of ships, arranged on the same line, so as to preserve the line in its former disposition on the other tack.
Contre-marée, a spring-tide.
Contre-quille, the dead-wood placed on the keel fore and aft. See Fausse-quille.
Contre-rode de pouppe, the lower part of the false-post, or counter-stern-post of a row-galley. See Contre-capion de pouppe.
Contre-rode de proue, the lower part of the stemson of a galley. See Contre-capion de proue.
Contre-sabords. See Mantelets.
Contre-salut, the return of a salute at Sea.
CONTROLEUR de la marine, an officer of the marine, who attends and controuls all the purchases and sales held in a royal dock-yard, assists at the general musters, reviews the artificers, and keeps a register of their names.
CONVERSO, the waist, or main-deck, of a ship.
CONVOI, the convoy or escort of ships of war, used to guard a fleet of merchantmen.
CONVOYER, to convoy or accompany a fleet of merchant-men as their escort.
COQ, the cook of a ship.
COQUE, a kink, or round twist, in a new rope.
COQUERON, the cook-room, fore-castle, or cuddy, of a lighter or hoy.
COQUET, a cock-boat, a sort of small boat which passes between Normandy and Paris.
COQUETER, to navigate or manage a boat by paddling, or rowing in the boat’s stern with a paddle.
CORADOUX. See Couradoux.
CORALINE, a light small long-boat, or lanch, employed in the Levant, to fish coral.
CORBEAU, a sort of sheer-hook or fire-grappling.
CORBEILLON, or Corbillon, a small kid, or tub, to contain the biscuit or sea-bread daily distributed to the several messes.
CORDAGE, cordage, a general name for all the ropes employed to rig or work a ship: the cables, or ground-tackling, are sometimes comprehended in this term. See Cable, Manoeuvres.
Cordage blanc, white, or untarred cordage.
Cordage étuvé, cordage which has passed through a stove, to discharge its moisture or watery humour.
Cordage goudronné, tarred cordage.
Cordage raque, or raqué, cordage which has been well rubbed, in order to take off the hulks, straw, or roughness of the hemp from the surface.
Cordage refait, twice-laid cordage.
CORDAGES de rechange, spare-ropes, spare-cordage.
CORDE, a rope of any kind.
Corde de retenue, a guy, used to steady a heavy bale, cask, &c. when hoisted into a ship.
Corde de retenue is also pendant of a relieving tackle, employed to prevent a ship from over-setting, or falling down more than is necessary in the careen; and to right her, or pull her upright, when the careen is finished. See Attrape.
Corde de retenue likewise implies a stern-fast, or large rope used to ease a ship gradually off the stocks, or to prevent her from launching too quick. This is meant of vessels launched head foremost, a method never practised in England.
CORDES de défense, fenders of junk or old cable.
CORDELLE, a warp or tow-line.
CORDERIE, a ropery or rope-walk, the rope-yard of a dock.
CORDIER, a rope-maker, or roper.
CORDON, a strand of rope-yarns. See Toron.
CORNE de vergue, the crutch or cheeks at the inner end of a gaff, or boom which embraces and slides along the mast of a small vessel, as the sail is hoisted or lowered.
CORNET de mât, a step and partners peculiar to the masts of some small vessels, being open at the after-part, so that the mast may occasionally be lowered over the stern. See Carlingue.
CORNETTE, a broad pendant, displayed at the mast-head of a commodore.
CORPS de bataille, the center division of a fleet of ships of war.
Corps de garde d’un vaisseau, the half-deck; that part of a ship which is under the quarter-deck and before the bulk-head of the steerage.
Corps de pompe, the chamber of a pump.
Corps d’un vaisseau, the hull of a ship, without her rigging.
CORRECTIONS, the methods of correcting the errors of a dead reckoning, by observations and allowances, as prescribed by the rules of navigation.
CORSAIRE, a privateer, also a pirate.
CORVETTE, a sloop of war.
COSSE, a thimble; also a bull’s eye, or traveller. See Margouillet.
COTE, the sea-coast, the shore.
Côte en écore, a bluff or bold shore.
Côte qui court nord-sud ou est-ouest, a coast which lies north and south, or east and west.
Côte saine, a safe coast, where there is neither rocks or sand-banks, that may render the access dangerous to shipping.
Donner à la Côte, ranger la Côte. See Donner and Ranger.
Côté du vaisseau, the side of a ship.
Presenter le Côté, mettre le Côté, du vaisseau en travers, to bring the broad-side to bear upon. See Effacer.
Mettre un vaisseau sur le Côté, to lay a ship on the careen. See Abattre.
Faux-Côté, lap-sided.
Côté du vent, the weather-side, to windward.
Côté sous le vent, to leeward, the lee-side.
COTES, or Membres, d’un vaisseau, the timbers, or ribs of a ship, from the keel, upwards.
COTIER, a coaster, or coasting vessel.
COTONNINE, a species of thick sail-cloth, used in galleys and vessels of the Levant: it is formed by a mixture of hemp and cotton, the woof being of the former, and the warp of the latter.
COTONS, fishes of the mast. See Jumelle.
COTTIMO, a duty or exaction of so much per cent. which the consuls, by order of their courts, or by the consent of merchants, demand of the shipping of their nation, when they enter a port where such consuls are established.
COUBAIS, a barge or galley of Japan, greatly ornamented, and rowed with forty oars.
COUCHE, the pillow of a stay, or the piece of wood upon which it rests.
COUDRAN, a mixture of tar and some other ingredients, used to prevent ropes from rotting. See Goudron.
COUETS, the tacks of the main-sail and fore-sail. See Amurer.
Couets à queue de rat, tacks which taper to the point.
COUILLARD, an old term signifying the clue of a sail.
COULADOUX, shroud-tackles, which are used in the galleys, and some other vessels of the Mediterranean, in the place of dead-eyes and laniards.
COULANTES, or Courantes, the running rigging. See Manoeuvres courantes.
COULÉE, that part of a ship’s bottom which lies between the floor-heads and the keel, which is somewhat concave on the outside.
COULER à fond, to sink at sea. See also Sancer.
Couler bas d’eau, to sink deeper in the water; expressed of a ship when her leaks gain upon the pump, or when she receives more water than the pumps can discharge.
COULOIRS, certain gangways fixed on the sides of undecked vessels; also the grating-gangways on the sides of such vessels as have their decks arched very high in the middle, as xebecks, &c.
Couloirs likewise imports the passages that lead to the several cabins or store-rooms of a ship.
COUP d’assurance, a gun fired by a ship on her entrance into a port, when she displays her colours, as a sign of peace. See Assurance.
Coup de gouvernail, the whole force of the helm.
Coup de mer, the shock of a wave of the sea, striking a ship violently, and rushing over her deck.
Coup de partance, a farewel-gun, a gun fired as signal for sailing.
Coup de vent, a sudden squall or gust of wind.
COUPS de canon à l’eau, shot received under water, or between wind and water.
Coups de canon en bois, shot received in the upper works of a ship.
COUPER la lame, to cut the sea, to divide the waves.
Couper le cable, ou le mâts, to cut the cable, or cut away the masts.
Couper, l’ennemi, to thwart or cross the enemy’s course, in giving chase to him.
COUPLE de haubans, a pair of shrouds.
Couple du lof, or du balancement, the loof-frame or loof-timbers.
COUPLES, the timbers of a ship, or the frames. See Gabari.
COURADOUX, between decks, the space between any two decks of a ship; also the place where the soldiers sleep in a galley. See Entre-pont.
COURANT, a current or stream at sea.
COURBATONS, small knees used, in the upper part of a ship, for the same purposes as the courbes are, in the lower parts.
Couratons de l’éperon. See Herpes de poulains and Montans.
COURBE capucine, the standard which fastens the cut-water to the stem.
COURBES, a general name for the larger knees of a ship.
Courbes d’arcasse, the transom-knees, or sleepers.
Courbes de bittes, the knees of the cable-bits. See Contre-bittes.
Courbes d’écubier, the cheeks of the head. See Jottereaux.
Courbes d’équerre, or à fausse équerre, knees which are right-angular, and knees which are within, or without a square.
COURCIVE, or Courcite, a half-deck, formed in a vessel which is not wholly decked.
COUREAU, a small yawl of the Garonne.
COURÉE, Couroi, or Couret, a composition, or stuff, used to pay a ship’s bottom at the time of docking or breaming.
COURIR, imports in general, to sail, to run at sea, to stand onward.
Courir à l’autre bord, to stand upon the other tack.
Courir au large, to stand off. See Tirer à la mer.
Courir au plus près, to run close upon a wind.
Courir en latitude, to run down latitude.
Courir en longitude, to run down longitude.
Courir la bouline, to run the gauntlope.
Courir la mer, to infest or scour the sea; to cruise up and down therein.
Courir le bon bord, to make a lucky cruise; a cant phrase peculiar to cruisers or pirates, and alluding to the capture or plunder of merchant-ships.
Courir même bord, to stand upon the same tack as some other ship in sight.
Courir nord, sud, &c. to stand to the northward, southward, &c.
Courir sur la terre, to stand in shore, or on shore.
Courir sur un vaisseau, to chase or pursue a ship.
Courir sur son ancre, to run over, or foul of, the anchor.
Courir terre à terre. See Ranger la côte.
Courir une bordée, or bord sur bord. See Louvier.
COURONNEMENT, the after-part of a ship’s taffarel, which is usually ornamented with sculpture.
COURROI. See Courée.
COURS, or Course, a cruise at sea. Hence faire Cours, to go upon a cruise.
Cours du vaisseau, the course or run of a ship; also the wake, or track marked on the surface of the water behind her.
COURSIER, a bow-chase, or great brass cannon in the head of a row-galley.
Coursier, or Coursie, a fore-and-aft passage between the banks of a row-galley, where the comite, or boatswain walks, to see that the slaves manage their oars and row with application.
COURSSIERE, a spar-deck, or grating-deck, reaching from the quarter-deck to the fore-castle.
COURTAGE, a tax or duty levied on all merchandises which pass by sea from one port to another.
COURVETTE. See Corvette.
COUSSIN de beaupré, the pillow of the bowsprit.
Coussin de bittes, the fir lining or doubling of the bits. See Chevet.
Coussin de canon, the bed of a cannon which supports the breech.
COUSSINS, the mats of the top-rims, used to prevent the top-sails from being fretted by striking the edges of the tops.
Coussins d’amures, the mats nailed by the chess-tree, to prevent the clue of the main-sail from being galled when the tack is aboard.
COUSTIERES, the shrouds of a galley, which are usually formed of runners and tackles. See Couladoux.
COUT d’assurance. See Prime assurance.
COUTELAS. See Bonnettes en étui.
COUTURE, a seam between the planks of the deck or side of a ship.
Couture de ceuille de voiles, the seam of a sail.
Couture ouverte, an open seam, or one from which the oakum has been expelled by the straining of the ship, &c.
COUVERTE, the deck of a ship, in the dialect of Provence.
Couverte de l’iscosele de proue, the fore castle, or fore-deck, of a galley, together with the space beneath it, where the cannon are planted.
COUVERTURES de fanaux, a sort of tubs to cover the top and poop-lanthorns, to preserve them when they are not in use.
CRAIE, a small Swedish ship, without top-masts or top-sails.
CRAMPE, a cramp-iron, or hook of a block.
CRAQUER, to crack or strain; expressed of a ship that labours greatly in a turbulent sea.
CRAVAN, a barnicle, or small shell-fish, of a disagreeable taste, which fastens to a ship’s bottom in a long voyage.
CREUX, the depth of the hold from the lower-deck beams to the floor.
Creux d’une voile, the belly or cavity of a sail, which retains the wind.
CRIBLÉ, pierced with holes; expressed of a ship that has been much damaged by worms or cannon-shot.
Une voile CRIBLÉE, a sail much damaged by shot.
CRIQUE, a creek, or small natural harbour.
CROC, a boat-hook, or setting pole.
Croc de candelette, the cat-hook. See Capon.
Croc de pompe, the pump hook.
CROCS de palans, the tackle-hooks.
Crocs de palans de canons, the hooks of the gun-tackles.
Crocs de palanquins, jigger-tackle-hooks.
CROCHETS d’armes, certain crutches, or hooks, to support the small-arms in the cabins of a ship of war.
Crochets de retraite, the eye-bolts, in the train of a gun-carriage, wherein are hooked the relieving-tackles.
CROISÉE de l’ancre, the cross of the anchor, or the part where the shank terminates at the arms.
CROISER, to cruise in any particular station.
Croiser à la lame. See De bout à la lame.
CROISETTE, the pin or bolt used as a fid to any flag-staff.
CROISEUR, a cruiser, a vessel employed to guard a coast; also a pirate, or sea rover.
CROISEURS, or vaisseaux en croisiere, ships cruising in an appointed station or latitude.
CROISIERE, a rendezvous or latitude for cruisers.
CROITRE, to rise or flow; expressed of the tide.
CROIX sur les cables, a cross in the hawse.
CRONE, a wheel-crane, built on a wharf.
CROQUER, to hook or grapple any thing.
Croquer le croc de palan, to hook the cat to the anchor.
CROUCHANTS, the crochets, or floor-timbers fore and aft in a boat.
CROULER. See Rouler.
Crouler un batiment, to shake a ship by jumping on her decks, in order to launch her from the stocks.
CROUPIARDER. See Mouiller en croupiere.
CROUPIAT. See Embossure.
CROUPIERE, or Croupias, a stern-fast, a stern-cable or hawser.
CUEILLE, one of the cloths of a sail.
CUEILLETTE, a measure or weight of any merchandise, which is equal to a quintal, or 100 ℔.
CUILLER à brai, a pitch-ladle, to pay the seams of a deck.
Cuiller à canon, or Chargeoir, a gunner’s ladle.
Cuiller, de pompe, a pump-borer.
CUIRS verds, raw hides, used to cover the tops, lace on the yards, serve the cables, &c.
CUISINE, the galley or cook-room of a ship.
CUL de lampe, an ornament of sculpture resembling the bottom of a lamp, and placed in several parts of the stern or galleries, to terminate the carved-work.
Cul de pot, de porc, or de port, a double or single wall-knot, wrought on the end of a tack, stopper, or other rope.
Cul de sac, a name given by the inhabitants of America to a harbour formed by nature without the assistance of art.
Cul de vaisseau. See Arriere.
CULASSE, the breech of a cannon, also the stock of a musquet.
CULÉE, the shock which a ship feels when striking the ground, on a rock or sand-bank.
CULER, to go astern, to have stern-way.
CURATEUR de la marine, an officer who formerly assigned to the several Triérarques the duties of their respective departments. See Triérarque.
CURETTE, a pump-scraper, fastened to a staff, or pole, of ten or twelve feet long, to clean the inside of a pump.
CUSEFORNE, a small, long, and sharp rowing-boat of Japan, without decks, employed to fish whales.