BOW AND QUARTER LINE.  See pp. 84, 200.

BOWSPRIT.  See “Spars.”

BRACES.  Ropes by which the yards are turned, so that the wind may strike the sails in the manner desired.

BRING-TO.  To bring a vessel’s head as near as possible to the direction from which the wind blows; usually with a view to heaving-to, that is, stopping.  See heave-to and luff.

BROADSIDE.  The whole number of guns carried on one side of a vessel; starboard or port broadside, weather or lee broadside.

CABLE.  The heavy rope which was attached to the anchor, and held the ship to it.  Cables are now chains, but in the period of this book were always hemp.  To veer cable, to let more out, to let the ship go farther from the anchor.  To slip the cable, to let it all go overboard, releasing the vessel.  Cable’s length:  120 fathoms.

CHASE, General.  A chase by a fleet, in which, in order to more rapid advance, the places of the vessels in their usual order are not to be observed.

CLOSE-HAULED. See “Course.”

COLUMN.  See “Line Ahead.”

COME UP.  A ship comes up, when her bow comes more nearly to the direction of the wind.  Used generally when the movement proceeds from some other cause than the movement of the helm.  See “Luff.”

CONVOY.  A body of unarmed or weakly armed vessels, in company with ships of war.

CONVOY, to.  To accompany a number of unarmed vessels, for their protection.

COURSE.  The direction of a vessel’s movement, with regard to the compass or to the wind.

  Compass course.  The point of the compass towards which the vessel heads.

  Wind courses: 

Close-hauled.  As nearly in the direction from which the wind blows as is compatible with keeping the sails full; for square-rigged vessels six points. (See “Bearings by Compass.”) For a north wind, the close-hauled courses are east-northeast and west-northwest.

    Free.  Not close-hauled.

    Large.  Very free.

    Off the wind.  Free.

    On (or by) the wind.  Close-hauled.

COURSES.  The lowest sails on the fore and main masts.

CRUISE, to.  To cover a certain, portion of sea by movement back and forth over it.

CRUISER.  A general term for armed ships, but applied more specifically to those not “of the line,” which therefore are more free and wider in their movements.

CURRENT.

  Lee Current.  One the movement of which is away from the wind.

  Weather Current.  One which sets towards the wind.

EBB, ebb-tide.  See “Tide.”

FAIR, wind.  A wind which allows a vessel to head her desired compass course.

FALL OFF.  A vessel falls off, when, without the action of the helm, her head moves away from the wind.  See “Come up.”

FILL. } Sails are said to fill, or to be full, when the wind FULL. } strikes the rear side, tending to move the vessel ahead.