The _well_ is 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—The _brake_ is the pump-handle.
PAGE 83, l. 3.
_Meanwhile Arion traversing the waist._
The _waist_ is that part of a ship which is contained between the quarter
deck and forecastle; or the middle of that 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.
PAGE 85, l. 13.
_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.
PAGE 89, l. 42.
_Yet where with safety can we dare to scud_
_Before this tempest and pursuing flood?_
The movement of _scudding_, from the Swedish word _skutta_, 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 a _pooping_ sea; 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
inevitably founder; 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.
PAGE 91, l. 9.
_Thus water-logged_—
A ship is said to be _water-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.
PAGE 96, l. 3, 4.
_Hatches, lanyard._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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