MATÉen caravelle, fitted with pole top-masts.
Matéen chandelier, masted upright. Expressed of a ship whose masts are stayed so as neither to hang forward or aft.
Matéen frégate, the bent or inclination of the masts, when they rake forward, or stoop towards the head.
Matéen fourche, orà corne, masted for a boom and gaff; as a schooner or sloop.
Matéen galere, to be masted as a galley, with only two masts without any top-mast.
Matéen semaque, masted for a sprit which crosses the sail diagonally.
MATELOT, a sailor, or mariner; a man before the mast.
MATELOTAGE, the hire, wages, or pay of seamen.
Il est un bonMatelot, he is an able seaman.
VaisseauMatelot, a good company-keeper, or a ship that sails well, and keeps her station in a fleet; also the ships, in a fleet of men of war, which are appointed seconds to the admirals or commanding officers.
MATELOTS-gardiens, the ordinary-men of a royal dock-yard, and its harbour or dock, including also the carpenters and calkers appointed to watch in the ships of war.
MATER, to fix or place the masts of a ship.
MATEREAU, a small mast, or end of a mast.
MATEUR, a mast-maker. SeeMaître-mateur.
MATURE, the art of masting ships; also a general name for the masts themselves.
LaMature, the mast-shed, or the place where the masts are made.
MAY, a sort of trough bored full of holes, wherein to drain cordage, when it is newly tarred.
MAUGERES, orMauges, the scupper-holes.
MECHE, the match by which a cannon is fired.
Mechede cabestan, the middle-piece, or body of the capstern.
Mechede mât, the main or middle-piece of a lower-mast, which is composed of several pieces, as usual in many ships of war.
Mechedu gouvernail, the principal piece of a rudder.
Meched’une corde, the middle strand of a four stranded rope.
MEMBRESde vaisseau, the frames of a ship, or the pieces of which the ribs are composed, as floor-timbers, top-timbers, and futtocks.
MER, the sea; whence,
Pleine-Mer, full sea.
Haute-Mer, high water. SeeMarée.
Mersans fond, a part of the sea where there is no anchoring-ground.
LaMerà perdu, the sea is fallen, it is falling-water.
LaMerbrise, the sea breaks, or foams, by striking a rock or shore.
LaMerbrûle, the sea burns, as in a dark and tempestuous night.
LaMerest courte, the sea runs short, broken, or interrupted.
LaMerest longue, the sea runs long and steddy, or without breaking.
LaMerétale, the sea is smooth, as in a calm.
LaMermugit, the sea roars, as being turbulent.
LaMerrapporte, the spring-tides have begun, or commenced.
LaMerroule, the sea rolls.
LaMerse creuse, the sea rises and runs cross.
LaMerva chercher le vent, the wind rises against the sea.
Il y à de laMer, the sea runs high. When the violence of the waves are abated, they say, in a contrary sense,Il n’y à plus deMer.
Jetter à laMer, to throw overboard.
Mettre à laMer, orfaire voiles, to put to sea, or set sail.
Tenir laMer, to keep the sea, or hold out in the offing.
Tirer à laMer. SeeBouterau large.
Recevoir un coup deMer, to ship a sea.
MERLIN, marline, or merline.
MERLINERune voile, to marle a sail to the foot-rope.
Arbre deMESTRE, the main-mast of a row-galley.
METTREà bord, to bring, or carry aboard.
Mettreà la voile, to get under sail, to set sail.
Mettreun navire en rade, to carry a ship into any road.
Mettreà terre, to carry, or put ashore, to disembark.
Mettrela grande voile à l’échelle, to get the main-tack down with a passaree.
Mettreles basses voiles sur les cargues, to haul up the courses in the brails.
Mettreles voiles dedans,Mettreà sec, ouMettreà mâts & à cordes, to take in, furl, or hand all the sails.
Mettrele linguet, to paul the capstern, or put in the paul.
Mettreun matelot à terre, to set ashore one of the crew, to turn adrift or maroon a sailor.
Mettreun ancre en place, to stow an anchor on the bow.
MEURTRIERES,ouJalousies, the loop-holes in a ship’s sides or bulk-heads, through which they can fire musquetry on the enemy.
MI-mat. SeeHunier.
MINOT,boute-dehors,defense, the davit of a ship: also a fire-boom.
MINUTE, a nautical, or astronomical mile.
MIRE& coins deMire, the coins, or aiming wedges of a cannon.
Prendre saMire, to take aim with a cannon, to level, or point a cannon, or other fire-arm, to its object.
MIRER, to loom, or appear indistinctly, as the land under a cloud on the sea-coast.
MIROIR. SeeEcusson.
MISAINE, the fore-mast.
Misaine, orvoile deMisaine, the fore-sail.
MITRAILLES, langrage shot, or small pieces of iron, or old nails, with which cannon are sometimes charged in a sea-fight.
MODELE. SeeGabarit.
MOISde gages, the monthly pay, or wages of a sailor.
MOLEde port, a pier, or mole-head, raised across the mouth of a harbour, to break off the force of the sea.
MOLERen pouppe, ou poger, to bear away and bring the wind aft, in the dialect of Provence and Italy.
MOLLIR,une corde, to slacken, douse, or ease off a taught rope.
MONSON, orMouson, a monsoon, or trade-wind of India.
MONTANSde poulaine, the timbers of the head, or upright rails, which are usually ornamented with sculpture.
Montansde voute, the stern-timbers.
LeMONTANTde l’eau, orle flot, flowing water, the flood tide.
MONTÉ, mounted, or equipped with a certain number of guns, or men; as,
VaisseauMontéde 50 ou 60 canons, a ship mounting 50 or 60 guns.
VaisseauMontéde trois cent hommes, a ship manned with three hundred hands, or whose complement consists of three hundred.
Monterle gouvernail, to hang the rudder.
Monterau vent, to spring the luff, or haul the wind.
MONTURE, the arming a ship for war, or mounting her with cannon, and other fire-arms, and manning her.
MOQUE, a heart, or dead-eye of a stay.
Moquede civadiere, a sprit-sail-sheet block.
Moquede trélingage, the dead-eye of a crow-foot.
MORDRE, to bite, or hold fast; understood of the claw or flook of an anchor which is sunk in the ground.
MORNE, a name given in America to a cape or promontory.
MORTAISE, a hole or mortise, cut to receive the end of a piece of timber, called the tenant or tenon.
Mortaisede gouvernail, the hole in the rudder-head which contains the tiller.
Mortaisede poulie, the channel, or vacant space in a block formed to contain the sheave.
Mortaisedu mât de hune, the fid-hole of a top-mast.
MORTE-d’eau, orMorte-eau, nip tides, or neap-tides; also dead low water.
MORTIER, a mortar, employed to throw bombs or carcases from a ketch.
MOUFFLEde poulie, the shell of a block. SeeArcasse.
MOUILLAGE, anchoring-ground.
MauvaisMouillage, foul ground, bad anchor-ground, or foul bottom.
MOUILLE, let go the anchor! the order to let the anchor fall from the cat-head to the bottom.
Bien-Mouillé, well moored, or moored in a good birth and anchor-ground.
VaisseauMouilléà un ancre de flot, & un ancre de jussant, a ship moored with one anchor to the flood, and another to the ebb.
VaisseauMouilléentre vent & marée, a ship moored between wind and tide.
MOUILLER, orMouillerl’ancre, to let go the anchor, to come to an anchor, or simply, to anchor.
Mouillerà la voile, to let go the anchor whilst the sails are yet abroad.
Mouilleren croupiére, to moor with a spring upon the cable, in order to cannonade a fort, &c.
Mouilleren patte d’oie, to moor with three anchors a-head, equally distant from each other, and appearing like the foot of a goose.
Mouillerl’ancre de touei, to moor with the boat, or to carry out an anchor.
Mouillerles voiles, to wet the sails; a practice usual in light winds.
Mouillerpar la quille, an ironical expression to signify that a ship is fast a-ground: Our seamen then say, every nail in her bottom is an anchor.
MOULINET, a small windlass, as that of a long-boat, or lanch.
Moulinetà bittord, a spun-yarn-winch.
MOURGON, a diver, in the dialect of Provence. SeePlongeur.
MOUSSE,garçon be bord, a ship-boy; one of the prentices, or officers servants.
MOUTONNER, to foam; expressed of the waves in a tempest or turbulent sea.
MOYEN-parallel, the middle latitude in navigation, or the parallel that holds the middle place between the latitude departed from, and the latitude arrived in.
MULET, a sort of Portuguese vessel with three masts, and lateen sails.
MUNITIONAIRE, an agent-victualler, or a contractor for sea provisions.
Commis duMunitionaire. SeeCommis.
NACELLE, a skiff, or small boat, without masts or sails, used to pass a river.
NAGE, the row-lock of a boat. See alsoAutarelle.
Nageà bord, come aboard with the boat! the order given to the rowers in the longboat, to bring her aboard, or along-side.
Nageà faire abattre, pull to leeward! the order to the rowers in a boat, to tow the ship’s head to leeward.
Nageau vent, pull to windward, or tow the ship to windward!
Nagede force, pull chearly in the boat! hooroa in the boat!
Nagequi est paré, pull with the oars that are shipped.
Nagesec, row dry! the order to row without wetting the passengers.
Nagestribord, & scie bas-bord, pull the starboard-oars, and hold water with the larboard oars! the order given to turn the boat with her head to the left.
Nager,Ramer, orVoguer, to row, or pull with the oars, in a boat or small vessel.
Nagerà sec, to touch the shore with the oars in rowing.
Nagertant d’avirons par bande, to row so many oars on a side.
Nagerde bout, to row standing, or with the face towards the boat’s head.
Nageren arriere, to back a-stern with the oars.
Nagerla chaloupe à bord, to row the long-boat aboard.
NATES, mats used to line the sail-room, bread-room, or the hold when a ship is laden with corn, to preserve the contents.
NAVETTE, a small Indian vessel.
NAUFRAGE, shipwreck.
Naufragé, shipwrecked.
NAVIGABLE, navigable, capable of navigation.
NAVIGATEUR, a mariner, or seaman.
NAVIGATION, the theory and practice of navigation.
Navigationimpropre, coasting, or sailing along shore.
Navigationpropre, the art of sailing by the laws of trigonometry. SeePilotage.
NAVIGER, to sail, or direct a ship’s course at sea.
Navigerpar terre, ordans le terre, to be ashore by the dead-reckoning; to be a-head of the ship by estimation.
Navigerpar un grand cercle, to sail upon the arch of a great circle.
NAVIRE, a ship. See alsoVaisseau.
BeauNavireen rade, a good roader.
NEUVE, a sort of small flight, used by the Dutch in the herring-fishery, and resembling a buss. SeeBuche.
NEZ, the nose, beak, or head of a ship.
NOCHER, a name formerly given to a pilot.
NOCTURLABE, a nocturnal.
NOIALE. SeeToile.
NOIÉ, an epithet which answers to clouded, or indistinct; being expressed of an horizon, when it cannot be discovered by an observer, when taking an altitude.
NOIRCIR, to blacken, or daub with a mixture of tar and lamp-black; as the wales and black-strakes of a ship, the yards, cutwater, &c.
NOLIS, orNolissement, a name given in Provence and the Levant to the freight or cargo of a ship.
NON-vue, no sight of, out of sight; a phrase which implies the fog or haze of the weather, that prevents a ship from discovering contiguous objects, as the shore, rocks, &c.
NORD, the north, or north point.
Nord-est, the north-east.
Nord-estquart à l’est, north-east by east.
Nord-ester, to vary towards the east; expressed of the east-variation of the compass.
Nord-ouester, to decline towards the west; spoken also of the magnetical needle.
NOYALE. SeeNoiale.
NOYÉ. SeeNoié.
NUAISON, a trade-wind, or the period of a monsoon.
OCCIDENT, orOuest, the west.
OCEAN, a name generally given in France, to the Western, or Atlantic Ocean.
OCTANT, the octant, or quadrant invented by Hadley.
OEIL,Yeux,ouTrous, the holes in the clews of a sprit-sail to let out the water which falls into its cavity when the ship pitches.
Oeildebœuf. SeeYeux.
Oeilde bouc, a water-gall, or weather-gall.
Oeilde pie, orYeuxde pie, the eye-let holes wrought in the reef of a sail, through which the points are reeved.
Oeilde roue, the hole in the truck, or wheel of a gun-carriage, through which the axle passes.
OEILLET, an eye-splice on the end of any rope.
Oeilletd’étai, the eye of a stay which goes over the mast-head.
OEILLETSde la tournevire, the eyes in the two ends of a voyal, which are lashed together with a laniard when the voyal is brought to the capstern.
OEILS, the eyes, or hauses of a ship. SeeEcubiers.
OEUVRE-mortes, the dead-work of a ship, or all that part which is above water, comprehending the fore-castle, quarter deck, and poop.
Oeuvrevives, the quick-work, or all that part of a ship which is under water.
OEUVRESde marée, the graving, calking, or repairing a ship’s bottom, when, having been laid on the ground, the tide has ebbed from her, so as to leave the bottom dry.
OFFICIERSbleu. SeeBleu.
Officiers-généraux, the general officers in the French navy, as the admirals, vice-admirals, rear admirals, and commodores.
Officiersde port, the officers of a dock-yard, appointed to see that the shipping are properly moored, masted, rigged, repaired, calked, and otherwise equipped with whatever is necessary, according to their destination.
Officiersde santé, officers who superintend the affairs of the quarantine in a port.
Officiers-majors, the superior, or commissioned officers in a ship of war, as the captain, lieutenants, and ensign.
Officiers-mariniers, the mechanical or warrant-officers in a ship of war, of which the principal are, the master, boatswain, gunner, carpenter, and sail-maker; as distinguished from the military officers, calledOfficiers-majors. See the preceding article.
O!du navire, hola! hoa the ship, a hoay! the manner of hailing or calling to a ship whose name is not known.
O!du Soleil Royal hola! hoa, the Royal Sun ahoay!
O!d’en haut, yoa-hoa, aloft there! mast-head there! &c. the cry from the deck to those who are aloft, to attend to some order.
O!hisse, O! hale, O! saille, O! ride, the method of singing out, as a signal to hoist, haul, or rouse together, on a tackle or rope.
OINT, stuff, tallow, or such like material, used to pay the masts, tyes of the top-sail-yards, &c.
OLOFÉE, the act of spring the luff, or of hauling close upon a wind.
ORAGE. SeeTempete.
ORDREde bataille, the line or order of battle in a naval engagement.
Ordrede marche, the order of sailing.
Ordrede retraite, the order of retreat.
ORDRESdes vaisseaux, the classes into which each rate of ships is subdivided, in the French navy. SeeRang.
OREILLEde lievre, a three-sided, or triangular sail; as the stay-sails.
OREILLESde l’ancre, the broad parts of the fluke of an anchor.
ORGANEAU, the ring of an anchor. SeeArganeau.
ORGUES, an organ, or machine, sometimes used in a sea-fight by privateers: it contains several barrels of musketoons, or small-arms, fixed upon one stock, so as to be all fired together.
ORIENTERles voiles, to trim the sails, or place them in the most advantageous manner, to receive the wind, and accelerate the ship’s course.
ORIN, the buoy-rope of an anchor.
ORSE, the larboard-side, in the dialect of Provence. Also the order to luff.
ORSER, to row against the wind, or row head-to-wind. This is likewise the language of the gallies.
ORTODROMIE, a course which lies upon a meridian or parallel.
OSSEC, the water-way, or well-room of a boat.
OSSIERES. SeeHaussieres.
OUAGE, the track or wake of a ship. SeeHouaiche.
Tirer enOUAICHE, to take a ship in tow a-stern when she is disabled.
Trainer un pavillon ennemi enOuaiche, to drag the colours or ensign of an enemy after the ship, so as to sweep the water therewith, as a sign of victory.
OVERLANDRES, small vessels navigated on the Rhine and Meuse.
OUEST, orOccident, the west point of the compass or horizon.
OUEST-nord-ouest, &c.SeeRosede vents.
OURAGAN, an hurricane.
OUVERT,etre ouvert, to have any object open in sailing past it; or to be opposite to any place, as a road, the entrance of a harbour, or river, &c.
OUVERTURE, an opening, or valley between two hills, beheld from the sea, and serving frequently as a land-mark.
OUVRIERS, the artificers, &c. in a dock-yard; or riggers of a ship.
OUVRIR, to open, or discover two objects separately at sea, when sailing at some distance from them.
PACFI,ouPafi,le grandPacfi, the main-course, or main-sail.
Le petitPacfi,ouPacfide bourcet, the fore-course or fore-sail.
Etre aux deuxPACFIS, to be under the courses.
PACIFIER, to become calm; also to fall, or grow smooth, when spoken of the sea.
PAGAIE, the paddle of a canoe.
PAGEde la chambre du capitaine, the cabin-boy.
PAGES. SeeMousses& garçons.
PAILLESde bittes, long iron bolts thrust into holes in the bits, to keep the cable from starting off.
PAILLOT, the steward-room in a row-galley.
PAISsomme, a shoal or shallow.
PALAMANTE, a general name given to the oars of a row-galley; which are forty feet and six inches in length.
PALAN, a tackle of any kind. SeeItaqueandGarant.
Palanà caliorne, a three-fold tackle. SeeCaliorne.
Palanà candelette. SeeCandelette.
Paland’amure, a tack-tackle.
Paland’etai, a stay-tackle.
Palande misaine, the fore-tackle.
GrandPalan, the main tackle.
PALANQUE, the order to hoist, bowce, or set taught upon a tackle.
PALANQUER, to hoist, or bowce upon a tackle.
PALANQUIN, a jigger-tackle, tail-tackle, or burton.
PALANQUINSde ris, the reef-tackles.
Palanquinssimples de racage, the nave-lines.
PALANSde bout, the sprit-sail haliards.
Palansde canon. SeeDrossede canon, &Palande retraite.
Palansde retraite, the relieving tackle, &c. of the ordnance.
PALARDEAUX, plugs made to stop holes in any part of a ship; as hause-plugs, shot-plugs, &c.
PALE, orPalme, the blade or wash of an oar.
PALÉAGE, the act of discharging any thing with shovels, baskets, &c. as corn, salt, or such like material; for which employment the ship’s crew can demand no additional pay. See alsoManeage.
EnPANNE, lying-by, or lying-to with some of the sails aback.
Mettre enPanne, to lay a ship to, or turn the head to windward, in order to lie by with some of the sails laid to the mast.
PANNEAU, a scuttle, or cover of any hatchway in the deck.
Panneauà boîte, the cover of a scuttle, with a border round its edge.
Panneauà vassole, a great hatch, without a border.
Le grandPanneau, the main hatch.
PANTAQUIERES, orPantocheres, the cat-harpings, and crane lines of the shrouds.
EnPANTENNE, fluttering or shivering in great disorder; expressed of the sails, when out of trim, in a storm.
Amener les voiles enPantenne, to haul down the sails with the utmost expedition; as in a squall of wind.
PANTOIRES, pendants on the mast-heads or yard-arms, wherein to hook preventer-shrouds, or yard-tackles.
PAPIERS& enseignemens, the papers of a ship, comprehending the bills of lading, manifest, coquets, &c.
PAQUE-BOT, orPaquet-bot, a packet-boat, or packet-vessel; as those which pass between Dover and Calais, &c.
Faire laPARADE, to dress a ship, or to adorn her with a number of flags, pendants, and other colours, which are displayed from different parts of the masts, yards, and rigging.
PARADIS, orBassin, the basin of a dock, or an inner harbour.
PARAGE, a space of the sea appointed to cruise, or rendezvous in; also a part of the sea near any coast.
Vaisseau mouillé enParage, a ship anchored in an open road, or in the offing.
PARC, an inclosure for containing the magazines and store-houses in a royal dock-yard.
Parcdans un vaisseau, a cot or pen, wherein cattle are inclosed in a ship.
PARCLOSSES, limber-boards.
PARCOURIRles coutures, to survey or examine the seams of a ship’s sides or decks, and caulk where it is found necessary.
PARÉ, ready, clear, or prepared for any thing.
Pareà virer, see all clear to go about! the order to prepare for tacking.
PAREAU, orParre, a sort of large bark in the Indies, whose head and stern are exactly alike, so that the rudder may be hung at either end.
PARERun cap, to double a cape. SeeDoubler.
Parerun ancre, to prepare the anchor for letting it go.
SeParer, to clear for action, to prepare for battle.
PARFUMERun vaisseau, to smoke a ship, and sluice her with vinegar between decks, in order to purify her, and expel the putrified air.
PARQUET, a shot-locker on the deck; also a place where shot are kept on a gun-wharf. SeeEpitié.
PARTAGERle vent, to share the wind with some other ship, or hold way with her, without gaining or losing ground, or without weathering, or falling to leeward.
PARTANCE, the time of departing, or sailing from a place; also a place from whence a ship departs.
Coup dePartance, a signal-gun for sailing.
Banniere dePartance, the signal displayed for sailing.
PAS, a strait or narrow channel, as
Pasde Calais, the Streights of Dover.
PASSAGERS, the passengers of a ship.
PASSE, a canal, channel, or small streight.
Passe-port, a sea-pass or passport. SeeCongé.
PASSER, to perish, or be lost at sea; as by over-setting, or foundering.
Passerau vent d’un vaisseau, to pass to windward, or gain the wind of another ship.
Passersous le beaupré, to pass under the bowsprit. This phrase, which is usual amongst English as well as French seamen, implies to go a-head of, or before a ship, and cross her course.
Passe-vogue, the effort of rowing briskly, or very hard.
Passe-volant, a false muster on the ship’s books; also a wooden gun, which may terrify a ship at a distance. SeeFausses-Lances.
PATACHE, an armed tender, or vessel which attends a ship of war or fleet; also a packet-boat.
Patached’avis, an advice-boat. SeeFrégated’avis.
PATARAS, a preventer-shroud; also a spare-shroud, to be hooked on occasionally.
PATARASSE, a calking iron.
PATRON, the master or commander of a merchant-ship, or boat, in the dialect of Provence.
Patronde chaloupe, the cockswain, or coxen, of a long-boat.
PATTEd’oie. SeeMouilleren patte d’oie.
Pattesd’ancre, the flukes of an anchor.
PATTESd’anspects, the claws of a gunner’s handspike.
Pattesde bouline, the bowline bridles.
Pattesde voiles, the tabling of the sails at their edges or bolt-ropes.
PAVESADE, a quarter-cloth, or waist-cloth. SeeBastingage.
PAVILLON, the flag of a ship. Also a general name for colours.
Pavillonde beaupré, the jack.
Pavillonde chaloupe, the flag carried in a barge or long-boat, when a superior officer is aboard.
Pavillonde combat, the signal for engagement.
Pavillonde conseil, the signal for a general council.
Pavillonde pouppe, orenseigne de pouppe, a ship’s ensign.
Pavillonen Berne. SeeBerne.
Baton dePavillon, the ensign staff, flag-staff, or jack-staff.
VaisseauPavillon, or simply,Pavillon, the flag-ship.
Amener lePavillon, to strike the flag or colours.
Etre sous un telPavillon, to be under such a flag, or commanding officer.
FairePavillonblanc, to display a flag of truce.
PAUMET, a sail-maker’s palm.
PAVOIS, or ratherPavesade. SeePavesadeandBastingage.
PAVOISER, to spread the waist-cloths.
PAUSES, a sort of long and wide boats used to embark merchandise at Archangel, in Moscovy.
PECHERun ancre, to hook, and heave up from the bottom, another anchor, with that of the ship, when several anchors lie near to each other, as in a common road.
PEDAGNE, orPedagnon, the stretchers of a row-galley. See alsoBanquettes.
PELLES, corn shovels, or ballast-shovels, used in trimming a ship’s hold.
PENDANT, orFlamme. SeeFlamme.
PENDEUR, orPendour, the pendant of any tackle, runner, &c.
PENDOURde caliorne, the winding tackle-pendant.
PENDOURSde balancines, the spans of the lifts.
Pendoursde bras, the brace-pendants at the yard-arms.
PENES, pitch-mops. SeeBatonà vadel.
PENNE, the peek of a mizen, or lateen sail.
PENTURE, a googing, or the eye of a clamp, fitted to receive a goose-neck, or some bolt of iron which turns therein like a pivot in its socket.
PENTURESde gouvernail, the googings of the rudder. SeeFerrurede gouvernail.
PEOTE, a light nimble Venetian wherry, used frequently as an advice-boat, to carry expresses.
PERCEINTES. SeePréceintes.
PERCEUR, a person who bores the holes for the tree-nails, or bolts, in a ship’s-side.
PERROQUET, a top gallant-sail.
Mettre lesPERROQUETSen banniere, to let fly the top-gallant sheets, as a particular signal to some ship in company.
Perroquetsvolans, flying-top-gallant-sails.
PERRUCHE, the mizen-top-gallant-sail.
PERTUIS, a dam, or channel of water, confined by a sluice.
PERTUISANE, a sort of pike or halbert, used to defend a ship from being boarded.
PESER, to hang upon, or haul downward on any rope over-head.
Pesersur un levier, to heave, or purchase with a handspike.
PHAIOFNÉE, a sort of Japonese barge, or yacht, to carry the nobility, &c.
PHARE, ortour à feu, a watch-tower, or light-house on the sea-coast.
PICà pic sur son ancre, close a peek upon the anchor.
PIECE, a cannon. SeeCanon.
Piecede charpente, a general name for any pieces of timber properly hewed, to be used in the construction of a ship.
PIECESde chasse, the chase-guns, or head-chases.
PIEDde vent, a clear spot of the sky, appearing under a cloud to windward.
Pied-marin, sea shoes; expressed of a man who has got sea-legs, or who treads sure and firm at sea, as being accustomed thereto.
PIÉDROITS, the Samson’s posts, erected in the hold from the kelson to the lower-deck hatchways, and notched with steps.
PIERRIER, a petrero, or small cannon, sometimes used in sea-fights, and generally charged with musquet-shot, or swivel balls.
PIÉTERle gouvernail, to mark the stern-post with feet, in order to discover how many feet of water the ship draws abaft.
PILIERSde bittes, the bitts of a ship.
PILLAGE, the plunder taken from any enemy after engagement.
PILON, orpetit écore, a shore which is steep to, and but little raised above the sea.
PILOTAGE, the navigating, conducting, or steering of a ship.
PILOTE, a sea-pilot, or the conductor of a ship’s course by the art of navigation; also the master of a ship. SeeHauturier.
Pilotecôtier, orPilotede havre, a coasting, or harbour pilot. SeeLamaneur.
Pilotehardie, a daring or enterprising pilot.
PILOTER, to pilot a ship into, or out of, a harbour or river.
PINASSE, a square-sterned vessel, called in England a bark.
Pinassede Biscaye, a Biscayan barca-longo.
PINCEAUà goudronner, a tar-brush.
PINCESde bois, a sort of curved handspikes. SeeRenard.
PINCERle vent. SeeAllerau plus pres.
PINNULE, the sight vanes of any instrument, for observing or setting a distant object at sea.
PINQUE, a pink, or narrow-sterned ship, with a flat floor.
PIPRIS, a sort of canoe used by the negroes in Guinea, and the Cape de Verds.
PIRATE, a pirate, or free-booter; see alsoCorsaire.
PIRATER, to rob at sea; to infest or scour the sea as a pirate.
PIROGUE, an American canoe.
PISTON, the spear-box of a pump.
PITONSà boucles. SeeChevilleà boucles.
PIVOT, an iron point which turns in a socket; as the foot of the capstern.
PIVOTde boussoule, the brass center-pin of the compass.
PLAGE, a shallow or flat shore, without any capes or head-lands to form a road or place of safety for shipping at anchor.
PLAIN, a flat, or shoal; whence,
Aller auPlain, to run ashore.
PLANCHE, the gang-board of a boat.
Mets laPlanche, the order to put out the gang-board from the boat’s stern to the shore, to walk out upon.
PLAQUESde plomb, sheet lead, used for several purposes aboard-ship.
PLATde la varangue, the flat or horizontal part of a floor-timber.
Platde l’equipage, orunPlatdes matelots, a mess or company of seven sailors who eat together. The word literally signifies a bowl or platter, in which the whole mess eat at the same time.
Platdes malades, the sick mess, under the care of the surgeon.
Plat-bord, the gunnel, or gun-wale of a ship.
Plat-bordalso means wash-board or weather-board.
Plat-bord a l’eau, gunnel-in, or gunnel-to; expressed of a ship that inclines so much to one side, as to make the gunnel touch the surface of the water by crowding sail in a fresh wind.
PLATE-bands d’assuts, the clamps of a gun-carriage, which are used to confine the trunnions therein.
Plate-forme de l’éperon, the platform or grating within the rails of the head.
PLATE-formes, an assemblage of oak-planks, forming a part of the deck, near the side of a ship of war, whereon the cannons rest.
PLATINESde lumiere, the aprons of the cannons.
PLIde cables, a fake of the cable.
Filer unPlide cable, to veer away one fake of the cable.
Vaisseau quiPliele côté, a crank ship.
PLIER, to bend or supple the planks of a ship by heat and moisture.
Plierle côté, to lie over in the water, to heel extremely when under sail.
Plierle pavillon,Plierles voiles, to gather up the fly of the ensign, or furl the sails.
PLOC, the hair and tar put between the bottom planks of a ship and the sheathing, to fill up the interval, and preserve the bottom from the worms.
PLOCQUER, to apply the sheathing-hair to the ship’s bottom.
PLOMBERun navire, to try whether a ship is upright, or to what side she heels, by a plumb-line and level.
PLONGEUR, a diver, whose employment it is to bring any thing up from the bottom, as spunges, coral, &c.
PLONGER, to duck, or immerse any thing in the water; also to plunge or dive into the water, &c.
PLUMETde pilote, orpanon, a feather-vane, or dog-vane.
POGE,ouPOUGE, the order to put the helm a-weather, in order to fill the sails, or bear away. This is the language of Provence. SeeArrive-tout.
POINT, a ship’s place, as pricked upon a nautical chart.
Pointd’une voile, the clew of a sail.