AGATE. The cap for the pivots of the compass-cards, formed of hard siliceous stone, a chalcedony or carnelian, &c.
AGAVE. The American aloe, from which cordage is made; similar to the pina of Manila. The fruit also, when expressed, affords the refreshing drink "pulque."
AGE. In chronology, a period of a hundred years.--_Ship's age_, one of the stipulations of contracts at Lloyd's.--_Age of the moon_, is the interval of time or number of days elapsed since the previous conjunction or new moon.
AGENCY. Payment _pro opera et labore_, fixed by the prize act at five per cent. as a fair average, but it gives nothing where the property is restored; in such cases it is usual for the agent to charge a gross sum.
AGENCY, NAVAL. A useful class of persons, who transact the monetary affairs of officers, and frequently help them to the top branches of the profession. They are paid for their services by a percentage of 2-1/2.
AGENT. In physics, expresses that by which a thing is done or effected.--_Navy agent_ is a deputy employed to pass accounts, transact business, and receive pay or other monies, in behoof of the officers and crew, and to apply the proceeds as directed by them.--_Agent victuallers_, officers appointed to the charge of provisions at our foreign ports and stations, to contract for, buy, and regulate, under the authority of the commissioners of the navy. (_See_ NEGLIGENCE.)--_Prize agent_, one appointed for the sale of prizes, and nominated in equal numbers by the commander, the officers, and the ship's company.
AGENTS TO LLOYD'S. _See_ LLOYD'S AGENTS.
AGGRESSION. The first act of injury in provoking warfare.
AGIO. An Italian word, applied to denote the profit arising from discounting bills; also the difference between the value of bank-stock and currency.
AGISTMENT. An embankment against the sea or rivers, or one thrown up to fence out a stream.
AGON. A Chinese kind of metal cymbal. (_See_ GONG.) It is singular that Gower, _circa_ 1395, using this old word for _gone_, thus metallicizes--
"Of brasse, of silver, and of golde, The world is passed, and _agon_."
AGONIST. A champion; prize-fighter.
AGREEMENT. Except vessels of less than eighty tons register, the master of a ship must enter into an agreement with every seaman whom he carries from any port in Great Britain as one of his crew; and that agreement must be in the form sanctioned by the Board of Trade. (_See_ RUNNING AGREEMENT.)
AGROUND. The situation of a ship or other vessel whose bottom touches or rests upon the ground. It also signifies stranded, and is used figuratively for being disabled or hindered.
AGUA-ARDIENTE [Sp.] Corrupted into _aguardiente_,--the adulterated brandy of Spain supplied to ships.
AGUADA. The Spanish and Portuguese term for a watering-place.
AGUGLIA. A common name for sharp-pointed rocks. From the Italian for needle; written _agulha_ in Spanish and Portuguese charts.
AHEAD. A term especially referable to any object farther onward, or immediately before the ship, or in the course steered, and therefore opposed to _astern_.--_Ahead of the reckoning_, is sailing beyond the estimated position of the ship.--_Ahead_ is also used for progress; as, _cannot get ahead_, and is generally applied to forward, in advance.
AHOLD. A term of our early navigators, for bringing a ship close to the wind, so as to hold or keep to it.
AHOO, OR ALL AHOO, as our Saxon forefathers had it; awry, aslant, lop-sided. (_See_ ASKEW.)
AHOY! _See_ HO!
A-HULL. A ship under bare poles and her helm a-lee, driving from wind and sea, stern foremost. Also a ship deserted, and exposed to the tempestuous winds.
AID, TO. To succour; to supply with provisions or stores.
AID-DE-CAMP. A military staff officer, who carries and circulates the general's orders; and another class selected as expert at carving and dancing. In a ship, flag-lieutenant to an admiral, or, in action, the quarter-deck midshipmen to a captain.
AIGRE. The sudden flowing of the sea, called in the fens of Lincolnshire, _acker_. (_See_ BORE.)
AIGUADE [Fr.] AGUADA [Sp.] Water as provision for ships.
AIGUADES. Watering-places on French coasts.
AIGUILLE _aimantee_, magnetic needle. ---- _de carene_, out-rigger. ---- _d'inclinaison_, dipping needle. ---- _de tre_, or _a ralingue_, a bolt-rope needle.
AIGUILLES. The peculiar small fishing-boats in the Garonne and other rivers of Guienne.
AIGULETS [Fr. _aiguillettes_]. Tagged points or cords worn across the breast in some uniforms of generals, staff-officers, and special mounted corps.
AILETTES. Small plates of steel placed on the shoulders in mediaeval armour.
AIM. The direction of a musket, cannon, or any other fire-arm or missile weapon towards its object.--_To take aim_, directing the piece to the object.
AIR. The elastic, compressible, and dilatable fluid encompassing the terraqueous globe. It penetrates and pervades other bodies, and thus animates and excites all nature.--_Air_ means also a gentle breath of wind gliding over the surface of the water.--_To air_, to dry or ventilate.
AIR-BLADDER. A vesicle containing gas, situated immediately beneath the spinal column in most fish, and often communicating by a tube with the gullet. It is the homologue of the lungs of air-breathing vertebrates.
AIR-BRAVING. Defying the winds.
AIR-CONE, in the marine engine, is to receive the gases which enter the hot-well from the air-pump, where, after ascending, they escape through a pipe at the top.
AIRE. A name in our northern islands for a bank of sand.
AIR-FUNNEL. A cavity formed by omission of a timber in the upper works of a vessel, to admit fresh air into the hold of a ship and convey the foul out of it.
AIR-GUN. A silent weapon, which propels bullets by the expansive force of air only.
AIRING-STAGE. A wooden platform, on which gunpowder is aired and dried.
AIR-JACKET. A leathern garment furnished with inflated bladders, to buoy the wearer up in the water. (_See_ AYR.)
AIR-PIPES. Funnels for clearing ships' holds of foul air, on the principle of the rarefying power of heat.
AIR-PORTS. Large scuttles in ships' bows for the admission of air, when the other ports are down. The Americans also call their side-ports by that name.
AIR-PUMP. An apparatus to remove the water and gases accumulating in the condenser while the engine is at work.
AIR-SCUTTLES. The same as _air-ports_.
AIR-SHAFTS. Vertical holes made in mining, to supply the adits with fresh air. Wooden shafts are sometimes adopted on board ship for a similar purpose.
AIRT, OR ART. A north-country word for a bearing point of the compass or quarter of the heavens. Thus the song--
"Of a' the _airts_ the wind can blaw, I dearly love the west."
AIRY. Breezy.
AKEDOWN. A form of the term _acton_, as a defensive dress.
ALABLASTER. An arbalist or cross-bow man; also the corruption of _alabaster_.
ALAMAK. The name given in nautical astronomy to that beautiful double star _Anak al ard_ of the Arabians, or {g} Andromedae.
ALAMOTTIE. The _Procellaria pelagica_, or Storm-finch; Mother Cary's chicken, or stormy petrel.
ALAND. A term formerly used for to the shore, on shore, or to land.
ALARM, ALARUM [from the Italian _all'armi!_] An apprehension from sudden noise or report. The drum or signal by which men are summoned to stand on their guard in time of danger.--_False alarm_ is sometimes occasioned by a timid or negligent sentry, and at others designedly by an officer, to ascertain the promptness of his men. Sometimes false alarms are given by the enemy to harass the adversary. Old Rider defines _alarm_ as a "watch-word shewing the neernesse of the enemies."
ALARM-POST. A place appointed for troops to assemble, in case of a sudden alarm.
ALBACORE. A fish of the family _Scombridae_, found in shoals in the ocean; it is about 5 or 6 feet long, with an average weight of nearly 100 lbs. when fine.
ALBANY BEEF. A name for the sturgeon of the Hudson River, where it is taken in quantity for commerce.
ALBATROSS. A large, voracious, long-winged sea-bird, belonging to the genus _Diomedea_; very abundant in the Southern Ocean and the Northern Pacific, though said to be rarely met with within the tropics.
ALBION. An early name of England, from the whiteness of the eastern coast cliffs.
ALBURNUM. The sap-wood of timber, commonly termed the slab-cuts.
ALCAID. A governor, or officer of justice, amongst the Moors, Spaniards, and Portuguese.
ALCATRAZ. The pelican. Alcatraz Island is situated in the mouth of the river San Francisco, in California, so named from its being covered with these birds. Also Alcatraz on the coast of Africa, from _Pelecanus sula_--booby. Columbus mentions the alcatraz when nearing America, and Drayton says--
"Most like to that sharp-sighted _alcatras_, That beats the air above the liquid glass."
ALDEBARAN. The lucida of Taurus, the well-known nautical star, popularly called Bull's-eye.
A-LEE. The contrary of _a-weather_: the position of the helm when its tiller is borne over to the lee-side of the ship, in order to go about or put her head to windward.--_Hard a-lee!_ or _luff a-lee!_ is said to the steersman to put the helm down.--_Helm's a-lee!_ the word of command given on putting the helm down, and causing the head-sails to shake in the wind.