NOTES.

A ship-boy on the high and giddy mast!

“Wilt thou, upon the high and giddy mast,Seal up the ship-boy’s eyes, and rock his brains,In cradle of the rude imperious surge.”SHAKSPEARE.

“Wilt thou, upon the high and giddy mast,Seal up the ship-boy’s eyes, and rock his brains,In cradle of the rude imperious surge.”

“Wilt thou, upon the high and giddy mast,

Seal up the ship-boy’s eyes, and rock his brains,

In cradle of the rude imperious surge.”

SHAKSPEARE.

O’er bar and shelf.

Abaris known, in hydrography, to be a mass of earth, or sand, that has been collected by the surge of the sea, at the entrance of a river, or haven, so as to render navigation difficult, and often dangerous. Ashelf, orshelve, so called from the SaxonSchylf, is a name given to any dangerous shallows, sand-banks, or rocks, lying immediately under the surface of the water.

And lo! the shore, with mournful prospects crown’d.

Alluding to the ever memorable siege of Candia, in 1669.

Thewindlassis a large cylindrical piece of timber used in merchant ships to heave up the anchors: it is furnishedwith strong ironpaulsto prevent it from turning back by the efforts of the cable, when charged with the weight of the anchor, or strained by the violent jerking of the ship in a tempestuous sea. As thewindlassis heaved about in a vertical direction, it is evident that the effort of an equal number of men acting upon it will be much more powerful than on thecapstan. It requires, however, some dexterity and address to manage the handspec, or lever, to the greatest advantage; and to perform this the sailors must all rise at once upon thewindlass, and, fixing their bars therein, give a sudden jerk at the same instant; in which movement they are regulated by a sort of song pronounced by one of the number. The most dexterous managers of thehandspec, in heaving at thewindlass, are generally supposed to be the colliers of Northumberland; and of all European mariners, the Dutch are certainly the most awkward and sluggish in this manœuvre.

The stately ship they tow.

From the Saxonteohan. Towing is chiefly used, as in the present instance, when a ship for want of wind is forced toward the shore by the swell of the sea.

Now swelling stud-sails on each side extend,Then stay-sails sidelong to the breeze ascend.

Now swelling stud-sails on each side extend,

Then stay-sails sidelong to the breeze ascend.

1.Stud, orstudding-sails, called by the FrenchBanettes en etui, are light sails, which are extended in moderate breezes beyond the skirts of the principal sails: where they appear as wings upon the yard-arms. 2.Stay-sail; though the form of sails is so extremely different, they may all be divided into sails which have eitherthreeorfoursides: astay-sailcomes under the first class, and receives its name from a large strong rope on which it is hoisted, called a stay, employed to support the mast, by being extended from its upper end towards the fore part of the ship, as the shrouds (a range of large ropes), are extended to the right and left of the mast, and behind it. The yards of a ship are said to be square, when they hang across the ship, at right angles, with the mast; andbraced, when they form greater or lesser angles with the ship’s length.

The pilots now their Azimuth attend.

The magneticalAzimuth, a term which astronomers have borrowed from the Arabians, is the apparent distance of the sun from the north or south point of the compass; and this is discovered, by observing with an azimuth compass, when the sun is ten or fifteen degrees above the horizon.

White as the clouds beneath the blaze of noon.

Before the art of coppering ships’ bottoms was discovered, they were painted white. Thewalesare the strong flanks which extend along a ship’s side, at different heights, throughout her whole length, and form the curves by which a vessel appears light and graceful on the water: they are usually distinguished into the main-wale, and the channel-wale.

Deep-blushing armors all the tops invest.

In our largest merchantmen, thetops, or platforms,which surround the heads of thelowermast, (for every ship’s mast, taken in its apparent length, consists of thelowermast, thetop-mast, andtop-gallantmast) are fenced on the aft, or hinder side, by a rail of about three feet high, stretching across, supported by stanchions; between which a netting is usually constructed, the outside of which was formerly covered with red baize, or canvass painted red, and was called thetop armor; being a sort of blind against the enemy for the men who were there stationed. This name is now nearly lost, and the netting is always covered with black canvass.

And the dark scud in swift succession flies.

The scud is a name given by seamen to the lowest and lightest clouds, which are swiftly driven along the atmosphere by the winds.

Low in the wave the leeward cannon lie.

When the wind crosses a ship’s course, either directly or obliquely, that side of the ship upon which it acts is termed theweatherside; and the opposite one, which is then pressed downwards, is termed theleeside; all on one side of her is accordingly called to windward, and all on the opposite side to leeward: hence also are derived theleecannon, theleebraces,weatherbraces, &c.

Topsails, reef, blocks.

Topsailsare large square sails, of the second magnitude and height; as thecoursesare of the first magnitude, and the lowest.—Reefsare certain divisions of the sail, which are taken in or let out in proportion to the increase ordiminution of the wind.Blocksare what landsmen would rather term, from the French word, (poulie)pullies.

Halyards—bow-lines—clue-lines—reef tackles—earings.

Halyardsare those ropes by which sails are hoisted or lowered.Bow-linesare ropes fastened to the outer edge of square sails in three different places, that the windward edge of the sail may be bound tight forward on a side wind, in order to keep the sail from shivering.Clue-linesare fastened to the lower corners of the square sails, for the more easy furling of them.Reef-tacklesare ropes fastened to the edge of the sail, just beneath the lowest reef; and being brought down to the deck by means of two blocks, are used to facilitate the operation of reefing.Earingsare small ropes employed to fasten the upper corners of the principal sails, and the extremities of the reefs, to the respective yard-arms, particularly when any sail is to be close furled.

Brail up the mizen quick.

Themizenis a large sail bent to the mizen mast, and is commonly reckoned one of the courses, which consist of themain-sail,fore-sail, andmizen. As the wordbrailsis a general name given to all the ropes which are employed to haul up the bottoms, lower corners, and skirts of the great sails; so the drawing them together, for the more ready operation of furling, is called brailing them up. The effect which the operation of brailing up the mizen produces, is noticed in the last note of this Canto.

Man the clue-garnets, let the main-sheet fly!

Clue-garnetsare the same to the main-sail and fore-sail, which the clue-lines are to all other square-sails, and are hauled up when the sail is to be furled orbrailed.Sheets: it is necessary in this place to remark, that the sheets, which are universally mistaken by our English poets for the sails, are in reality the ropes that are used to extend the clues, or lower corners of the sails, to which they are attached.

Bear up the helm a-weather!

The reason for putting the helm a-weather, or to the side next the wind, is to make the ship veer before it when it blows so hard that she cannot bear her side to it any longer.Veering, or wearing, is the operation by which a ship, in changing her course from oneboardto the other, turns her stern to windward; the French term is,virer vent arriere.

Timoneer—

Thehelmsman, from the French,timonnier.

While the fore stay-sail balances before:

Called with more propriety thefore top-mast stay-sail: it is of a triangular shape, and runs upon the fore top-mast stay, over the bowsprit: it consequently has an influence on the fore-part of the ship, as the mizen has on the hinder part; and, when thus used together, they maybe said to balance each other. See also the last note of this Canto.

...th’ extended tack confin’d.

The main-sail and fore-sail of a ship are furnished with atackon each side, which is formed of a thick rope tapering to the end, having a knot wrought upon the largest extremity, by which it is firmly retained in the clue of the sail: by this means the tack is always fastened to windward, at the same time that the sheet extends the sail to leeward.

...the bunt-lines gone!

Bunt-linesare ropes fastened to the bottoms of the square sails to draw them up to the yards, when the sails are brailed or furled.

...and yards to starboard braced.

A yard is said to be braced, when it is turned about the mast horizontally, either to the right or left: the ropes employed in this service are called the larboard and starboard braces.

Brails, head-ropes, robands.

Brails: a general name given to all the ropes which are employed to haul up, or brail the bottoms, and lower corners of the great sails. A rope is always attached to the edges of the sails, to strengthen and prevent themfrom rending: those parts of it which are on the perpendicular or sloping edges, are calledleech ropes, that, at the bottom, thefoot rope, and that on the top, or upper edge, thehead-rope. Robands, orrope bands, are small pieces of rope, of a sufficient length to pass two or three times about the yards, in order to fix to them the upper edges of the respective great sails: the robands for this purpose are passed through the eyelet holes under the head-rope.

That task performed, they first the braces slack,Then to the chess-tree drag th’ unwilling tack.And, while the lee clue-garnet’s lower’d away,Taught aft the sheet they tally, and belay.

That task performed, they first the braces slack,

Then to the chess-tree drag th’ unwilling tack.

And, while the lee clue-garnet’s lower’d away,

Taught aft the sheet they tally, and belay.

The braces are here slackened, because the lee-brace confining the yard, the tack could not come down until the braces were cast off. Thechess tree, called by the Frenchtaquet d’amure, consists of a perpendicular piece of wood, fastened with iron bolts, on each side the ship: in the upper part of the chess-tree is a large hole, through which the tack is passed; and when theclueor lower corner of the sail comes down to it, the tack is said tobe aboard.Taught, theroideof the French, anddichtof the Dutch sailors, implies the state of being extended, or stretched out.Tally, is a word applied to the operation of hauling the sheets aft, or toward the ship’s stern. Tobelayis to fasten.

They furled the sails, and pointed to the windThe yards, by rolling tackles then confined.

They furled the sails, and pointed to the wind

The yards, by rolling tackles then confined.

The rolling tackle is an assemblage of blocks or pullies,through which a rope is passed, until it becomes four-fold, in order to confine the yard close down to leeward when the sail is furled, that the yard may not gall the mast, from the rolling of the ship.Gasketsare platted ropes to wrap round the sails when furled.

Top-gallant-yards, travellers, back-stays, top-ropes, parrels, lifts, topped, booms.

Top-gallant-yards, which are the highest ones in a ship, are sent down at the approach of an heavy gale, to ease the mast-heads.Travellersare iron rings furnished with a piece of rope, one end of which encircles the ring to which it is spliced: they are principally intended to facilitate the hoisting or lowering of the top-gallant yards; for which purpose two of them are fixed on each back-stay; which are long ropes that reach on each side of the ship, from the top-masts (which are the second in point of height) to the chains.Top-ropesare employed to sway up or lower the top-masts, top-gallant-masts, and their respective yards.Parrelsare those bands of rope, by which the yards are fastened to the masts, so as to slide up and down when requisite; and of these there are four different sorts.Liftsare ropes which reach from each mast-head to their respective yard-arms. A yard is said to betopped, when one end of the yard is raised higher than the other, in order to lower it on deck by means of the top-ropes.Boomsare spare masts, or yards, which are placed in store on deck, between the main and foremast, immediately to supply the place of any that may be carried away, or injured, by stress of weather.

But here the doubtful officers dispute—

This is particularly mentioned, not because there was, or could be, any dispute at such a time between a master of a ship, and his chief mate, as the former can always command the latter; but to expose the obstinacy of a number of our veteran officers, who would rather risk any thing than forego their ancient rules, although many of them are in the highest degree equally absurd and dangerous. It is to the wonderful sagacity of these philosophers, that we owe the sea maxims of avoiding to whistle in a storm, because it will increase the wind; of whistling on the wind in a calm; of nailing horse-shoes on the mast to prevent the power of witches; of nailing a fair wind to the starboard cat-head, &c.

The tack’s eased off!

It has been already remarked, that thetackis always fastened to windward; consequently, as soon as it is cast loose, and the clue-garnet is hauled up, the weather clue of the sail immediately mounts to the yard; and this operation must be carefully performed in a storm, to prevent the sail from splitting, or being torn to pieces by shivering.

The sheet and weather-brace they now stand by.

Tostand byany rope is, in the language of seamen, to take hold of it. Whenever the sheet is cast off, it is necessary to pull in the weather brace, to prevent the violent shaking of the sail.

By spilling lines embraced—

Thespilling lines, which are only used on particular occasions in tempestuous weather, are employed to draw together, and confine the belly of the sail, when inflated by the wind over the yard.

Below, the down-haul tackle others ply;

The violence of the gale forcing the yard much out, it could not easily have been lowered so as to reef the sail, without the application of a tackle, consisting of an assemblage of the pullies, to haul it down on the mast: this is afterwards converted into rolling tackle, which has been already described in a former note.

Jears, lifts, and brails, a seaman each attends,And down the mast its mighty yard descends.

Jears, lifts, and brails, a seaman each attends,

And down the mast its mighty yard descends.

Jears, orgeers, answer the same purpose to the main-sail, fore-sail, and mizen, ashaliardsdo to all inferior sails. Thetye, a sort of runner, or thick rope, is the upper part of thejears.

Reef-lines, shrouds, reef-band, outer and inner turns.

Reef-lines, are only used to reef the main-sail and fore-sail.Shrouds, so called from the Saxonscrud, consist of a range of thick ropes stretching downwards from the mast heads, to the right and left sides of a ship, in order to support the masts, and enable them to carry sail; they are also used as rope ladders, by which seamen ascend ordescend to execute whatever is wanting to be done about the sails and rigging.Reef-band, consists of a piece of canvass sewed across the sail, to strengthen it in the place where the eyelet-holes of the reefs are formed. Theouter turnsof the earing serve to extend the sail along its yard; theinner turnsare employed to confine its head-rope close to its surface.

A Sea, up-surging with stupendous roll.

A sea is the general term given by sailors to an enormous wave; and hence, when such a wave bursts over the deck, the vessel is said to haveshipped a sea.

Too late to weather now Morea’s land,And drifting fast on Athen’s rocky strand.

Too late to weather now Morea’s land,

And drifting fast on Athen’s rocky strand.

To weather a shore is to pass to windward of it, which at this time was prevented by the violence of the gale.Driftis that motion and direction, by which a vessel is forced to leeward sideways, when she is unable any longer to carry sail; or, at least, is restrained to such a portion of sail, as may be necessary to keep her sufficiently inclined to one side, that she may not be dismasted by her violent labouring produced by the turbulence of the sea.

And try beneath it the sidelong in the sea.

Totry, is to lay the ship with her side nearly in the direction of the wind and sea, with her head somewhat inclined to windward; the helm being fastened close to the lee-side, or in the sea language,hard a-lee, to retainher in that position. See a further illustration in the last note of this Canto.

Topping lift, knittle, throt.

A tackle, or assemblage of pullies, which tops the upper end of the mizen-yard. This line, and the six following, describe the operation of reefing and balancing the mizen. Theknittleis a short line used to reef the sails by the bottom. Thethrotis that part of the mizen-yard which is close to the mast.

Companion, binacle.

Thecompanionis a wooden porch placed over the ladder that leads down to the cabins of the officers. Thebinacleis a case, which is placed on deck before the helm, containing three divisions; the middle one for a lamp, or candle, and the two others for mariners’ compasses. There are always two binacles on the deck of a ship of war, one of which is placed before the master, at his appointed station. In all the old sea books it was calledbittacle.

They sound the well.

Thewellis an apartment in a ship’s hold, serving to inclose the pumps: it is sounded by dropping down a measured iron rod, which is connected with a long line—Thebrakeis the pump-handle.

Meanwhile Arion traversing the waist.

Thewaistis that part of a ship which is contained between the quarter deck and forecastle; or the middle ofthat deck which is immediately below them. When the waist of a merchant ship is only one or two steps in descent from the quarter deck and forecastle, she is said to be galley built; but when it is considerably deeper, as with six or seven steps, she is then called frigate built.

Her place discovered by the rules of art.

The lee-way, or drift, in this passage are synonymous terms.—The true course and distance resulting from these traverses is discovered by collecting the difference of latitude, and departure of each course; and reducing the whole into one departure, and one difference of latitude, according to the known rules of trigonometry: this reduction will immediately ascertain the base and perpendicular; or, in other words, will give the difference of latitude and departure, to discover the course and distance.

Yet where with safety can we dare to scudBefore this tempest and pursuing flood?

Yet where with safety can we dare to scud

Before this tempest and pursuing flood?

The movement ofscudding, from the Swedish wordskutta, is never attempted in a contrary wind, unless, as in the present instance, the condition of a ship renders her incapable of sustaining any longer on her side, the mutual efforts of the winds and waves. The principal hazards, incident to scudding, are generally apoopingsea; the difficulty of steering, which exposes the vessel perpetually to the risk of broaching-to; and the want of sufficient sea-room: a sea striking the ship violently on the stern may dash it inwards, by which she must inevitablyfounder; in broaching-to suddenly, she is threatened with being immediately overset; and, for want of sea-room, she is endangered with shipwreck on a lee-shore; a circumstance too dreadful to require explanation.

Thus water-logged—

A ship is said to bewater-logged, when, having received through her leaks a great quantity of water into her hold, she has become so heavy and inactive on the sea, as to yield without resistance to the efforts of every wave that rushes over the deck. As in this dangerous situation the centre of gravity is no longer fixed, but fluctuates from place to place, the stability of the ship is utterly lost: she is therefore almost totally deprived of the use of her sails, which operate to overset her, or press the head under water: hence there is no resource for the crew, except to free her by the pumps, or to abandon her for the boats as soon as possible.

Hatches, lanyard.

Hatches, a term which seamen sometimes incorrectly use forgratings; a sort of open cover for the hatchways, formed by several small laths, or battens, which cross each other at right angles, leaving a square interval between: these gratings are not only of service to admit the air and light between decks, but also to let off the smoke of the great guns during action.

Lanyard, or laniard, is a short piece of line fastened to different things on board a ship, to preserve them in a particular place; such are the lanyards of the gun-ports, the lanyard of the buoy, the lanyard of the cat-hook, &c.; but the lanyards alluded to in the above line, were thoseby means of which the shrouds were extended; or, as a sailor would express himself,taught.

Both stay-sail sheets to mid-ships were conveyed.

The fore stay-sail being one of the sails which command the fore part of the ship, is for that reason hoisted at this time, to bear her fore-part round before the wind: for the same reason, after it is split, the foremast yards are braced aback; that is, so as to form right angles with the direction of the wind. For a further illustration of this, see the subsequent note.

And hew at once the mizen-mast away!

“When a ship is forced by the violence of a contrary wind to furl all her sails, if the storm increases, and the sea continue to rise, she is often strained to so great a degree, that, to ease her, she must be made to run before their mutual direction; which, however, is rarely done but in cases of the last necessity: now, as she has no head-way, the helm is deprived of its governing power, as the latter effect is only produced in consequence of the former: it therefore necessarily requires an uncommon effort to wheel, or turn her, into any different position. It is an axiom in natural philosophy, that ‘Every body will persevere in its state of rest, or moving uniformly in a right line, unless it be compelled to change its state by forces impressed; and that the change of motion is proportional to the moving force impressed, and is made according to the right line in which that force acts.’

“By this principle it is easy to conceive how a ship iscompelled to turn into any direction, by the force of the wind acting upon her sails in lines parallel to the plane of the horizon: for the sails may be so set, as to receive the current of air either directly, or more or less obliquely; and the motion communicated to the ship must of necessity conspire with that of the wind. As therefore the ship lies in such a situation as to have the wind and sea directly on her side; and these increase to such an height, that she must either founder, or scud before the storm; the aftmost sails are first taken in, or so placed that the wind has very little power on them: and the head-sails, or fore-mast sails, are spread abroad, so that the whole force of the wind is exerted on the ship’s forepart, which must therefore of necessity yield to its impulse. The prow being thus put in motion, its motion must conspire with that of the wind, and will be pushed about so as to run immediately before it; for this reason, when no more sail can be carried, the fore-mast yards are braced aback; that is, in such a position as to receive all the current of air they can contain directly to perform the operation of head-sails; and the mizen-yard is lowered to produce the same effect as furling, or placing obliquely the aftmost sails; and this attempt being found insufficient, the mizen-mast is cut away, which must have been followed by the main-mast, if the expected effect had not taken place.”

While round before th’ enlarging wind it falls,‘Square fore and aft the yards,’ the master calls.

While round before th’ enlarging wind it falls,

‘Square fore and aft the yards,’ the master calls.

The wind is said toenlarge, when it veers from the side towards the stern. To square the yards is, in this place, to haul them directly across the ship’s length.

So, steady! meet her!

Steady! is an order to steer the ship according to the line on which she then advances, without deviating to the right or left.

Then back to port—

The left side of a ship is calledportin steering, that the helmsmen may not mistake larboard for starboard. In all large ships, the tiller, (or long bar of timber, that is fixed horizontally to the upper end of the rudder), is guided by awheel, which acts upon it with the powers of a crane or windlass.

Poop, bow.

Poop, from the Latin wordpuppis, is the hindmost and highest deck of a ship. Thebowis the rounding part ofa ship’s side forward, beginning at the place where the planks arch inwards, and terminating where they close at the stem or prow.

...when past the beam it flies.

On thebeam, implies any distance from the ship on a line with the beams, or at right angles with the keel: thus, if the ship steers northward, any object lying east, or west, is said to be on her starboard or larboard beam.

...still they dread her broaching-to.

The great difficulty of steering the ship at this time before the wind, is occasioned by its striking her on the quarter, when she makes the least angle on either side; which often forces her stern round, and brings her broadside to the wind and sea: this is an effect of the same cause which is explained in the last note of the second Canto.

...the faithful stayDrags the main top-mast by the cap away:

...the faithful stay

Drags the main top-mast by the cap away:

The main top-mast stay comes to the fore-mast head, and consequently depends upon the fore-mast as its support. Thecapis a strong thick block of wood, used to confine the upper and lower masts together, as the one is raised at the head of the other. The principal caps of a ship are those of the lower masts.

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