CURRENT SAILING. The method of determining the true motion of a ship, when, besides being acted upon by the wind, she is drifting by the effect of a current. A due allowance must therefore be made by the navigator.
CURRIER. A small musketoon with a swivel mounting.
CURSOR. The moving wire in a reading microscope.
CURTAIN. In fortification, that part of the rampart which is between the flanks of two opposite bastions, which are thereby connected.
CURTALL, or Curtald. An ancient piece of ordnance used in our early fleets, apparently a short one.
CURTATE DISTANCE. An astronomical term, denoting the distance of a body from the sun or earth projected upon the ecliptic.
CURTLE-AXE. The old term for cutlass or cutlace.
CURVED FIRE. A name coming into use with the increasing application of the fire of heavy and elongated shells to long-range bombardment and cannonade. It is intermediate between horizontal and vertical fire, possessing much of the accuracy and direct force of the former, as well as of the searching properties of the latter.
CURVE OF THE COAST. When the shore alternately recedes and projects gradually, so as to trend towards a curve shape.
CUSEFORNE. A long open whale-boat of Japan.