The Sailor's Word-Book / An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc.

by W. H. Smyth

CAST. A short boat passage.

CAST-AWAY. Shipwrecked.

CAST-AWAYS. People belonging to vessels stranded by stress of weather. Men who have hidden themselves, or are purposely left behind, when their vessel quits port.

CASTING ACCOUNTS. Sea-sickness.

CAST-KNEES. Those hanging knees which compass or arch over the angle of a man-of-war's ports, rider, &c.

CASTLE. A place strong by art or nature, or by both. A sort of little citadel. (See [Forecastle], [Aft-castle], &c.)

CASTLE-WRIGHTS. Particular artificers employed in the erection of the early ship's castles.

CAST-OFFS. Landsmen's clothes.

CAST OF THE LEAD. The act of heaving the lead into the sea to ascertain what depth of water there is. (See also [Heave the Lead] and [Sounding].) The result is a cast—"Get a cast of the lead."

CASTOR. α Gemini, a well-known nautical star in the zodiac, which has proved to be a double star.