COROWNEL. The old word for colonel. CORPHOUN. An out-of-the-way name for a herring. CORPORAL, SHIP'S. In a ship of war was, under the master-at-arms, employed to teach the sailors the use of small arms; to attend at the gangways when entering ports, and see that no spirituous liquors were brought on board without leave. Also, to extinguish the fire and candles at eight o'clock in winter, and nine o'clock in summer, when the evening gun was fired; and to see that there were no lights below, but such as were under the charge of the proper sentinels. In the marines or army in general the corporal is a non-commissioned officer next below the sergeant in the scale of authority. The ship's corporal of the present day is the superior of the first-class working petty officers, and solely attends to police matters under the master-at-arms or superintendent-in-chief. CORPORAL OATH. So called because the witness when he swears lays his right hand on the holy evangelists, or New Testament. CORPOSANT. [_Corpo santo_, Ital.] _See_ COMPASANT. CORPS. Any body of troops acting under one commander. CORPSE. Jack's term for the party of marines embarked; the corps. CORRECTIONS. Reductions of observations of the sun, moon, or stars. CORRIDOR. _See_ COVERT-WAY. CORRYNE POWDER. Corn-powder, a fine kind of gunpowder. CORSAIR. A name commonly given to the piratical cruisers of Barbary, who frequently plundered the merchant ships indiscriminately. CORSELET. The old name for a piece of armour used to cover the body of a fighting-man. CORTEGE. The official staff, civil or military. CORUSCATIONS. Atmospheric flashes of light, as in auroras. CORVETTES. Flush-decked ships, equipped with one tier of guns: fine vessels for warm climates, from admitting a free circulation of air. The Bermuda-built corvettes were deemed superior vessels, swift, weatherly, "lie to" well, and carry sail in a stiff breeze. The cedar of which they are chiefly built is very buoyant, but also brittle. CORVORANT. An old mode of spelling _cormorant_. COSIER. A lubber, a botcher, a tailoring fellow [_coser_, Sp. to sew?] COSMICAL RISING AND SETTING OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES. Their rising and setting with the sun. COSMOGRAPHER. Formerly applied to "too clever by half." Now, one who describes the world or universe in all its parts. COSS. A measure of distance in India, varying in different districts from one mile and a half to two miles. COSTAL. Relating to the coast. COSTEIE. An old English word for going by the coast. COSTERA. A law archaism for the sea-coast. COSTS AND DAMAGE. Demurrage is generally given against a captor for unjustifiable detention. Where English merchants provoke expense by using false papers, the court decrees the captors their expenses on restitution. (_See_ EXPENSES.)