An Universal Dictionary of the Marine / Or, a Copious Explanation of the Technical Terms and Phrases Employed in the Construction, Equipment, Furniture, Machinery, Movements, and Military Operations of a Ship. Illustrated With Variety of Original Designs of Shipping, in Different Situations; Together With Separate Views of Their Masts, Sails, Yards, and Rigging. to Which Is Annexed, a Translation of the French Sea-terms and Phrases, Collected from the Works of Mess. Du Hamel, Aubin, Saverien, &c.

by William Falconer

14th. Secure your guns.

“The muzzle lashings must first be made secure, and then with one tackle (having all its parts equally taught with the breeching) the gun is to be lashed. The other tackle is to be bowsed taught, and by itself made fast, that it may be ready to cast off for lashing a second breeching.

“N. B. Care must be taken to hook the first tackle to the upper bolt of the carriage, that it may not otherwise obstruct the reeving of the second breeching, and to give the greater length to the end part of the fall.

“No pains must be spared in bowsing the lashing very taught, that the gun may have the least play that is possible, as their being loose may be productive of very dangerous consequences.

“The quoin, crow, and handspike, are to be put under the gun, the powder-horn hung up in its place, &c.

“Being engaged at any time when there is a large swell, a rough sea, or in squally weather, &c. as the ship may be liable to be suddenly much heeled, the port-tackle falls is to be kept clear, and (whenever the working of the gun will admit of it) the man charged with that office is to keep it in his hand; at the same time the muzzle lashing is to be kept fast to the ring of the port, and being hauled taught, is to be fastened to the eye-bolt over the port-hole, so as to be out of the gun’s way in firing, in order to haul it in at any time of danger.

“This precaution is not to be omitted, when engaging to the windward, any more than when to the leeward, those situations being very subject to alter at too short a warning.

“A train tackle is always to be made use of with the lee-guns, and the man stationed to attend it is to be very careful in preventing the gun’s running out at an improper time.”

Exercise may also be applied with propriety to the forming our fleets into orders of sailing, lines of battle, &c. an art which the French have termed evolutions, or tactiques. In this sense exercise may be defined, the execution of the movements which the different orders and disposition of fleets occasionally require, and which the several ships are directed to perform by means of signals.

EYE of a block-strop. In the article Block it has been mentioned, that a block is commonly bound with a ring, or wreath, formed of a piece of rope, called the strop; the eye of the strop, therefore, is that part by which it is fastened, or suspended, to any particular place upon the sails, yards, or rigging, the eye whereof is represented by fig. 37, plate [II]. The eye is sometimes formed by fastening the two ends of the strop together with a short line, so as to bind round a mast, yard, or boom, as occasion requires. See fig. 38, of the same plate.