Sailor's Word-book, A - C — Cap - Car
"And, clasping to a mast, endur'd a sea That almost burst the deck, and from the ladder-tackle Wash'd off a canvas-climber."
CAP.
A strong thick block of wood having two large holes through it, the one square, the other round, used to confine two masts together, when one is erected at the head of the other, in order to lengthen it.
The principal caps of a ship are those of the lower masts, which are fitted with a strong eye-bolt on each side, wherein to hook the block by which the top-mast is drawn up through the cap.
In the same manner as the top mast slides up through the cap of the lower mast, the topgallant-mast slides up through the cap of the top-masts.
When made of iron the cap used to be called a crance.
--_To cap_ a mast-head is placing tarpaulin guards against weather.
The term is applied to any covering such as lead put over iron bolts to prevent corrosion by sea-water, canvas covers over the ends of rigging, &c. &c. Also, pieces of oak laid on the upper blocks on which a vessel is built, to receive the keel.
They are split out for the addition of the false keel, and therefore should be of the most free-grained timber.
Also, the coating which guards the top of a quill tube.
Also, the percussion priming for fire-arms.
--_Cap-a-pied_, armed from head to foot.
CAP, TO.
To puzzle or beat in argument.
To salute by touching the head-covering, as Shakspeare makes Iago's friends act to Othello.
It is now more an academic than a sea-term.
CAPABARRE.
An old term for misappropriating government stores.
(_See_ Marryat's _Novels_.
) CAPACISE.
A corrupt form of _capsize_.
CAPACITY.
Burden, tonnage, fitness for the service, rating.
CAPE.
A projecting point of land jutting out from the coast-line; the extremity of a promontory, of which last it is the secondary rank.
It differs from a headland, since a cape may be low.
The Cape of Good Hope is always familiarly known as "The Cape."
_Cape_ was also used for a rhumb-line.
CAPE, TO.
To keep a course.
How does she cape?
how does she lie her course?
CAPE FLY-AWAY.
A cloud-bank on the horizon, mistaken for land, which disappears as the ship advances.
(_See_ FOG.
) CAPE-HEN.
_See_ MOLLY-MAWK.
CAPELLA.
The lucida of Auriga, and a nautical star.
CAPE-MERCHANT [_capo_].
An old name for super-cargo in early voyages, as also the head merchant in a factory.
CAPE-PIGEON, OR CAPE-PETREL.
A sea-bird which follows a ship in her passage round the cape; the _Procellaria capensis_.
(_See_ PINTADOS.
) CAPER.
A light-armed vessel of the 17th century, used by the Dutch for privateering.
CAPER CORNER-WAY.
Diagonally.
CAPFUL OF WIND.
A light flaw, which suddenly careens a vessel and passes off.
CAPITAL OF A WORK.
In fortification, an imaginary line bisecting its most prominent salient angle.
CAPITANA.
Formerly the principal galley in a Mediterranean fleet: the admiral's ship.
CAPITULATION.
The conditions on which a subdued force surrenders, agreed upon between the contending parties.
CAPLIN, OR CAPELIN.
A fish of the family _Clupeidae_, very similar to a smelt; frequently imported from Newfoundland dried.
It is the general bait for cod-fish there.
CAP'N.
The way in which some address the commanders of merchant vessels.
CAPON.
A jeering name for the red-herring.
CAPONNIERE.
In fortification, a passage across the bottom of the ditch, covered, at the least, by a parapet on each side, and very generally also with a bomb-proof roof, when it may be furnished with many guns, which are of great importance in the defence of a fortress, as the besieger can hardly silence them till he has constructed batteries on the brink of the ditch.
CAPOTE.
A good storm-coat with a hood, much worn in the Levant, and made of a special manufacture.
CAPPANUS.
The worm which adheres to, and gnaws the bottom of a ship, to prevent which all ships should be sheathed with copper.
CAPPED.
A ship making against a race or very strong currents.
CAPRICORNUS.
The tenth sign of the zodiac, which the sun enters about the 21st of December, and opens the winter solstice.
CAP-SCUTTLE.
A framing composed of coamings and head-ledges raised above the deck, with a top which shuts closely over into a rabbet.
CAP-SHORE.
A supporting spar between the cap and the trestle-tree.
CAPSIZE, TO.
To upset or overturn anything.
CAP-SQUARE.
The clamp of iron which shuts over the trunnions of a gun to secure them to the carriage, having a curve to receive one-third part of the trunnion, the other two being sunk in the carriage; it is closed by forelocks.
CAPSTAN, CABESTAN, CAPSTERN, CAPSTON, &c. A mechanical arrangement for lifting great weights.
There is a variety of capsterns, but they agree in having a horizontal circular head, which has square holes around its edge, and in these long bars are shipped, and are said to be "swifted" when their outer ends are traced together; beneath is a perpendicular barrel, round which is wrapped the rope or chain used to lift the anchor or other great weight, even to the heaving a ship off a shoal.
Now, in most ships where a capstern is used to lift the anchor, the chain cable is itself brought to the capstern.
The purchase or lifting power is gained by the great sweep of the bars.
A perpendicular iron spindle passes through the whole capstern, and is stepped into a socket on the deck below the one on which it stands.
In some cases capsterns are double in height, so that bars may be worked on two decks, giving more room for the men.
CAPSTAN, TO COME UP THE.
In one sense is to lift the pauls and walk back, or turn the capstan the contrary way, thereby slackening, or letting out some of the rope on which they have been heaving.
The sudden order would be obeyed by surging, or letting go any rope on which they were heaving.
Synonymous to "Come up the purchase."
CAPSTAN, TO HEAVE AT THE.
To urge it round, by pushing against the bars, as already described.
CAPSTAN, TO MAN THE.
To place the sailors at it in readiness to heave.
CAPSTAN, TO PAUL THE.
To drop all the pauls into their sockets, to prevent the capstan from recoiling during any pause of heaving.
CAPSTAN, TO RIG THE.
To fix the bars in their respective holes, thrust in the pins to confine them, and reeve the swifter through the ends.
CAPSTAN, SURGE THE.
Is the order to slacken the rope which is wound round the barrel while heaving, to prevent it from riding or fouling.
This term specially applies to surging the messenger when it rides, or when the two lashing eyes foul on the whelps or the barrel.
CAPSTAN-BAR PINS.
Pins inserted through their ends to prevent their unshipping.
CAPSTAN-BARRING.
An obsolete sea-punishment, in which the offender was sentenced to carry a capstan-bar during a watch.
CAPSTAN-BARS.
Long pieces of wood of the best ash or hickory, one end of which is thrust into the square holes in the drumhead, like the spokes of a wheel.
They are used to heave the capstan round, by the men setting their hands and chests against them, and walking round.
They are also held in their places in the drumhead holes, by little iron bolts called capstan or safety pins, to prevent their flying out when the surging overcomes the force of the men.
Many men have been killed by this action, and more by the omission to "pin and swift."
CAPSTAN-ROOM.
_See_ ROOM.
CAPSTAN-STEP.
(_See_ STEP OF THE CAPSTAN.
) The men march round to the tune of a fiddle or fife, and the phrase of excitement is, "Step out, lads, make your feet tell."
CAPSTAN-SWIFTER.
A rope passed horizontally through notches in the outer ends of the bars, and drawn very tight: the intent is to steady the men as they walk round when the ship rolls, and to give room for a greater number to assist, by manning the swifters both within and without.
CAPTAIN.
This title is said to be derived from the eastern military magistrate _katapan_, meaning "over everything;" but the term _capitano_ was in use among the Italians nearly 200 years before Basilius II.
appointed his katapan of Apulia and Calabria, A. D.
984. Hence, the corruption of the Apulian province into _capitanata_.
Among the Anglo-Saxons the captain was _schipp-hlaford_, or ship's lord.
The captain, strictly speaking, is the officer commanding a line-of-battle ship, or a frigate carrying twenty or more cannon.
A captain in the royal navy is answerable for any bad conduct in the military government, navigation, and equipment of his ship; also for any neglect of duty in his inferior officers, whose several charges he is appointed to regulate.
It is also a title, though incorrectly, given to the masters of all vessels whatever, they having no commissions.
It is also applied in the navy itself to the chief sailor of particular gangs of men; in rank, captain of the forecastle, admiral's coxswain, captain's coxswain, captain of the hold, captain of main-top, captain of fore-top, &c. CAPTAIN.
A name given to the crooner, crowner, or gray gurnard (_Trigla gurnardus_).
CAPTAIN OF A MERCHANT SHIP.
Is a certificated officer in the mercantile marine, intrusted with the entire charge of a ship, both as regards life and property.
He is in no way invested with special powers to meet his peculiar circumstances, but has chiefly to depend upon moral influence for maintaining order amongst his passengers and crew during the many weeks or even months that he is cut off from appeal to the laws of his country, only resorting to force on extreme occasions.
Great tact and judgment is required to fulfil this duty properly.
CAPTAIN OF A SHIP OF WAR.
Is the commanding officer; as well the post-captain (a title now disused) as those whose proper title is commander.
CAPTAIN OF THE FLEET.
Is a temporary admiralty appointment; he is entitled to be considered as a flag-officer, and to a share in the prize-money accordingly.
He carries out all orders issued by the commander-in-chief, but his special duty is to keep up the discipline of the fleet, in which he is supreme.
He is the adjutant-general of the force, hoisting the flag and wearing the uniform of rear-admiral.
CAPTAIN OF THE HEAD.
Not a recognized rating, but an ordinary man appointed to attend to the swabs, and to keep the ship's head clean.
CAPTAIN OF THE HOLD.
The last of the captains in rank, as a first-class petty officer.
CAPTAIN OF THE PORT.
The captain of the port is probably better explained by referring to that situation at Gibraltar.
He belongs to the Board of Health; he controls the entries and departures, the berthing at the anchorage, and general marine duties, but possesses no naval authority.
Hence, the port-captain is quite another officer.
(_See_ PORT-CAPTAIN.
) CAPTAIN-GENERAL.
The highest army rank.
CAPTAIN'S CLERK.
One whose duty is strictly to keep all books and official papers necessary for passing the captain's accounts at the admiralty.
CAPTAIN'S CLOAK.
The jocose name given to the last sweeping clause, the thirty-sixth article of war:--"All other crimes not capital, and for which no punishment is hereby directed to be inflicted, shall be punished according to the laws and customs in such cases used at sea."
CAPTAIN'S GIG.
_See_ GIG.
CAPTAIN'S STORE-ROOM.
A place of reserve on the platform deck, for the captain's wines and sea-stores.
CAPTIVE.
A prisoner of war.
CAPTORS.
The conquerors of and sharers in the proceeds of a prize.
Captors are not at liberty to release prisoners belonging to the ships of the enemy.
The last survivor is in law the only captor.
CAPTURE.
A prize taken by a ship of war at sea; is the taking forcible possession of vessels or goods belonging to one nation by those of a hostile nation.
Vessels are looked on as prizes if they fight under any other standard than that of the state from which they have their commission; if they have no charty-party, manifest, or bill of lading, or if loaded with effects belonging to the king's enemies, or even contraband goods.
Whether the capture be lawful or unlawful, the insurer is rendered liable to the loss.
CAR.
A north-country word, denoting any swampy land surrounded by inclosures, and occasionally under water.
CARABINEER.
One who uses the carbine.
CARACK, CARRAK, OR CARRICK.
A large ship of burden, the same with those called galleons.
Hippus, the Tyrian, is said to have first devised caracks, and onerary vessels of prodigious bulk for traffic or offence.
CARACORA.
A proa of Borneo, Ternate, and the Eastern Isles; also called caracol by early voyagers.
CARAMOUSSAL.
A Turkish merchant ship with a pink-stern.
CARAVEL, OR CARAVELA.
A Portuguese despatch boat, lateen-rigged, formerly in use; it had square sails only on the fore-mast, though dignified as a caravela.
CARAVELAO.
A light pink-sterned vessel of the Azores.
CARBASSE.
_See_ KARBATZ.
CARBIN.
A name in our northern isles for the basking shark.
CARBINE, OR CARABINE.
A fire-arm of less length and weight than a musket, originally carrying a smaller ball, though latterly, for the convenience of the supply of ammunition, throwing the same bullet as the musket, though with a smaller charge.
It has been proper to mounted troops since about A. D.
1556, and has been preferred to the musket as a weapon for the tops of ships as well as boats.
CARCASS.
An iron shell for incendiary purposes, filled with a very fiercely flaming composition of saltpetre, sulphur, resin, turpentine, antimony, and tallow.
It has three vents for the flame, and sometimes is equipped with pistol barrels, so fitted in its interior as to discharge their bullets at various times.
CARCASS OF A SHIP.
The ribs, with keel, stem, and stern-post, after the planks are stripped off.
CARCATUS [from _caricato_, It.
] A law-term for a freighted ship.
CARD.
The dial or face of the magnetic compass-card.
"Reason the card, but passion is the gale."
--_Pope.
_ Probably derived from _cardinal_.
CARDINAL POINTS.
The general name by which the north, east, south, and west rhumbs of the horizon are distinguished.
CARDINAL POINTS OF THE ECLIPTIC.
The equinoctial and solstitial points;
namely, the commencement of Aries and Libra, and of Cancer and Capricornus.
CARDINAL SIGNS.
The zodiacal signs which the sun enters at the equinoxes and solstices.
CARDINAL WINDS.
Those from the due north, east, south, and west points of the compass.
CAREEN, TO.
A ship is said to careen when she inclines to one side, or lies over when sailing on a wind; off her keel or carina.
CAREENING.
The operation of heaving the ship down on one side, by arranging the ballast, or the application of a strong purchase to her masts, which require to be expressly supported for the occasion to prevent their springing; by these means one side of the bottom, elevated above the surface of the water, may be cleansed or repaired.
(_See_ BREAMING.
) But this operation is now nearly superseded by sheathing ships with copper, whereby they keep a clean bottom for several years.
CAREENING BEACH.
A part of the strand prepared for the purpose of a ship's being grounded on a list or careen, to repair defects.
CARFINDO.
One of the carpenter's crew.
CARGO.
The merchandise a ship is freighted with.
CARGO-BOOK.
The master of every coasting-vessel is required to keep a cargo-book, stating the name of the ship, of the master, of the port to which she belongs, and that to which she is bound; with a roll of all goods, shippers, and consignees.
In all other merchant ships the cargo-book is a clean copy of all cargo entered in the gangway-book, and shows the mark, number, quality, and (if measurement goods) the dimensions of such packages of a ship's cargo.
CARICATORE.
Places where the traders of Sicily take in their goods, from _caricare_, to load.
CARINA.
An old term, from the Latin, for the keel, or a ship's bottom.
The north-country term keel means an entire vessel: "So many keels touched the strand."
(_See_ KEEL.
) CARL, OR MALE HEMP.
_See_ FIMBLE or FEMALE HEMP.
CARLE-CRAB.
The male of the black-clawed crab, _Cancer pagurus_; also of the partan or common crab.
CARLINE-KNEES.
Timbers going athwart the ship, from the sides to the hatchway, serving to sustain the deck on both sides.
CARLINES, OR CARLINGS.
Pieces of timber about five inches square, lying fore and aft, along from one beam to another.
On and athwart these the ledges rest, whereon the planks of the deck and other portions of carpentry are made fast.
The carlines have their end let into the beams, called "culver-tail-wise," or scored in pigeon-fashion.
There are other carlines of a subordinate character.
CARLINO, OR CAROLINE.
A small silver coin of Naples, value 4_d.
_ English.
Ten carlini make a ducat in commerce.
CARN-TANGLE.
A long and large fucus, thrown on our northern beaches after a gale of wind in the offing.
CAROUS.
A sort of gallery in ancient ships, which turned on a pivot.
It was hoisted to a given height by tackles, and thus brought to project over, or into, the vessel of an adversary, furnishing a bridge for boarding.
CARP.
A well-known fresh-water fish of the Cyprinidae family, considered to have been introduced into England in the time of Henry VIII.
; but in Dame Berner's book on angling, published in 1486, it is described as the "daynteous fysshe" in England.
CARPENTER, SHIP.
A ship-builder.
An officer appointed to examine and keep in order the hull of a ship, and all her appurtenances, likewise the stores committed to him by indenture from the store-keeper of the dockyard.
The absence of other tradesmen whilst a ship is at sea, and the numerous emergencies in which ships are placed requiring invention, render a good ship's carpenter one of the most valuable artizans on board.
CARPENTER'S CREW.
Consists of a portion of the crew, provided for ship-carpentry and ship-building.
In ships of war there are two carpenter's mates and one caulker, one blacksmith, and a carpenter's crew, according to the size of the ship.
CARPENTER'S STORE-ROOM.
An apartment built below, on the platform-deck, for keeping the carpenter's stores and spare tools in.
CARPENTER'S YEOMAN.
_See_ YEOMAN.
CARPET-KNIGHT.
A man who obtains knighthood on a pretence for services in which he never participated.
CARPET-MEN.
Those officers who, without services or merit, obtain rapid promotion through political or other interest, and are yet declared "highly meritorious and distinguished."
CARR.
_See_ CAR.
CARRAC, CARRACA, CARRACK, OR CARRICKE.
A name given by the Spaniards and Portuguese to the vessels they sent to Brazil and the East Indies;
large, round built, and fitted for fight as well as burden.
Their capacity lay in their depth, which was extraordinary.
English vessels of size and value were sometimes also so called.
CARRARA.
The great northern diver, _Colymbus glacialis_.
CARREE.
A Manx or Gaelic term for the scud or small clouds that drive with the wind.
CARRIAGE OF A GUN.
The frame on which it is mounted for firing, constructed either exclusively for this purpose, or also for travelling in the field.
Carriages for its transport only, are not included under this term.
The first kind only is in general use afloat, where it usually consists of two thick planks (called brackets or cheeks) laid on edge to support the trunnions, and resting, besides other transverse connections, on two axle-trees, which are borne on low solid wooden wheels called trucks, or sometimes, to diminish the recoil, on flat blocks called chocks.
The hind axle-tree takes, with the intervention of various elevating arrangements, the preponderance of the breech.
The second kind is adapted for field and siege work: the shallow brackets are raised in front on high wheels, but unite behind into a solid beam called the trail, which tapers downwards, and rests on the ground when in action, but for travel is connected to a two-wheeled carriage called a _limber_ (which see).
Gun-carriages are chiefly made of elm for ship-board, as less given to splinter from shot, and of oak on shore;
wrought-iron, however, is being applied for the carriages of the large guns recently introduced, and even cast-iron is economically used in some fortresses little liable to sudden counter-battery.
CARRICK.
An old Gaelic term for a castle or fortress, as well as for a rock in the sea.
CARRICK-BEND.
A kind of knot, formed on a bight by putting the end of a rope over its standing part, and then passing it.
CARRICK-BITTS.
The bitts which support the ends or spindles of the windlass, whence they are also called windlass-bitts.
CARRIED.
Taken, applied to the capture of forts and ships.
CARRONADE.
A short gun, capable of carrying a large ball, and useful in close engagements at sea.
It takes its name from the large iron-foundry on the banks of the Carron, near Falkirk, in Scotland, where this sort of ordnance was first made, or the principle applied to an improved construction.
