SHADES. Coloured glasses for quadrants, sextants, and circles. (See [Dark Glasses, or Screens].)
SHAFT OF A MINE. The narrow perpendicular pit by which the gallery is entered, and from which the branches of the mine diverge.
SHAG. A small species of cormorant, Phalacrocorax graculus.
SHAG-BUSH. An old term for a harquebus, or hand-gun.
SHAKE, To. To cast off fastenings, as—To shake out a reef. To let out a reef, and enlarge the sail.—To shake off a bonnet of a fore-and-aft sail.—To shake a cask. To take it to pieces, and pack up the parts, then termed "shakes." Thus the term expressing little value, "No great shakes."
SHAKE IN THE WIND, To. To bring a vessel's head so near the wind, when close-hauled, as to shiver the sails.
SHAKES. A name given by shipwrights to the cracks or rents in any piece of timber, occasioned by the sun or weather. The same as rends or [shans] (which see).
SHAKING A CLOTH IN THE WIND. In galley parlance, expresses the being slightly intoxicated.
SHAKINGS. Refuse of cordage, canvas, &c., used for making oakum, paper, &c.
SHALLOP, Shalloop, or Sloop. A small light fishing vessel, with only a small main-mast and fore-mast for lug-sails. They are commonly good sailers, and are therefore often used as tenders to men-of-war. Also, a large heavy undecked boat, with one mast, fore-and-aft main-sail, and jib-foresail. The gunboats on the French coasts were frequently termed chaloupes, and carried one heavy gun, with a crew of 40 men. Also, a small boat rowed by one or two men.