C.
CABIN, cabane, a room or apartment in a ship where any of the officers usually reside.
There are many of these in a large ship; the principal of which is designed for the captain, or commander. In ships of the line, this chamber is furnished with an open gallery in the ships stern, as also a little gallery on each quarter. The apartments where the inferior officers or common sailors sleep and mess, are usually called births; which see.
The bed-places built up for the sailors at the ships side in merchantmen, are also called cabins.
CABLE, (cable, Fr.) a large, strong rope of a considerable length, used to retain a ship at anchor in a road, bay, or haven.
Cables are of various sorts and sizes. In Europe they are usually manufactured of hemp; in Africa they are more frequently composed of bass, which is a sort of long straw or rushes; and in Asia of a peculiar sort of Indian grass.
Cables, of what thickness soever, are generally formed of three ropes twisted together, which are then called strands: each of these is composed of three smaller strands; and those last of a certain number of rope-yarns. This number is therefore greater or smaller in proportion to the size of the cable required.
There are some cables, however, manufactured of four strands; which are chiefly the production of Italy and Provence.
All ships ought to be furnished with at least three good cables; the sheet cable, and the two bowers; best and small.
All cables ought to be one hundred and twenty fathoms in length; for which purpose the threads or yarns must be one hundred and eighty fathoms; inasmuch as they are diminished one third in length by twisting. Besides this length, it is necessary to splice at least two cables together, in order to double the length when a ship is obliged to anchor in deep water. For although it is not common to anchor in a greater depth than forty fathoms, yet if there is only one cable, and the ship rides in a storm and tempestuous sea, the anchor will of necessity sustain the whole weight and violent jerking of the ship, in a direction too nearly perpendicular. By this effort it will unavoidably be loosened from its hold, and dragged by the ship, which thus driven from her station, is in immediate danger of being wrecked on the nearest rocks or shallows; whereas it is evident, that if the cable, by its great length, were to draw more horizontally on the anchor, it would bear a much greater force. See Anchor.
The long cable is not so apt to break as the short one; because it will bear a great deal more stretching before it comes to the greatest strain: it therefore resembles a sort of spring, which may be very easily extended, and afterwards recovers its first state, as soon as the force which extended it is removed. Besides all this, a ship will ride much smoother with a long cable, and be less apt to pitch, or plunge deep in the water with her fore-part.
On the contrary, the short cable, being too nearly vertical to the anchor, cannot bear such a strain, because it is charged with a greater effort; and, as it will not bear stretching, may break at the first violent tug. The ship also rides with much greater difficulty, labours extremely, and often plunges all her fore-part under water.
By what has been said on this subject, we may see how very necessary it is to furnish a ship with sufficiency of cables, or what is called ground-tackle; and what an inconsiderate policy it is in merchants to expose their vessels to such evident dangers from the want of them. For we may venture to assert, without violation of truth, that many good ships have been lost only on account of a deficiency in this important article.
A cable ought neither to be twisted too much or too little; as in the former state it will be extremely stiff, and difficult to manage; and in the latter, it will be considerably diminished in its strength.
All cables are to each other as the cubes of their diameters.
The number of threads also, of which each cable is composed, being always proportioned to its length and thickness, the weight and value of it are determined by this number. Thus a cable of ten inches in circumference, ought to consist of four hundred and eighty-five threads; and weigh one thousand nine hundred and forty pounds: and on this foundation is calculated the following table, very useful for all persons engaged in marine commerce, who equip merchant-ships on their own account, or freight them for the account of others.
| A table of the number of threads and weight of cables of different circumference. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Circumference in inches. | Threads or rope-yarns. | Weight in pounds. |
| 9 | 393 | 1572 |
| 10 | 485 | 1940 |
| 11 | 598 | 2392 |
| 12 | 699 | 2796 |
| 13 | 821 | 3284 |
| 14 | 952 | 3808 |
| 15 | 1093 | 4372 |
| 16 | 1244 | 4976 |
| 17 | 1404 | 5616 |
| 18 | 1574 | 6296 |
| 19 | 1754 | 7016 |
| 20 | 1943 | 7772 |
Stream-Cable, a hauser, or rope, something smaller than the bowers, and used to moor the ship in a river or haven, sheltered from the wind and sea, &c.
To bit the Cable. See the article Bits.
To serve the Cable, is to bind it round with ropes, leather, or other materials, to prevent it from being galled, or fretted in the hawse by friction.
Heave in the Cable! the order to draw it into the ship by winding about the capstern or windlass.
Pay away the Cable! slacken it, that it may run out of the ship. This phrase is the same with veer away the cable. See the French term cable, and the phrases following it.
Cable’s length, a measure of 120 fathoms, or of the usual length of the cable.
To CALK, or Caulk, calfater, (probably from calage, Fr. hemp) to drive a quantity of oakum, or old ropes untwisted and drawn asunder, into the seams of the planks, or into the intervals where the planks are joined to each other in the ship’s decks or sides, in order to prevent the entrance of water. After the oakum is driven very hard into these seams, it is covered with hot melted pitch or resin, to keep the water from rotting it.
Amongst the ancients, the first who made use of pitch in calking, were the inhabitants of Phæacia, afterwards called Corsica. Wax and resin appear to have been commonly used previous to that period; and the Poles at this time use a sort of unctuous clay for the same purpose, on their navigable rivers.
CALL, sifflet, a sort of whistle, or pipe, of silver or brass, used by the boatswain and his mates to summon the sailors to their duty, and direct them in the different employments of the ship.
As the call can be sounded to various strains, each of them is appropriated to some particular exercise; such as hoisting, heaving, lowering, veering away, belaying, letting-go a tackle, &c. The act of winding this instrument is called piping, which is as attentively observed by sailors, as the beat of the drum to march, retreat, rally, charge, &c. is obeyed by soldiers.
CALM, the state of rest which appears in the air and sea when there is no wind stirring.
That tract of the Atlantic ocean, situated between the tropic of Cancer and the latitude of 29° north; or the space that lies between the trade and the variable winds, is frequently subject to calms of very long duration: and hence it has acquired, amongst seamen, the name of the Calm Latitudes.
A long calm is often more fatal to a ship than the severest tempest, because if the ship is tight and in good condition, she may sustain the latter without much injury; whereas in a long calm, the provision and water may be entirely consumed, without any opportunity of obtaining a fresh supply. The surface of the sea in a continued calm is smooth and bright as a looking-glass.
CAMBERED-DECK, the deck or flooring of a ship is said to be cambered, or to lie cambering, when it is higher in the middle of the ship’s length, and droops towards the stem and stern, or the two ends. Also when it lies irregular; a circumstance which renders the ship very unfit for war. See the article Broken-backed.
CAN-BUOY. See Buoy.
CAN-HOOKS, an instrument used to sling a cask by the ends of the staves: it is formed by fixing a broad and flat hook at each end of a short rope, and the tackle by which the cask so slung may be hoisted or lowered, is hooked to the middle of the rope. See plate [II]. fig. 8 and 9. The canhooks commonly used ashore by brewers, &c. are all iron, the middle part being fitted with a chain in the place of a rope.
CANNON, a well known piece of artillery, mounted in battery on the decks of a ship, and used in all naval engagements.
This engine has already been so accurately described by a variety of authors, that it may seem unnecessary to give a particular description of it here. As it forms, however, so important an article in all the military operations of the marine, it cannot, consistently with our plan, be omitted in this place.
Cannon then may be defined a long, conical fire-arm of brass or iron, concave within, and smaller at the muzzle, or face, than at the opposite end.
The principal parts of a sea-cannon, as represented in plate [VII]. fig. 3, are, 1st. The breech, A C, and its button, or cascabel, A h, called by seamen the pomiglion. The breech is generally understood to be the solid metal from the bottom of the concave cylinder to the cascabel, which is the extremity of the cannon opposite to its muzzle.
2d. The trunnions, T, which project on each side like arms, and serve to support the cannon near the middle of its length: on these it may be poised, and held almost in equilibrio. As the metal is thicker at the breech than towards the mouth, the trunnions are placed nearer to that end than the other.
3d. The bore, or caliber, which is comprehended between the dotted lines, and particularly expressed in the longitudinal section of a thirty-two-pounder, fig. 15. This represents the interior or concave cylinder, wherein the powder and shot are lodged with which the cannon is charged: the entrance of the bore is called the mouth.
Names of the other parts, including the above plate [VII]. fig. 3.
A B, the length of the cannon.
A E, the first reinforce.
E F, the second reinforce.
F B, the chace.
H B, the muzzle.
A o, the cascabel, or pomiglion.
A C, the breech.
C D, the vent-field.
F I, the chace-girdle.
r s, the base-ring and ogee.
t, the vent-astragal and fillets.
p q, the first reinforce-ring and ogee.
v w, the second reinforce-ring and ogee.
x, the chace-astragal and fillets.
z, the muzzle-astragal and fillets.
n, the muzzle-mouldings.
m, the swelling of the muzzle,
A i, the breech-mouldings.
The use of these machines is to discharge upon the enemy globes or balls of iron, called shot, which are therefore of various sizes, in proportion to the caliber of the cannon. The diameter of the ball is always somewhat less than the bore of the piece, that it may be discharged with the greater ease, and not damage the piece by rubbing it too forcibly in its passage; and the difference between these diameters is called the windage of the cannon.
The length of any cannon is always reckoned from the hind part of the base ring, or beginning of the cascabel, to the extremity of the muzzle. The second reinforce begins at the same circle where the first terminates; and the chace at the same circle where the second reinforce ends.
The first reinforce therefore includes the base ring; the ogee nearest thereto; the vent-field; the vent-astragal, and first reinforce-ring. The second reinforce contains the ogee next to the first reinforce-ring and the second reinforce-ring. The chace comprehends the ogee nearest to the second reinforce-ring; the chace-girdle and astragal; and the muzzle and astragal. The trunnions are always placed on the second reinforce, so as that the breech part of the cannon may weigh something more than the muzzle-part, to prevent the piece from starting up behind when it is fired.
A variety of experiments, made with great care and accuracy, prove that powder when on fire possesses at least 4000[[2]] times more space than when in grains. Therefore if we suppose that the quantity of powder with which a cannon is charged possesses one fourth of a cubical foot in grains, it will, when on fire, occupy the space of about 1000 cubical feet. The same experiments evince also that the powder when inflamed, is dilated equally round its center. One grain of powder fired in the center of different concentric circles, round which grains of powder are placed, shall therefore set fire to all those grains at once.
From this principle it necessarily follows, that powder, when fired in a cannon, makes at the same instant an equal effort on every part of the inside of the piece, in order to expand itself about its center every way, But as the resistance from the sides of the piece turns the action of the powder, so as to follow the direction of the bore of the cannon when it presses upon the ball, so as to force it outwards, it presses also on the breech of the cannon; and this gives the piece a motion backwards, that is called its recoil which, as we have already observed, is restrained by the breeching and the convexity of the decks. The recoil in some degree diminishes the action of the powder upon the shot. But this cannot be avoided; for, if the carriages were fixed so as not to give way to this motion, the action of the powder, or the effort that causes the recoil, would tear them to pieces in a very short time.
All pieces of artillery were formerly distinguished into the names of sakers, culverins, cannon, and demi-cannon; but at present their names are derived from the weight of the ball which they discharge: thus a piece that discharges a ball of twenty-four pounds, is called a twenty-four-pounder; and one that carries a shot of thirty-two pounds, a thirty-two-pounder; and so of the rest.
The metal of cannon is not equally thick in all parts, but is in some measure proportioned to the force of the powder which it is to resist. At the breech, where the effort is strongest, the thickness of the metal is equal to the diameter of the corresponding shot. At the first reinforce, where this begins to slacken, the thickness is somewhat less than at the breech: at the second, where the force is still further diminished, the thickness is more reduced than at the first: and, by the same rule, the chace has less thickness than the second reinforce. The thickness of the chace gradually diminishes from the trunnions to the mouth of the piece; so that if a cannon was without cascabel, trunnion, and mouldings, it would exactly resemble the frustum of a cone, or a cone deprived of the small end.
In a vessel of war, cannon are placed on a sort of wheeled sledge, called the carriage, of which fig. 16. plate [VII]. is the plan, and fig. 17. the elevation. This carriage is composed of two large pieces of plank, called sides or cheeks, connected together by means of cross-pieces, which are either bolts, axle-trees, or transoms. The two axle-trees are fixed across under the fore and hinder parts of the carriage, being supported at their extremities by solid wooden wheels called trucks. The transom is placed directly over the fore axle-tree, and exactly in the middle of the height of the cheeks or side-pieces. The height of the transom is equal to two diameters of the shot, and the breadth to one diameter.
Explanation of the iron-work, and different parts of a sea-carriage, as exhibited in the plan and elevation of a thirty-two pounder, pl. VII. fig. 16. and 17.
a. The cap-squares, commonly called clamps in the sea-service.
b. Eye-bolts, by which one end of the clamp is fixed to the carriage.
c. Joint-bolts, upon which the other end of the clamp is fixed over the trunnions; after which it is fore-locked, to prevent the cannon from starting out of its carriage when fired.
b g. The cheeks or sides of the carriage.
d. The transom-bolt.
e. The bed bolt, upon which the bed rests to support the breech of the cannon. The bed is expressed by fig. 4.
f. Hind axle-tree bolts.
g. Breeching-bolts, with rings, through which the breechings pass.
h. Loops, or eye-bolts, to which the gun-tackles are hooked.
i. The fore axle-tree, with its trucks, k.
l. The hind axle-tree, with its trucks, k.
The wheels are firmly retained upon their axle-trees by means of iron bolts passing through the latter without the wheels: these bolts are called linch-pins.
The breadth of the wheels is always equal to that of the cheeks; but the height of the cheeks and diameter of the trucks must conform to the height of the gun-ports above the deck. The carriages of the lower tiers should therefore be so formed, that when the breech of the cannon lies upon the hind axle-tree, the muzzle of the piece should touch above the port, as expressed in fig. 19. which represents a cannon secured by its tackles and breechings, to prevent it from straining the ship as she rolls in a stormy sea.
Cannon are charged by putting down into the bottom first a quantity of powder, one third or one half the weight of the ball. This is done with an instrument, fig. 7. termed a ladle which is a kind of cylindrical spoon, generally made of copper, and fixed to the end of a staff, called its handle. Upon the powder is put in a wad of rope-yarn, formed like a ball, which is pressed down upon the powder with the instrument expressed by fig. 17. called a rammer. Upon this wad is put the ball or shot; and to secure it in its place, another wad is firmly pressed down upon it, which operation is called ramming-home the wad and shot. The touch-hole of the piece is then filled with powder, from the upper-part of which a little train is laid that communicates with it. The use of this train is to prevent the explosion of the powder from operating directly upon the instrument employed to fire the piece, which in that case might be forced out of the hand of the gunner.
In the modern pieces, a little gutter or channel is framed on the upper part of the breech, to prevent the train from being dispersed by the wind. This channel reaches from the touch-hole to the base-ring.
The cannon being pointed to its object, or the place which it is intended to strike, the train is fired, and the flame immediately conveyed to the powder in the touch-hole, by which it is further communicated to that in the piece. The powder being kindled, immediately expands so as to occupy a much greater space than when in grains, and thus dilated it makes an effort on every side to force itself out. The ball making less resistance than the sides of the piece, upon which the powder presses at the same time, is driven out by its whole effort, and acquires that violent motion which is well known to the world.
In plate [VII]. all the instruments necessary for charging cannon are exhibited. Besides these already described, there is the spunge, fig. 10. which is used to clean the piece after firing, and to extinguish any sparks that may remain behind. In the land-service, the handle of the spunge is nothing else than a long wooden staff; but in ships of war this handle, that usually contains the rammer at its other end, is a piece of rope well stiffened by spun-yarn, which is for this purpose firmly wound about it. By this convenience the rammer becomes flexible, so that the piece is charged within the ship, as the person who loads it may bend and accommodate the length of the rammer to the distance between the muzzle and the ship’s side; being at the same time sheltered from the enemy’s musquetry, to which he would be exposed when using a wooden rammer without the ship. To spunge a piece therefore is to introduce this instrument into the bore, and thrusting it home to the farthest end thereof, to clean the whole cavity. The figures 8 and 9 represent spunges of a different kind; one of which is formed of sheep-skin, and the other of the strongest bristles of a hog. See the article Exercise.
The worm, of which there are also different kinds, fig. 6. and 9. is used to draw the charge when necessary.
The bit, or priming-iron, is a kind of large needle, whose lower end is formed into a gimblet, serving to clear the inside of the touch-hole, and render it fit to receive the prime.
The lint-stock is a kind of staff about three feet long, to the end of which a match is occasionally fastened to fire the piece.
The fluctuating motion of the sea renders it necessary to secure and confine the artillery in vessels of war, by several ropes and pullies, which are called the gun-tackles and breechings, without which they could never be managed in a naval engagement. The breeching has been already explained, as employed to restrain the recoil. The tackles * fig. 18, are hooked to ring-bolts in the sides of the carriage, and to other ring-bolts in the side of the ship, near the edges of the gun-ports, and are used to draw the piece out into its place after it is loaded. Besides these, there is another tackle hooked to the rear or train of the carriage, to prevent the cannon from rolling into its place till it is charged: this is called the train-tackle, and is exhibited in fig. 17.
In ships of war, the cannon of the lower-decks are usually drawn into the ship during the course of an expedition at sea, unless when they are used in battle. They are secured by lowering the breech so as that the muzzle shall bear against the upper-edge of the port, after which the two parts of the breeching are firmly braced together by a rope which crosses them between the front of the carriage and the port; which operation is called frapping the breeching. The tackles are then securely fastened about it with several turns of the rope extended from the tackle and breeching, over the chace of the cannon, as represented in fig. 19.
The service of the artillery, or the method of employing it in a naval action, is explained in the articles Engagement and Exercise. The manner of pointing, or directing them to different objects; the effects of different quantities of powder upon the cannonball; and the different lines described by its flight, are also treated at large in the article Range.
We shall here subjoin a table of the length and weight of different cannon, for the information of those who may be entirely unacquainted therewith; and particularly our sea-gunners.
| Length and weight of brass cannon according to the mensuration in 1753. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pounders. | Length. | Weight. | |||
| Feet. | Inches. | 100lb. | Quarters. | lb. | |
| 42 | 9 | 6 | 61 | 2 | 10 |
| 32 | 9 | 5 | 55 | 2 | 7 |
| 24 | 9 | 5 | 51 | 1 | 12 |
| 18 | 9 | 0 | 48 | 1 | 0 |
| 12 | 9 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | 8 | 5 | |||
| 6 | 8 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Length and weight of iron guns used in the sea-service, according to the mensuration in 1753. | |||||
| Pounders. | Length. | Weight. | |||
| Feet. | Inches. | 100lb. | Quarters. | lb. | |
| 42 | 10 | 0 | 55 | 1 | 12 |
| 32 | 9 | 6 | 53 | 3 | 23 |
| 24 | 9 | 5 | 48 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | 9 | 0 | 41 | 1 | 8 |
| 12 | 9 | 0 | 32 | 3 | 3 |
| 9 | 8 | 5 | 23 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 14 |
| 4 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 13 |
| 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
For an account of the particular number of men appointed to manage the different degrees of cannon, and the arrangement or distribution of the cannon according to the several classes of ships, see Quarters and Rate.
The following judicious remarks for increasing the strength of the British navy, by changing the cannon used in ships of war into others of equal weight but of greater bore, have been selected from the proposal of the late ingenious Mr. Robins.
The advantage of large cannon over those of a smaller bore is so generally acknowledged, that a particular discussion of it might perhaps be spared. * * *
“The most important advantage of heavy bullets is this, that with the same velocity they break holes out in all solid bodies in a greater proportion than their weight; that is, for instance, a twenty-four pound shot will, with the same velocity, break out a hole in any wall, rampart, or solid beam, in which it lodges, above eight times larger than will be made by a three pound shot; for its diameter being double, it will make a superficial fracture above four times as great as the three-pounder, (more of a smaller hole being closed up by the springing of the solid body than of a great one) and it will penetrate to more than twice the depth; by this means the firmest walls of masonry are easily cut through their whole substance by heavy shot, which could never be affected by those of a smaller caliber; and in ships the strongest beams and masts are hereby fractured, which a very great number of small bullets would scarcely injure.
“To this last advantage of large cannon, which is indeed a capital one, there must be that of carrying the weight of their bullet in grape or lead shot, and thereby annoying the enemy more effectually than could be done by ten times the number of small pieces.
“These are the principal advantages of large cannon, and hence it is no wonder that those entrusted with the care of the British navy have always endeavoured to arm all ships with the largest cannon they could with safety bear; and indeed, within these last hundred years, great improvements have been made on this head, by reducing the weight of many of the species of cannon, and thereby enabling the same ships to carry guns of a larger bore: and, very lately, the six pounders in some of the smaller ships have been changed for nine pounders of a larger fabric than usual, which hath been justly esteemed a very great addition, to the strength of those ships.
“The importance then of allotting to all ships the largest cannon they can with safety bear being granted, it remains to shew on what foundation a change is proposed to be made in the fabric of all pieces from the present eighteen pounders downwards, so that they may be changed for others of the same, or less weight, but of a larger bore. This proposition turns on the following considerations.—The species of cannon proper for each ship is limited by the weight of the pieces; and when the charge and effort of the bullet are assigned, this weight in each species is, or ought to be determined by the following circumstances;
That they shall not be in danger of bursting;
That they shall not recoil too boisterously;
And that they shall not heat too much in frequent firing.
“All this is to be done by a proper quantity of metal properly disposed; and when the pieces are secured from these accidents, all additional weight of metal, is not only useless but prejudicial.
“Now what dimensions and weight of metal are more than sufficient for these purposes, we may learn from the present practice of the navy, in the fabric of the thirty-two pounders, the heaviest guns in common use; these are made to weigh (if the author’s information be right) from fifty-two to fifty-three hundred weight; that is somewhat less than an hundred and two-thirds for each pound of bullet.
“From this then the author concludes, that any smaller piece, made upon the model of these thirty-two pounders, and having their weight proportioned in the same manner to the weight of their bullet, will fully answer all the purposes recited above, and will be of unexceptionable service.
“And he founds his opinions on these two principles: first, that the strength of iron, or of any other metal, is in proportion to its substance; so that, for instance, where it has one half the substance, it has one half the strength; and this supposition, he presumes, will be scarcely contested. Secondly that the force of different quantities of powder fired in spaces which they respectively fill, is not exactly in the proportion of those quantities; but the lesser quantity has in proportion the least force: that is, for instance, the force of one pound of powder, in like circumstances, is less than one half the force of two pounds. And this principle the author has deduced from many repeated and diversified trials of his own; and he believes it will be found agreeable to all the observations which have been made, or shall be made, on this subject.
“From these two considerations, he hopes, it will be granted him, that, if two pieces, a large one and a small one, are made with all their dimensions in proportion to the diameter of their respective bullets, and consequently their weights in the same proportion with the weights of their bullets, then the larger piece, with the same proportion of powder, will be more strained, will heat more, and recoil more than the smaller.
“Hence then, as we are assured, that the present thirty-two pounders are of a sufficient strength and weight for all marine purposes, we have the greatest reason to suppose, that, if all the pieces of an inferior caliber were formed upon the same model, measuring by the diameter of the bullet, these smaller pieces would not be defective, either in strength or weight, but would be to the full as serviceable on ship-board, as the present pieces, which are so much overloaded with metal.
“The author’s scheme then for augmenting the force of the present sea-batteries, is no more than this plain principle, that all ship-guns should be cast upon the model of the thirty-two pounders, measuring by the diameter of the respective bullet; so that for each pound of bullet, there should be allowed one hundred and two thirds of metal only.
“The advantages of this scheme will appear, by the following comparison of the weight of the present pieces with their weight proposed by this new fabric.
| Pieces. | Weight now in hundreds. | Ditto by new fabric. |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | 48 to 46 | 40 |
| 18 | 41 to 39 | 30 |
| 12 | 34 to 31 | 20 |
| 9 | 29 to 26 | 15 |
| 6 | 24 to 18 | 10 |
“Hence then it appears, that the twenty-four-pounders will be eased of six or eight hundred of useless metal; and instead of an inferior caliber now used, much larger ones of the same weight may be borne, especially when it is remembered, that this computation exceeds even the present proportion of the thirty-two-pounders; so that from the above projected eighteen pounders, for instance, two or three hundred weight may be safely taken.”
The changes then proposed by the author are these:
| Pounders. | Hundreds. | Pounders. | Hundreds. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For | 6 | of | 24 and 18 | new | 12 | of | 20 |
| 9 | 29 and 26 | 18 | of | 28 | |||
| 12 | 34 and 31 | 18 | of | 28 | |||
| 18 | 41 and 39 | 24 | of | 40 | |||
“The nine pounders lately cast, being, as the author is informed, still lighter than what is here represented, they may perhaps be only transformed into twelve pounders; but this will be a very great addition of strength, and the twelve-pounders thus borne will be considerably lighter than the smallest nine-pounders now in use. The weight of the present three-pounders are not remembered exactly by the author; but he doubts not, but they are heavier than the proposed six-pounders, and may therefore be changed for them.
“That many objections will be made to the present proposal is not to be questioned; but, as they will equally hold against the use of the present thirty-two-pounders, which are known to be guns of unexceptionable service, that alone, it is conceived, will be an answer.
“If it be supposed (as ancient practice is always favourably heard) that the excesses in the proportionate weight of the small pieces must have been originally founded on some approved principle, or otherwise they could not have been brought into use, it may be answered, that a hundred years since there were four-pounders made use of, which were heavier than some of the present nine-pounders, and had the same prescription to plead in their behalf.—Perhaps the origin of this excess in the smaller pieces may be accounted for by supposing, that when guns are used in batteries on shore, their length cannot be in proportion to the diameter of their bore; because the parapet being of a considerable thickness, a short piece would, by its blast, ruin the embrasures; and the smaller pieces being for this reason made nearly of the same length with the larger, did hence receive their additional weight of metal. But this reason holds not at sea, where there is no other exception to the shortness of a piece, but the loss of force, which, in the instances here proposed, is altogether inconsiderable; for the old twelve-pounders, for example, being in length from nine feet to nine feet, and a half, the new ones here proposed will be from seven feet to seven and a half long. The difference in the force of the bullet, fired from these different pieces, is but little; and it will hereafter appear, that in the present subject much greater differences than these are of no consequence.
“If it should be said, that the new fabric here proposed must have the present allowance of powder (which in the smaller pieces is half the weight of the ball) diminished, and that it must be reduced to the rate of the thirty-two-pounders, which is only seven-sixteenths of the weight of the ball; it is answered, that if the powder in all ship-cannon whatever, was still farther reduced to one-third of the weight of the ball, or even less, it would be a considerable advantage, not only by the saving of ammunition, but by keeping the guns cooler and more quiet, and at the same time more effectually injuring the ships of the enemy[[3]]; for with the present allowance of powder the guns are heated, and their tackles and furniture strained, and this only to render the bullet less efficacious than it would prove if impelled by a smaller charge. Indeed in battering of walls, which are not to be penetrated by a single shot from any piece whatever, the velocity of the bullet, how much soever augmented, still produces a proportionate effect, by augmenting the depth to which it penetrates: but the sides of the strongest ships, and the greater part of her timbers, are of a limited thickness, insufficient to stop the generality of cannon bullets, fired at a reasonable distance, even with a less charge than is here proposed. And it is a matter of experiment, that a bullet, which can but just pass through a piece of timber, and loses almost all its motion thereby, has a much better chance of rending and fracturing it, than if it passed through it with a much greater velocity.
“That a much better judgment may be made of the reasonableness of this speculation, the author thinks proper to add (and he believes future experience will not contradict him) that a twelve-pounder, as here proposed, which is one of the smallest pieces at present under consideration, when charged with one-third of the weight of the bullet in powder, will penetrate a beam of the best seasoned toughest oak, to more than twenty inches depth; and if, instead of one solid beam, there are a number of small ones, or of planks laid together; then allowing for rending and tearing, frequent in such cases, he doubts not, but it will often go through near double that thickness, and this any where within a hundred yards distance: that is, any where within that distance, which the most experienced officers have recommended for naval engagements. In the same distance, a bullet from the twelve-pounders now in use, charged with half the weight of powder, will penetrate about one-third part deeper: but if the efforts of each piece are compared together at five hundred yards distance, the differences of their forces will not be considerable. If this be so, it will not be asserted, I imagine, that the twelve-pounder here proposed is less useful, or less efficacious, for all naval purposes, than the weightier twelve-pounder hitherto made use of.
“The author has in this proposal fixed on the thirty-two pounders, as the standard for the rest; because experience has long authorised them. But from the trials he has made, he is well satisfied, a much greater reduction of weight, than is here proposed, might safely take place; and that one fourth, or even one fifth of the weight of the bullet in powder, if properly disposed, is abundantly sufficient for every species of ship-guns[[4]]. However, the author is far from desiring, that his speculations should be relied on in an affair of this nature, where he pretends not to have tried the very matter he proposes, but founds his opinion on certain general principles and collateral experiments, which he conceives, he may apply to the present case without error. He would himself recommend an experimental examination of this proposal, as the only one to which credit ought to be given. What he intends by the present paper, is to represent it as a matter worthy of consideration, and really such as it appeared to him: if those to whose censure he submits it, are of the same opinion, there is an obvious method of determining how far his allegations are conclusive; and that is by directing one of these pieces to be cast, a twelve-pounder for instance, and letting it be proved with the same proportion of powder allotted for the proof of the thirty-two-pounders: Then if this piece be fired a number of times successively on a carriage, and its recoil, and degree of heat be attended to, and if the penetration of its bullet into a thick butt of oak-beams or plank be likewise examined, a judgment may thence be formed, of what may be expected from the piece in real service; and the result of these trials will be the most incontestable confutation or confirmation of this proposal.”
CANNONADE, as a term of the marine, may be defined the application of artillery to the purposes of naval war, or the direction of its efforts against some distant object intended to be seized or destroyed, as a ship, battery, or fortress.
Cannonading is therefore used in a vessel of war to take, sink, or burn the enemy’s ships, or to drive them from their defences ashore, and to batter and ruin their fortifications.
Since a large man of war may be considered as a combination of floating batteries, it is evident that the efforts of her artillery must in general be greatly superior to those of a fortress on the sea-coast: I say in general, because on some particular occasions her situation may be extremely dangerous, and her cannonading ineffectual. Her superiority consists in several circumstances, as, the power of bringing her different batteries to converge to one point; of shifting the line of her attack so as to do the greatest possible execution against the enemy; or to lie where she will be the least exposed to his shot: and chiefly because, by employing a much greater number of cannon against a fort than it can possibly return, the impression of her artillery against stone-walls soon, becomes decisive and irresistible. Besides these advantages in the attack, she is also greatly superior in point of defence: because the cannon shot passing with rapidity through her sides, seldom do any execution out of the line of their flight, or occasion much mischief by their splinters: whereas they very soon shatter and destroy the faces of a parapet, and produce incredible havoc amongst the men, by the fragments of the stones, &c. A ship may also retreat when she finds it too dangerous to remain longer exposed to the enemy’s fire, or when her own fire cannot produce the desired effect. Finally, the fluctuating situation of a ship, and of the element on which she rests, renders the efforts of bombs very uncertain, and altogether destroys the effect of the ricochet, or rolling and bounding shot, whose execution is so pernicious and destructive in a fortress or land-engagement; both of which, however, a ship may apply with great success. See Range.
The chief inconveniency to which a ship is exposed, on the contrary, is, that the low-laid cannon in a fort near the brink of the sea, may strike her repeatedly, on or under the surface of the water, so as to sink her before her cannonade can have any considerable efficacy.
CANOE, a sort of Indian boat or vessel, formed of the trunk of a tree hollowed, and sometimes of several pieces of the bark fastened together.
Canoes are of various sizes, according to the uses for which they may be designed, or the countries wherein they are formed. The largest are made of the cotton tree, some of which will carry between twenty and thirty hogsheads of sugar or molasses. Some are made to carry sail, and for this purpose are steeped in water till they become pliant, after which their sides are extended, and strong beams placed between them, on which a deck is afterwards laid that serves to support their sides. The other sorts very rarely carry sail, unless when going before the wind: their sails are made of a sort of silk grass or rushes. They are commonly rowed with paddles, which are pieces of light wood somewhat resembling a corn-shovel; and instead of rowing with it horizontally, like an oar, they manage it perpendicularly. The small canoes are very narrow, having only room for one person in breadth, and seven or eight lengthways. The rowers, who are generally negroes or American savages, are very expert in managing their paddles uniformly, and in ballancing the canoes properly with their bodies, which would be difficult for a stranger to do, how well accustomed soever to the conducting of European boats, because the canoes are extremely light, and liable to be overturned.
The American Indians, when they are under the necessity of landing to avoid a water-fall, or of crossing the land from one river to another, carry their canoes on their heads; till they arrive at a place where they can lanch them again.
The following curious account of the canoes of the Esquimaux Indians in Labrador, has been lately transmitted to the author, which he apprehends will not be displeasing to his readers.
The Esquimaux canoe has a light wooden frame, and the shell, instead of plank, is made with seal-skins sewed together, which are not only extended round the bottom and sides, but likewise over the top; forming a compleat deck, and having only one opening, conveniently framed and situated to admit the Indian into his seat. A flat hoop is fitted to this hole, rising about four inches, to which the surrounding skin is sewed. The Indian’s seal-skin jacket, being of a proper length, he can occasionally bind the skirt of it round the outside of this hoop; by which means he keeps the canoe free from water, and is enabled to pursue his game far from land or in stormy seas. His paddle is about ten feet long, light, and flat at each end, with which he both rows and steers with great velocity and exactness. Mr. Crantz, in his History of Greenland, informs us, that the young men in their exercise are taught to overset their canoes, and when the bottom is upward, to recover, by the dextrous management of their paddle, their former upright position, the men rising again either on the side by which they went down, or on the contrary, as they please. The construction of this extraordinary little vessel, so admirably well adapted to the purposes of its owner, does the greatest credit to the ingenuity of this savage people. Though natives of the extensive country of Labrador, they inhabit only the sea-coasts, particularly the islands, the interior parts being no less barren, and possessed by other wandering tribes, their perpetual enemies and superiors at land; so that they are reduced to almost an entire dependance upon the sea for the common necessaries of life. Seals-flesh and oil are amongst the chief articles of their food; and with the skins they make tents, canoes, and apparel. Those islands on which the sea-fowl breed, they visit for their eggs and young; and kill birds in the water with their darts. We are surprised, that provided thus, they should do so much execution amongst these creatures; but when we behold a party of savages, each in his canoe, with only his harpoon and his lance, pursue, attack, and kill the largest whale, how justly are we filled with admiration. The whale’s flesh and oil they eat; and the tough substance of the gills, commonly called whalebone, they apply very ingeniously to a great variety of uses; trafficking with the overplus for such European goods as they want. In their language, the canoe is called kaiak, or man’s-boat, to distinguish it from umiak, the woman’s boat. The latter is a large boat managed by the women for transporting their families and possessions, when they shift their encampment from place to place, as most convenient for the particular hunting of the season. A kind of wolf-dog, natural to that country, is the only animal they breed for food. The same canoes, language, customs, and way of life, being common to the Greenlanders with the Esquimaux, it is evident they have been originally one people.
There is a Greenland canoe in the Repository of the Royal Society, covered with seal-skins, and exactly conformable to the above description.
CANTING, as a sea-phrase, denotes the act of turning any thing about.
CANT-Timbers, in ship-building, those timbers which are situated at the two ends of a ship. They derive their name from being canted, or raised obliquely from the keel; in contradistinction to those whose planes are perpendicular to it. The upper-ends of those on the bow, or fore-part of the ship, are inclined to the stem; as those in the after, or hind-part, incline to the stern-post above. See the articles Timber and Naval Architecture.
The principal of these last is the fashion-piece, which forms the outline of the counter, terminating it on the sides.
CAP, chouquet, a strong, thick block of wood, used to confine two masts together, when the one is erected at the head of the other, in order to lengthen it. It is for this purpose furnished with two holes perpendicular to its length and breadth, and parallel to its thickness; one of these is Square, and the other round; the former being solidly fixed upon the upper-end of the lower-mast, whilst the latter receives the mast employed to lengthen it, and Secures it in this position.
The principal caps of a ship are those of the lower-masts, which are fitted with a strong eye-bolt on each side, wherein to hook the block by which the top-mast is drawn up through the cap; the process of which is explained in the article Mast.
The breadth of all caps is equal to twice the diameter of the top-mast, and the length to twice the breadth. The thickness of the main and fore-caps is half the diameter of their breadths; the mizen-cap three-sevenths, and the top-mast-caps two-fifths of their respective breadths.
In the same manner as the top-mast slides up through the cap of the lower-mast, the top-gallant mast slides up through the cap of the top-mast. The cap is represented by fig. 9. plate [II].
CAPE, a promontory, or head-land, which projects into the sea farther than the rest of the coast.
CAPPANUS, a name given by some authors to the worm which adheres to, and gnaws the bottom of a ship.
The cappanus is extremely pernicious to ships, particularly in the East and West Indies: to prevent this, several ships have lately been sheathed with copper; the first trial of which was made on his majesty’s frigate Alarm.
CAP-SQUARE. See the article Cannon.
CAPSTERN, or Capstan, (cabestan, Fr.) a strong, massy column of timber, formed like a truncated cone, and having its upper extremity pierced with a number of holes to receive the bars or levers. It is let down perpendicularly through the decks of a ship, and is fixed in such manner, that the men, by turning it horizontally with their bars, may perform any work which requires an extraordinary effort.
A capstern is composed of several parts, (see plate [II]. fig. 11.) where A is the barrel, b the whelps, c the drum-head, and d the spindle.
The whelps rise out from the main body of the capstern like buttresses, to enlarge the sweep; so that a greater portion of the cable, or whatever rope encircles the barrel, may be wound about it at one turn, without adding much to the weight of the capstern. The whelps reach downwards from the lower part of the drum-head to the deck.
Plate [II]. fig. 10. The drum-head is a broad cylindrical piece of wood, resembling a mill-stone, and fixed immediately above the barrel and whelps. On the outside of this piece are cut a number of square holes, parallel to the deck, to receive the bars.
The pivot, or spindle, d, which is shod with iron, is the axis or foot upon which the capstern rests, and turns round in the saucer, which is a sort of iron socket let into a wooden stock or standard, called the step, resting upon, and bolted to the beams.
Besides the different parts of the capstern above explained, it is furnished with several appurtenances, as the bars, the pins, the pawls, the swifter, and the saucer, already described.
The bars are long pieces of wood, or arms, thrust into a number of square holes in the drum-head all round, in which they are as the radii of a circle, or the spokes to the nave of a wheel. They are used to heave the capstern round, which is done by the men setting their breasts against them and walking about, like the machinery of a horse-mill, till the operation is finished.
The pins, e, are little bolts of iron thrust perpendicularly through the holes of the drum-head, and through a correspondent hole in the end of the bar, made to receive the pins when the bars are fixed. They are used to confine the bars, and prevent them from working out as the men heave, or when the ship labours. Every pin is fastened to the drum-head with a small iron chain; and, that the bars may exactly fit their respective holes, they are all numbered.
The pawls, f, fig. 10. are situated on each side of the capstern, being two short bars of iron, bolted at one end through the deck to the beams close to the lower part of the whelps; the other end, which occasionally turns round on the deck, being placed in the intervals of the whelps, as the capstern turns, prevents it from recoiling or turning back by any sudden jerk of the cable as the ship rises on the sea, which might greatly endanger the men who heave. There are also hanging pawls g, g, fig. 12, used for the same purposes, reaching from the deck above to the drum-head immediately beneath it.
Plate ii. To pace Capstern.
The swifter, is a rope passed horizontally through holes in the outer ends of the bars, and drawn very tight: the intent of this is to keep the men steddy as they walk round, when the ship rocks, and to give room for a greater number to assist by pulling upon the swifter itself.
The most frequent use of the capstern is to heave in the cable, and thereby remove the ship, or draw up the anchor. It is also used to wind up any weighty body, as the masts, artillery, &c. In merchant-ships it is likewise frequently employed to discharge or take in the cargo, particularly when consisting of weighty materials that require a great exertion of mechanical powers to be removed.
There are commonly two capsterns in a ship of war, the main and the gear capstern; the former of which has two drum-heads, and may be called a double one. This is represented by fig. 12. of plate [II]. the latter is exhibited in fig. 11.
Formerly the bars of the capstern went intirely through the head of it, and consequently were more than twice the length of the present ones; the holes were therefore formed at different heights, as represented in fig. 10. plate [II]. But this machine had several inconveniencies, such as the persons who heaved at the higher bars incommoding those at the lower ones; the bars being lifted or lowered by the persons who heaved at their opposite ends; some of the bars being too high, and others two low, &c. It has therefore been long intirely disused in the navy. Some of these sort of capsterns, however, are still retained in merchant ships, and are usually denominated crabs. The situation of the bars in a crab, as ready for heaving, is represented in fig. 13. plate [II].
To rig the Capstern, garnir, is to fix the bars in their respective holes, and thrust in the pins in order to confine them.
Surge the Capstern, choquer, is the order to slacken the rope heaved round upon it, of which there is generally two turns and a half about the barrel at once, and sometimes three turns.
To heave the Capstern, virer au cabestan, is to go round with it heaving on the bars, and drawing in any rope of which the purchase is created.
To come up the Capstern, is to let go the rope upon which they had been heaving. See the French term Cabestan, and the phrases annexed thereto.
To pawl the Capstern, is to fix the pawls to prevent it from recoiling during any pause of heaving.
CAPTAIN of a ship of war, capitaine du haut bord, the officer who commands a ship of the line of battle, or a frigate carrying twenty or more cannon. The charge of a captain in his majesty’s navy is very comprehensive, inasmuch as he is not only answerable for any bad conduct in the military government, navigation, and equipment of the ship he commands; but also for any neglect of duty, or ill management in his inferior officers, whose several charges he is appointed to superintend and regulate.
On his first receiving information of the condition and quality of the ship he is appointed to command, he must attend her constantly, and hasten the necessary preparations to fit her for sea. So strict indeed are the injunctions laid on him by the lord high admiral, or commissioners of the admiralty, that he is forbid to lie out of his ship, from his arrival on board, till the day of his discharge, unless by particular leave from the admiralty, or his commander in chief.
He is enjoined to shew a laudable example of honour and virtue to the officers and men, and to discountenance all dissolute, immoral, and disorderly practices, and such as are contrary to the rules of discipline and subordination, as well as to correct those who are guilty of such offences, as are punishable according to the usage of the sea.
He is ordered particularly to survey all the military stores which are sent on board, and to return whatsoever is deemed unfit for service. His diligence and application are required to procure his complement of men; observing carefully to enter only such as are fit for the necessary duty, that the government may not be put to improper expence. When his ship is fully manned, he is expected to keep the established number of men complete, and superintend the muster himself, if there is no clerk of the check at the port.
When his ship is employed on a cruising station, he is expected to keep the sea the whole length of time previously appointed; but if he is compelled by some unexpected accident to return to port sooner than the limited time, he ought to be very cautious in the choice of a good situation for anchoring, ordering the master, or other careful officers, to sound, and discover the depths of water, and dangers of the coast.
Previous to any possibility of engagement with an enemy, he is to quarter the officers and men to the necessary stations according to their office or abilities, and to exercise them in the management of the artillery, that they may be more expert in the time of battle. See the articles Exercise and Quarters.
His station in an engagement is on the quarter-deck; at which time he is expected to take all opportunities of annoying his enemy, and improving every advantage over him; to exhibit an example of courage and fortitude to his officers and crew; and to place his ship opposite to his adversary in such a position as that every cannon shall do effectual execution. See Engagement.
At the time of his arrival in port after his return from abroad, he is to assemble his officers, and draw up a detail of the observations that have been made during the voyage; of the qualities of the ship, as to her trim, ballast, stowage, and manner of sailing, for the information and direction of those who may succeed in command; and this account is to be signed by himself and officers, and to be returned to the resident commissioner of the navy at the port where the ship is discharged.
CAREENING, faire abattre, (cariner, Fr.) the operation of heaving the ship down on one side, by the application of a strong purchase to her masts, which are properly supported for the occasion, to prevent them from breaking with so great a strain.
Careening is used to heave one of the ship’s sides so low in the water, as, that her bottom being elevated above its surface on the other side, (See Plate [I]. fig. 5.) may be cleansed of any filth which adheres to it, by Breaming, which see.
When a ship is laid on a careen, every thing is taken out of her: she is also said to careen, when inclining to one side at sea, as pressed with a weight of sail.
CARGO, chargement, the whole lading, or quantity, of whatever species of merchandise a ship is freighted with, in order to proceed from port to port.
CARLINGS, entremises, short pieces of timber ranging fore and aft, from one of the deck beams to another, into which their ends are scored: they are used to sustain and fortify the smaller beams of the ship, and are exhibited in the Deck, plate [III].
CARPENTER of a ship, charpentier, an officer appointed to examine and keep in order the frame of the ship, together with her masts, yards, boats, and all other wooden machinery.
It is his duty in particular to keep the ship tight; for which purpose he ought frequently to review the decks, and sides, and to calk them when it is found necessary. In the time of battle he is to examine up and down, with all possible attention, in the lower apartments of the ship, to stop any holes that may have been made in the sides by shot, with wooden plugs provided, of several sizes, for that purpose.
CARTEL, cartel, a ship commissioned in time of war to exchange the prisoners of any two hostile powers; also to carry any particular request or proposal from one to another: for this reason the officer who commands her is particularly ordered to carry no cargo, ammunition, or implements of war, except a single gun for the purpose of firing signals.
CASTING, in navigation, abattre, the motion of falling off, so as to bring the direction of the wind on either side of the ship after it had blown for some time right a-head.
This term is particularly applied to a ship when her anchor first loosens from the ground, when she is about to depart from any place where she had anchored; and as she had probably rested at anchor with her head to windward, it is plain she must turn it off, so as to fill the sails before she can advance in her course, which operation is called casting.
Hence she is said to cast the right way, or the wrong way. See Trim.
CAT, chatte, a ship employed in the coal trade, formed from the Norwegian model. It is distinguished by a narrow stern, projecting quarters, a deep waiste, and by having no ornamental figure on the prow.
These vessels are generally built remarkably strong, and carry from four to six hundred tons; or, in the Language of their own mariners, from twenty to thirty keels of coals.
Cat, capon, is also a sort of strong tackle, or complication of pullies, to hook and draw the anchor perpendicularly up to the cat-head. The use of this machine is represented in plate [II]. fig. 14.
CATAMARAN, catimoran, a sort of raft or float, formed by the fastening a number of poles to each other sideways, and laying boards, planks, &c. on the top, so as to convey goods or passengers to some distant place by water when no boat can be procured. This, however, can only be performed when the surface of the water is not much agitated.
CAT-HARPINGS, a purchase of ropes employed to brace in the shrouds of the lower masts behind their yards, for the double purpose of making the shrouds more tight, and of affording room to draw the yards in more obliquely, to trim the sails for a side-wind, when they are said to be close-hauled.
CAT-HEADS, bossoirs, two strong short beams of timber, which project almost horizontally over the ship’s bows, on each side of the bow-sprit, being like two radii which extend from a center taken in the direction of the bow-sprit.
That part of the cat-head which rests upon the fore-castle is securely bolted to the beams: the other part projects like a crane, as above described, and carries in its extremity two or three small wheels, or sheaves, of brass, or strong wood, about which a rope called the cat-fall passes, and communicates with the cat block, which also contains three sheaves. The machine formed by this combination of pullies is called the cat, which serves to pull the anchor up to the cat head without tearing the ship’s side with its flukes.
The cat-head also serves to suspend the anchor clear of the bow, when it is necessary to let it go: it is supported by a sort of knee, which is generally ornamented with sculpture.
The cat-block is fitted with a large and strong hook, which catches the ring of the anchor when it is to be drawn up. See a representation of this article plate [II]. fig. 14.
CATS PAW, echars, a light air of wind perceived at a distance in a calm, by the impression made on the surface of the sea, which it sweeps very lightly, and then decays.
CAULKING. See the article Calking.
CEILING, the inside planks of a ship. See Foot-waleing.
CENTER of a Fleet, or Squadron, corps de bataille, the middle of the line, which is always the station of the admiral or commander in chief, and ought to be the strongest proportionably, as it reaches from the van and rear. See Line of Battle.
To CHAFE, racquer, is to rub or fret the surface of a cable, mast, or yard, whilst the ship is agitated by the motion of the sea, or otherwise.
CHAIN-PUMP. See the article Pump.
CHAINS, cadenes, strong links or plates of iron, the lower ends of which are bolted through the ship’s side to the timbers.
They are placed at short distances from each other on the ship’s out-side, as being used to contain the blocks called dead-eyes, by which the shrouds of the masts are extended. The disposition of the chains, and that of their channels, is represented by the letters I, I, in the plane of Elevation, plate [I]. as also by fig. 16, plate [II].
CHAIN-SHOT, a particular kind of shot formed by fastening two cannon-balls together with a short chain, and designed to mangle and ruin a ship’s sails and rigging, or to destroy her masts and yards. See Shot.
Top CHAIN, a chain to sling the sail-yards in the time of battle, in order to prevent them from falling down when the ropes, by which they are hung, happen to be shot away, or rendered incapable of service.
CHAIN-WALE. See Channel.
CHANNEL, manche, in hydrography, the deepest part of a river, harbour, or streight, which is most convenient for the track of shipping.
CHANNELS, or Chain-Wales of a ship, porte bossoirs, broad and thick planks projecting horizontally from the ship’s out-side, a-breast of, and somewhat behind, the masts. See plate [II]. fig. 16.
They are formed to extend the shrouds from each other, and from the axis or middle line of the ship, so as to give a greater security and support to the masts, as well as to prevent the shrouds from damaging the gun-wale, or being hurt by rubbing against it. See also Shroud.
Every mast has its chain-wales, which are either built above or below the second deck-ports in a ship of the line: they are strongly connected to the side by knees, bolts, and standards, besides being confined thereto by the chains, whose upper ends pass through notches on the outer edge of the chain-wales, so as to unite with the shrouds above.
CHAPELING a ship, faire chapelle, the act of turning her round in a light breeze of wind when she is close-hauled, so as that she will lie the same way she did before. This is commonly occasioned by the negligence of the steersman, or by a sudden change of the wind.
CHARGE of a cannon. See the article Cannon.
CHART, (charta, Lat.) a marine map or draught, upon which are represented the coasts, isles, banks, rocks, and dangers of the sea, together with the rumbs of the wind, and the entrance of bays and rivers, whereby to shape and regulate the various courses of a ship in her voyage.
CHARTER-PARTY, charte-partie, a deed or writing made between merchants and sea-faring men, concerning their merchandise and maritime affairs.
A charter-party of affreightment settles the agreement in relation to the freight and cargo of a ship between the merchant and master, or commander of the vessel. It binds the master to deliver the cargo in good condition at the place where his ship is to be discharged, &c.
In those charter-parties, if the dangers of the sea are excepted, it has been adjudged that such exception extends as well to any danger upon sea from ships of war or pirates, as to common hazards by shipwreck, tempests, &c.
CHASE, a vessel pursued by some other, which she apprehends or knows to be an enemy.
Bow Chase, a cannon situated in the fore-part of a ship to fire upon any object a-head of her.
Stern Chases, the cannons which are placed in the after-part of a ship’s gun-room, pointing a-stern, and intended to strike any ship which chases her, or other object in her rear.
CHASING, the act of pursuing a ship or fleet, supposed or known to be hostile. The admiral displayed the signal for a general chace, i. e. gave the alarm to the whole fleet or squadron to pursue some other fleet in sight.
CHEARLY, a phrase which usually implies heartily, chearfully, or quickly, as row chearly in the boats! lower away chearly! i. e. row heartily, lower speedily, &c.
CHEEKS of the mast, jottereaux, the faces or projecting parts on each side of the masts, used to sustain the frame of the top, together with the top-mast, which rests immediately upon them.
CHESTREES, taquets d’ amure, two pieces of wood bolted perpendicularly, one on the starboard, and the other on the larboard side of the ship. They are used to confine the clue, or lower corners of the main-sail; for which purpose there is a hole in the upper part through which the rope passes that usually extends the clue of the sail to windward. See the article Tack.
The chess-trees are commonly placed as far before the main-mast as the length of the main-beam.
Clerk of the CHECK, an officer in the royal dock-yards, who keeps a muster or register of all the men employed aboard his majesty’s ships and vessels, and also of all the artificers and others in the service of the navy at the port where he is settled.
To CHINSE, is to thrust oakum into a seam or chink with the point of a knife or chissel. This is chiefly used as a temporary expedient when calking cannot be safely or conveniently performed.
CHOCK, a sort of wedge used to confine a cask, or other weighty body, in a certain place, and to prevent it from fetching way when the ship is in motion, &c.
CLAMPS, bauquieres, thick planks in a ship’s side, used to sustain the ends of the beams. See the article Midship Frame.
The clamps extend from the stem to the fashion-pieces of the stern, including the whole interior range of the side. They are placed close under each deck so as to be securely fayed to all the timbers, to which they are fastened by nails driven through the clamp, and penetrating two thirds of the thickness of the timbers.
The clamps of the lower and second decks ought to be equal in thickness to half the corresponding timbers in that part, and as broad as can be procured. In their disposition it is essentially necessary to avoid their being wounded by the ports, as the strength and firmness of a ship greatly depend on the substance and solidity of those pieces which lie horizontally in her frame.
Clamps are also small crooked plates of iron, fore-locked upon the trunnions of the cannon, to keep them steddy in their carriages at sea. These, however, are more properly termed cap-squares. See Cannon.
Clamps of the latter sort are likewise frequently used to fasten the masts or bowsprits of small vessels or boats.
CLAWING, or CLAWING-OFF, chicaner, in navigation, the act of beating or turning to windward from a lee-shore, so as to acquire a sufficient distance from it, to escape the dangers of shipwreck, which often attend so hazardous a situation.
CLEAR, as a naval term, is variously applied to the weather, the sea-coasts, cordage, navigation, &c. The weather is said to be clear (fin) when it is fair and open, as opposed to cloudy or foggy.
The sea-coast is called clear (saine) when the navigation is not interrupted, or rendered dangerous by rocks, sands, or breakers, &c.
It is expressed of cordage, cables, &c. when they are unembarrassed or disentangled so as to be ready for immediate service. It is usually opposed to foul, in all those senses.
CLEATS, taquets, pieces of wood of different shapes, used occasionally to fasten ropes upon in a ship: some of them have one, and some two arms, fig. 17, a, plate [II]. others are hollowed in the middle, and have no arms at all, fig. 17, b: these are nailed to the deck or sides to fasten any thing to.
CLINCH, that part of a cable, or other rope, which is fastened to the ring of the anchor.
CLINCHER-WORK, bordée à quoin, the disposition of the planks in the side of any boat or vessel, when the lower edge of every plank over-lays the next under it, like the slates on the top of a house.
CLOSE-HAULED, in navigation, au plus pres, the general arrangement or trim of a ship’s sails, when she endeavours to make a progress in the nearest direction possible towards that point of the compass from which the wind bloweth.
In this manner of sailing the keel commonly makes an angle of six points with the line of the wind; but sloops, and some other small vessels, are said to sail almost a point nearer. All vessels, however, are supposed to make nearly a point of lee-way, when close-hauled, even when they have the advantage of a good sailing-breeze and smooth water. The angle of lee-way, however, enlarges in proportion to the increase of the wind and sea.
In this disposition of the sails, they are all extended sideways on the ship, so that the wind, as it crosses the ship obliquely toward the stern from forwards, may fill their cavities. But as the current of wind also enters the cavities of the sails in an oblique direction, the effort of it, to make the ship advance, is considerably diminished: she will, therefore, make the least progress when sailing in this manner.
The ship is said to be close-hauled, because at this time her tacks, or lower corners of the principal sails, are drawn close down to her side to windward; the sheets hauled close aft; and all the bow-lines drawn to their greatest extension, in order to keep the sails steddy.
CLOSE-QUARTERS, certain strong barriers of wood stretching across a merchant-ship in several places. They are used as a place of retreat when a ship is boarded by her adversary, and are therefore fitted with several small loop-holes, through which to fire the small arms, whereby the ship’s crew may defend themselves and annoy the enemy. They are likewise furnished with several small caissons, called powder-chests, which are fixed upon the deck, and filled with powder, old nails, &c. and may be fired at any time from the close-quarters upon the boarders.
We have known an English merchant-ship, of sixteen guns, and properly fitted with close-quarters, defeat the united efforts of three French privateers who boarded her in the late war, after having engaged at some distance nearly a day and a half with very few intervals of rest. Two of the cruisers were equipped with twelve guns each, and the other with eight. The French sailors were, after boarding, so much exposed to the continued fire of musquetry, and coehorns charged with granadoes, that a dreadful scene of carnage ensued, in which the decks were soon covered with the dead bodies of the enemy, several of which the boarders, in their hurry to escape, had left behind.
CLUE of a sail, point, the lower corner, and hence
Clue-Garnets, cargues point, are a sort of tackles fastened to the clues, or lower corners of the mainsail and foresail, to truss them up to the yard as occasion requires, which is usually termed clueing-up the sails.
Clue-Lines are for the same purpose as clue-garnets, only that the latter are confined to the courses, whereas the clue-lines are common to all the square sails. See these ropes, as represented in the article Sail.
COACH, or COUCH, a sort of chamber or apartment in a large ship of war near the stern. The floor of it is formed by the aftmost part of the quarter-deck, and the roof of it by the poop: it is generally the habitation of the captain.
COAMINGS of the hatches, certain raised borders about the edge of the hatches of a ship, to prevent the water which may flow in upon the deck at sea, from running down into the lower apartments. They are represented in the Deck, plate [III]. as enclosing their respective hatchways.
COASTING, in navigation, aller terre à terre, the act of making a progress along the sea-coast of any country. The principal articles relating to this part of navigation are, the observing the time and direction of the tide; knowledge of the reigning winds; of the roads and havens; of the different depths of the water, and qualities of the ground.
COASTING-PILOT, cotier, a pilot, who by long experience has become sufficiently acquainted with the nature of any particular coast, and of the requisites mentioned in the preceding article, to conduct a ship or fleet from one part of it to another.
COAT, braye, a piece of tarred canvas nailed round that part of the masts and bowsprit which joins to the deck, or lies over the stem of a ship. It is used to prevent the water from running down into the hold, or between the decks.
Besides those above mentioned, there is a coat for the rudder nailed round the hole where the rudder traverses in the ship’s counter. This hole is represented at the upper part of the stern-post, exhibited in plate [X].
Coat, suage, also implies the materials or stuff with which the ship’s sides or masts are varnished, to preserve them from the sun and weather, as turpentine, tar, &c. In this sense we say, “Give her a good coat of tar.”
COBBING, a punishment sometimes inflicted at sea. It is performed by striking the offender a certain number of times on the breech with a flat piece of wood called the cobbing-board. It is chiefly used as a punishment to those who quit their station during the period of the night-watch.
COBOOSE, fogone (kambuis, Dutch), a sort of box or house to cover the chimney of some merchant-ships. It is somewhat resembling a centry-box, and generally stands against the barricade on the fore part of the quarter-deck.
COCK-PIT of a ship of war, the apartments of the surgeon and his mates, being the place where the wounded men are dressed in the time of battle, or otherwise. It is situated under the lower-deck.
COCKSWAIN, or COXEN, the officer who manages and steers a boat, and has the command of the boat’s crew. It is evidently compounded of the words cock and swain, the former of which was anciently used for a yawl or small boat, as appears by several authors[[5]]; but it has now become obsolete, and is never used by our mariners.
COIL, (cueillir, Fr.) the manner in which all ropes are disposed aboard ships for the conveniency of stowage, because
COILING, rouer, implies a sort of serpentine winding of a cable or other rope, that it may occupy a small space in the ship. Each of the windings of this sort is called a fake, and one range of fakes upon the same line is called a tier; there are generally from five to seven fakes in a tier; and three or four tiers in the whole length of the cable. This, however, depends on the extent of the fakes. The smaller ropes employed about the sails are coiled upon cleats at sea, to prevent their being entangled amongst one another in traversing, contracting, or extending the sails.
COLLAR, collier d’ etai, a name given to the lower part of any of the principal stays of the masts, or the part by which the stay is confined at its lower end. Thus the collar of the main-stay connects the lower end of the stay to the ship’s stem. See the article Stay.
COLOURS, the flags or banners which distinguish the ships of different nations. See the articles Ensign, Jack, and Pendant.
COLLIERS, certain vessels employed to carry coals from one port to another, chiefly from the northern parts of England to the capital, and more southerly parts, as well as to foreign markets. This trade is known to be an excellent nursery for seamen, although they are often found, from the constitution of their climate, to be not so well calculated for southern navigation.
COMMAND, in the royal navy, implies the rank and power of an officer who has the management of a ship of war, of whatever kind, under twenty guns, as sloops of war, armed ships, or bomb-vessels. He is intitled master and commander, capitaine du petit état, and ranks with a major in the king’s army.
Commander is also expressed of a large wooden mallet used on sundry occasions in a ship.
COMMISSIONERS of the navy, certain officers appointed to superintend the affairs of the marine, under the direction of the lord-high-admiral, or lords commissioners of the admiralty.
The duty of these officers does not extend to the internal government of ships invested with a military command, either at sea or in the port. It is more immediately concerned in the building, docking, repairing, and cleaning of ships in the dock-yards. In consideration of this, all ships of war are commissioned from a report of their qualities presented to the Admiralty by the Navy-board.
They have also the appointment of some of the inferior sea-officers, as surgeons, and masters of ships.
The principal officers and commissioners residing at the board are, 1, The comptroller. 2, Two surveyors, who are shipwrights. 3, Clerk of the acts. 4. Comptroller of the treasurer’s accounts. 5. Comptroller of the victualling accounts. 6. Comptroller of the store-keeper’s accounts. 7. An extraordinary commissioner. Besides these, there are three resident commissioners, who manage the affairs of the dock-yards at Chatham, Portsmouth, and Plymouth, under the direction of the board at the Navy-office.
COMMODORE, chef d’ escadre, a general officer in the British marine, invested with the command of a detachment of ships of war destined on any particular enterprise; during which time he bears the rank of brigadier-general in the army, and is distinguished from the inferior ships of his squadron by a broad red pendant tapering towards the outer-end, and sometimes forked. The word is corrupted from the Spanish comendador.
Commodore is also a name given to some select ship in a fleet of merchantmen, who leads the van in time of war, and carries a light in his top, to conduct the rest and keep them together.
COMPANION, a sort of wooden porch placed over the entrance or stair case of the master’s cabin in a merchant-ship.
COMPANY, the whole crew of any ship, including her officers.
COMPASS, an instrument employed to determine the ship’s course at sea, and consisting of a card and two boxes. The card, which is calculated to represent the horizon, is a circle divided into thirty-two equal parts, by lines drawn from the center to the circumference, called points or rumbs. The intervals between the points are also subdivided into equal parts called degrees, 360 of which complete the circle; and consequently the distance or angle comprehended between any two rumbs is equal to 11°, 15´ The four principal rumbs are called the cardinal points, deriving their names from the places to which they tend; viz. the two which extend themselves under the meridian, opposite to each other, pointing to the north and south, are called the north and south points. That which is towards the right hand as we look north is termed east, and its opposite the west point. The names of all the inferior ones are compounded of these, according to their situation. Along the north and south-line is fixed a steel needle, which being touched by the load-stone acquires a certain virtue that makes it hang nearly in the plane of the meridian, and consequently determine the direction of the other points toward the horizon.
The compass being of the utmost importance to the purposes of navigation, it is reasonable to expect that the greatest attention should be used in its construction, and every attempt to improve it carefully examined, and adopted, if proper. Great errors and irregularities, however, have been found incident to the construction of common compasses, arising from the shape of their needles, by which they have not only turned from the true direction, but from that of each other[[6]]. To remedy these inconveniencies, the learned Dr. Knight was induced to contrive a new sea-compass, which is now used aboard all our vessels of war[[7]]. The needles of the other instruments were generally composed of two pieces of steel wire, bent in the middle, and approaching each other towards the ends, where they met. Others were made of one piece of steel of a spring temper, and broad towards the ends, but tapering towards the middle; but the needle in Dr. Knight’s compass is quite straight, and square at the ends, and consequently has only two poles, although the curves are a little confused about the hole in the middle. Needles of this construction, after vibrating a long time, will always point exactly in the same direction; and if drawn ever so little on one side, will return to it again, without any sensible difference.
In order to illustrate the above description, we have exhibited a view of the several parts of the compass, plate [II]. where fig. 19, is the card, with the needle N S, and its cap fixed upon it.
Fig. 21, is the pedestal that supports the card, containing a sewing needle fixed in two small grooves to receive it, by means of a collet C, in the manner of a port crayon. D, the stem, is filed into an octogon, that it may the more easily be unscrewed.
A B, fig. 20, is the box in which the compass hangs in the binacle.
C D, is the ring that supports the inner box.
E F, is the inner box, which contains the card and needle.
G H, one of its axes, by which it is suspended on the ring C D.
I, is a place cut out in the wood, serving as an handle.
The magnet or needle appears passing though the center, together with a small brace of ivory that confines the cap to its place.
The card is a single varnished paper, reaching as far as the outer circle of figures, which is a circle of thin brass; the edge whereof is turned down at right angles to the plane of the card, in order to stiffen it.
The compass is retained in the binacle at sea, as exhibited in plate [I]. fig. 6. For the other parts of the compass represented in the figure, see the article Azimuth.
COMPASSING, devers, a name given by shipwrights to such pieces of timber as are incurvated into the figure of an arch, whether circular, elliptical, or otherwise.
COMPTROLLER of the navy, one of the principal officers of the Navy-board, at which he presides, to direct the inferior and civil department of the marine, as the admiralty superintends the superior and military operations of it.
CONVOY, conserve, (convoyer, Fr.) a fleet or navy of merchant-ships bound on a voyage to some particular part or general rendezvous.
Convoy also implies the ship or ships appointed to conduct and defend them on their passage thither.
CORDAGE, (cordage, Fr.) a general term for the running rigging of a ship, or all that part of her rigging which is employed to extend, contract, or traverse the sails; or which lies in reserve to supply the place of such as may be rendered unserviceable. See the article Rigging.
CORPORAL of a ship of war, an officer under the master at arms, employed to teach the sailors the exercise of small arms, or musketry; to attend at the gangway, or entering-ports, and observe that no spirituous liquors are brought into the ship, unless by particular leave from the officers. He is also to extinguish the fire and candles at eight o’clock in winter, and nine in summer, when the evening gun is fired; and to walk frequently down in the lower decks in his watch, to see that there are no lights but such as are under the charge of proper centinels.
CORPOSANT, feu St. Elme (corpo santo, Ital.), a sort of volatile meteor, or ignis fatuus, often beheld in a dark and tempestuous night about the decks or rigging of a ship, but particularly at the extremities, as the mast-heads, and yard arms: it is most frequent in heavy rain, accompanied with lightning. “They usually wander with uncertain motion from place to place, sometimes appearing to cleave close to the sails and masts; but they frequently leap up and down with intermission, affording an obscure flame, like that of a candle burning faintly. They are produced by some sulphureous and bituminous matter, which being beat down by the motion of the air above, and gathering together, is kindled by the agitation of the air, as butter is gathered together by the agitation of the cream. And from this appearance we infer that storms come from sulphureous spirits that rarify the air, and put it into a motion.” Varenius.
CORSAIR, (corsair, Fr.) a name commonly given to the piratical cruisers of Barbary, who frequently plunder the merchant-ships of European nations with whom they are at peace.
COTT, a particular sort of bed-frame, suspended from the beams of a ship, for the officers to sleep in between the decks. This contrivance is much more convenient at sea than either the hammocks or fixed cabins, being a large piece of canvas sewed into the form of a chest, about six feet long, one foot deep, and from two to three feet wide: it is extended by a square wooden frame with a canvas bottom, equal to its length and breadth, to retain it in an horizontal position.
COVE, anse, a small creek or bay, where boats or little vessels may ride at anchor sheltered from the wind and sea.
COUNTER, contre-arcasse, an arch or vault whose upper-part is terminated by the bottom of the stern, and the lower part by the wing-transom and buttock, being expressed by the letters KG, in the elevation, plate [I]. as likewise by the same letters in fig. 1, plate [X]. and the figure referred to from the article Quarter.
There is also another counter above, parallel to this, but not vaulted; it extends from the upper-part of the lower, or vaulted counter, to the moulding which terminates the windows of the cabin or ward-room below. This latter is usually called the upper or second counter.
COUNTER-BRACING. See this operation fully explained in the article Tacking.
COURSE, route, in navigation, the angle contained between the nearest meridian and that point of the compass upon which a ship sails in any particular direction.
COURSES, pacfis, a name by which the principal sails of a ship are usually distinguished, viz. the main-sail, fore-sail, and mizen: the mizen-stay-sail and fore-sail are also sometimes comprehended in this denomination, as are the main-stay-sails of all brigs and schooners. See the article Sail.
CRAB, a sort of wooden pillar, whose lower end, being let down through a ship’s decks, rests upon a socket like the capstern; and having in its upper-end three or four holes, at different heights, thro’ the middle of it, above one another, into which long bars are thrust, whose length is nearly equal to the breadth of the deck. It is employed to wind in the cable, or to purchase any other weighty matter which requires a great mechanical power. This differs from a capstern, as not being furnished with a drum-head, and by having the bars to go intirely through it, reaching from one side of the deck to the other; whereas those of the capstern, which are superior in number, reach only about eight inches or a foot into the drum-head, according to the size thereof. This machine is represented in plate [II]. by fig. 10, and 13. See also Capstern.
CRADLE, slee, a frame placed under the bottom of a ship, in order to conduct her smoothly and steddily into the water when she is to be lanched; at which time it supports her weight whilst she slides down the descent, or sloping passage called the ways, which are for this purpose daubed with soap and tallow. This frame is exhibited by fig. 23, plate [II].
CRAFT, a general name for all sorts of vessels employed to load or discharge merchant-ships, or to carry along-side, or return the stores of men of war: such are lighters, hoys, barges, prames, &c. See those articles.
CRANK, coté-foible, the quality of a ship, which for want of a sufficient quantity of ballast or cargo, is rendered incapable of carrying sail without being exposed to the danger of overturning. See the articles Ballast and Trim.
Crank, is also an iron brace which supports the lanthorns on the poop-quarters, &c.
CRAWL, bouchot, a sort of pen, or place of confinement, formed by a barrier of stakes and hurdles on the sea-coast, to contain any sort of fish within it.
CREEPER, an instrument of iron resembling a grappling, having a shank and four hooks or claws, fig. 24, plate [II]. It is used to throw into the bottom of any river or harbour, with a rope fastened to it, to hook and draw up any thing from the bottom which may have been lost.
CRINGLE, ancet, a small hole made in the bolt-rope of a sail, by inter-twisting one of the divisions of a rope, called a strand, alternately round itself and through the strands of the bolt-rope, till it becomes three-fold, and assumes the shape of a wreath or ring. See plate [II]. fig. 25, where a, b, represents part of the bolt-rope of a sail; and c, the cringle.
The use of the cringle is generally to contain the end of some rope, which is fastened thereto, for the purpose of drawing up the sail to its yard, or of extending the skirts by the means of bridles to stand upon a side-wind. The word seems to be derived from krinckelen, (Belg.) to run into twists.
CROSS-JACK, pronounced crojeck, a sail extended on the lower yard of the mizen-mast, which is hence called the cross-jack yard, vergue seche. This sail, however, has generally been found of little service, and is therefore very seldom used.
CROSS PIECE, rasteau, a rail of timber extended over the windlass of a merchant-ship from the knight-heads to the belfry. It is stuck full of wooden pins, which are used to fasten the running-rigging as occasion requires. See the article Windlass.
CROSS-TREES, barres de hune, certain pieces of timber supported by the cheeks and tressel-trees, at the upper-ends of the lower-masts, athwart which they are laid, to sustain the frame of the top.
CROTCHES, fourcats, (croccia, Ital.) a name given to those crooked timbers that are placed upon the keel in the fore and hind-parts of a ship, upon which the frame of her hull grows narrower below, as it approaches the stern afore, and the stern-post abaft.
Crotches, cornes, are also certain pieces of wood or iron, whose upper part opens into two horns or arms, like a half-moon. They are fixed in different places of the ship, according to the uses for which they may be designed, which is usually to support the spare-masts, yards, &c. The iron crotches are exhibited in plate [II]. fig. 26.
CROW, an iron lever well known in mechanics, and furnished with a sharp point at one end, and two claws at the other, as appears in fig. 27, plate [II].
This instrument is used for various purposes, by shipwrights and mariners; as to remove pieces of timber, and other weighty bodies; and to draw spike-nails, &c. as well as to manage the great guns, by moving them into their ports, levelling or pointing them to a particular object.
To CROWD, forcer de voiles, (cruth, Sax.) to carry an extraordinary force of sail upon a ship, in order to accelerate her course on some important occasion, as in pursuit of, or flight from, an enemy; to escape any immediate danger, &c.
CROW-FOOT, trelingage, a complication of small cords spreading out from a long block, like the smaller parts which extend from the back-bone of a herring. See plate [II]. fig. 27. It is used to suspend the awnings; or to keep the top-sails from striking violently and fretting against the edges of the tops.
CROWNING, the finishing part of a knot made on the end of a rope. It is performed by interweaving the ends of the different brands artfully amongst each other, so as that they may not become loosened or untwisted. The design of these knots is to keep the end of the rope fast in some place assigned for it: they are more particularly useful in all kinds of stoppers.
CRUISE, campaigne (croiser, Fr.), a voyage or expedition in quest of vessels or fleets of the enemy, which may be expected to sail through any particular tract of the sea at a certain season of the year. The region in which these cruises are performed, is usually termed the rendezvous or cruising-latitude. When the ships employed for this purpose, which are accordingly called cruisers, have arrived at their destined station, they traverse the sea backward and forward, under an easy sail, and within a limited space, conjectured to be nearly in the tract of their expected adversaries.
CUDDY, coqueron, a sort of cabin, or cook-room, in the fore-part, or near the stern, of a lighter or barge of burden.
CUNNING, faire gouverner, the art of directing the steersman to guide the ship in her proper course: the officer who performs this duty is either the pilot or quarter-master.
CURRENT, in navigation, courans, (currens, Lat.) a certain progressive movement of the water of the sea, by which all bodies floating therein are compelled to alter their course, or velocity, or both, and submit to the laws imposed on them by the current.
In the sea, currents are either natural and general, as arising from the diurnal rotation of the earth about its axis; or accidental and particular, caused by the waters being driven against promontories, or into gulfs and streights; where, wanting room to spread, they are driven back, and thus disturb the ordinary flux of the sea.
“Currents are various, and directed towards different parts of the ocean, of which some are constant, and others periodical. The most extraordinary current of the sea is that by which part of the Atlantic or African ocean moves about Guinea from Cape Verd towards the curvature or bay of Africa, which they call Fernando Poo, viz. from west to east, contrary to the general motion. And such is the force of this current, that when ships approach too near the shore, it carries them violently towards that bay, and deceives the mariners in their reckoning.
“There is a great variety of shifting currents, which do not last, but return at certain periods; and these do, most of them, depend upon, and follow the anniversary winds or monsoons, which by blowing in one place may cause a current in another[[8]].” Varenius.
In the streights of Gibraltar the currents almost constantly drive to the eastward, and carry ships into the Mediterranean: they are also found to drive the same way into St. George’s-channel.
The setting, or progressive motion of the current, may be either quite down to the bottom, or to a certain determinate depth.
As the knowledge of the direction and velocity of currents is a very material article in navigation, it is highly necessary to discover both, in order to ascertain the ship’s situation and course with as much accuracy as possible. The most successful method which has been hitherto attempted by mariners for this purpose, is as follows. A common iron pot, which may contain four or five gallons, is suspended by a small rope fastened to its ears or handles, so as to hang directly upright, as when placed upon the fire. This rope, which may be from 70 to 100 fathoms in length, being prepared for the experiment, is coiled in the boat, which is hoisted out of the ship at a proper opportunity, when there is little or no wind to ruffle the surface of the sea. The pot being then thrown overboard into the water, and immediately sinking, the line is slackened till about seventy or eighty fathoms run out, after which the line is fastened to the boat’s stem, by which she is accordingly restrained, and rides as at anchor. The velocity of the current is then easily tried by the log and half-minute glass, the usual method of discovering the rate of a ship’s sailing at sea. The course of the stream is next obtained by means of the compass provided for this operation.
Having thus found the setting and drift of the current, it remains to apply this experiment to the purposes of navigation. If the ship sails along the direction of the current, then the motion of the ship is increased by as much as is the drift or velocity of the current.
If a current sets directly against the ship’s course, then her motion is retarded in proportion to the strength of the current. Hence it is plain,
1. If the velocity of the current be less than that of the ship, then the ship will advance so much as is the difference of these velocities.
2. If the velocity of the current be more than that of the ship, then will the ship fall as much astern as is the difference of these velocities.
3. If the velocity of the current be equal to that of the ship, then will the ship stand still, the one velocity destroying the other.
If the current thwarts the course of a ship, it not only diminishes or increases her velocity, but gives her a new direction, compounded of the course she steers, and the setting of the current, as appears by the following
LEMMA.
If a body at A be impelled by two forces at the same time, the one in the direction A B, carrying it from A to B in a certain space of time, and the other in the direction A D, pushing it from A to D in the same time; complete the parallelogram ABCD, and draw the diagonal A C: then the body at A, (which let us suppose a ship agitated by the wind and current; A B, being the line along which she advances as impressed by the wind, and A D the line upon which she is driven by the current) will move along the diagonal A C, and will be in the point C, at the end of the time in which it would have moved along A D or AB, as impelled by either of those forces (the wind or current) separately.
CUTTER, bateau, a small vessel commonly navigated in the channel of England; it is furnished with one mast, and rigged as a sloop.
Many of these vessels are used on an illicit trade, and others employed by the government to seize them; the latter of which are either under the direction of the Admiralty or Custom-house. See a representation of a cutter of this sort in the plate referred to from the article Vessel.
Cutter is also a small boat used by ships of war. See Boat.
CUTTING-DOWN Line, a curved line used by shipwrights in the delineation of ships: it determines the thickness of all the floor timbers, and likewise the height of the dead-wood, afore and abaft. It is limited in the middle of the ship by the thickness of the floor-timber, and abaft by the breadth of the kelson; and must be carried up so high upon the stem, as to leave sufficient substance for the breeches of the rising timbers. Murray’s Ship-building.
CUT-WATER, the foremost part of a ship’s prow, formed of an assemblage of several pieces of timber, to render it broad at the upper-part, where it projects forward from the stem to open the column of water as the ship sails along, and also to make her keep to windward better, when she is close-hauled. It is otherwise called the knee of the head. See the article Stem; as also the several parts of it represented in plate [I]. Pieces of the Hull.