LEATHER. See [Lather].
LEATHER-JACKET. A tropical fish with a very thick skin.
LEAVE. Permission to be absent from the ship for the day. (See [Absence], [Liberty].)—French leave. Going on shore without permission.—Long leave. Permission to be absent for a number of days.
LEAVE-BREAKING. A liberty man not being back to his time.
LEAVE-TICKET. See [Liberty-ticket].
LEAX. See [Lex].
LEDGE. A compact line of rocks running parallel to the coast, and which is not unfrequent opposite sandy beaches. The north coast of Africa, between the Nile and the Lesser Syrtis, is replete with them.
LEDGES. The 'thwart-ship pieces from the waste-trees to the roof-trees in the framing of the decks, let into the carlings, to bear gratings, &c. Any cross-pieces of fir or scantling.
LEDO. A barbarous Latin law-term (ledo -onis) for the rising water, or increase of the sea.
LEE. From the Scandinavian word lœ or laa, the sea; it is the side opposite to that from which the wind is blowing; as, if a vessel has the wind on her port side, that side will be the weather, and the starboard will be the lee side.—Under the lee, expresses the situation of a vessel anchored or sailing near the weather-shore, where there is always smoother water than at a great distance from it.—To lay a ship by the lee, or to come up by the lee, is to let her run off until the wind is brought on the lee-quarter, so that all her sails lie flat against the masts and shrouds.