The Scent of Corruption (The Fighting Sail Series Book 7) (42 page)

Deadeyes
  A round, flattish wooden block with three holes, through which a lanyard is reeved. Used to tension shrouds and backstays.

Ditty Bag
 
(Slang)
A seaman's bag. Derives its name from the dittis or 'Manchester stuff' of which it was once made.

Driver
  Large sail set on the mizzen. The foot is extended by means of a boom.

Dunnage
  Officially the packaging around cargo. Also
(Slang)
baggage or possessions.

Fall
  The free end of a lifting tackle on which the men haul.

Fetch
  To arrive at, or reach a destination. Also the distance the wind blows across the water. The longer the fetch the bigger the waves.

Forereach
  To gain upon, or pass by another ship when sailing in a similar direction.

Forestay
  Stay supporting the masts running forward, serving the opposite function of the backstay. Runs from each mast at an angle of about 45 degrees to meet another mast, the deck or the bowsprit.

Frizzen
  The striking plate that encourages the spark in a flintlock mechanism. Also known as a steel.

Futtock
  A lower frame in the hull of a ship (similar to a rib). Futtock shrouds run down from the edge of a top to the mast.

Glass
  Telescope. Also, hourglass: an instrument for measuring time (and hence, as slang, a period of time). Also a barometer.

Gobbler
 
(Slang)
Derisory term for a revenue officer.

Gingerbread
  Common term for the ornate carvings common on larger ship's sterns.

Gun Room
  In a third rate and above, a mess for junior officers. For lower rates the gun room is the equivalent of the wardroom.

Go About
  To alter course, changing from one tack to the other.

Halyards
  Lines which raise yards, sails, signals
etc.

Hammock Man
  A seaman or marine unofficially employed to tend the hammock of a junior officer.

Hanger
  A fighting sword, similar to a cutlass.

Hard
T
ack
  Ship's biscuit.

Hawse
  Area in the bows where holes are cut to allow the anchor cables to pass through. Also used as general term for bows.

Hawser
  Heavy cable used for hauling, towing or mooring.

Headway
  The amount a vessel is moved forward (rather than leeway: the amount a vessel is moved sideways) when the wind is not directly behind.

Heave To
  Keeping a ship relatively stationary by backing certain sails in a seaway.

HEIC
  Honourable East India Company.

Holder
  One aboard ship who spends much of his time moving stores in the hold.

Idler
  A man who, through his duty or position, does not stand a watch, but (usually) works during the day and can sleep throughout the night.

Interest
  Backing from a superior officer or one in authority, useful when looking for promotion.

Jemmy Ducks
  A traditional name for the hand who looks after poultry aboard ship.

Jib-Boom
  Boom run out from the extremity of the bowsprit, braced by means of a Martingale stay, which passes through the dolphin striker

Jimmy Leggs
 
(Slang)
The master at arms.

John Company
 
(Slang)
The East India Company.

Junk
  Old line used to make wads, etc.

Jury Mast
/
Rig
  Temporary measure used to restore a vessel's sailing ability.

Landsman
  The rating of one who has no experience at sea.

Landshark
 
(Slang)
Popular smuggler's euphemism for land-based revenue officers.

Lanthorn
  Large lantern.

Larboard
  Left side of the ship when facing forward. Later replaced by 'port', which had previously been used for helm orders.

Leaguer
  A long cask with a capacity of 127 imperial gallons, normally used to hold water.

Leeward
  The downwind side of a vessel.

Leeway
  The amount a vessel is moved sideways by the wind (as opposed to headway, the forward movement, when the wind is directly behind).

Liner 
(Slang)
Ship of the line (of battle). A third rate or above.

Linstock
  A forked staff to hold a lighted slowmatch. Using a linstock enables a gun captain to fire his weapon from a distance, without the aid of a gunlock.

Lobster
 
(Slang)
Soldier.

Lubber
/
Lubberly
 
(Slang)
Unseamanlike behaviour; as a landsman.

Luff
  Intentionally sail closer to the wind, perhaps to allow work aloft. Also the flapping of sails when brought too close to the wind. The side of a fore and aft sail laced to the mast.

Manger
  Area aboard ship where livestock are kept.

Martingale Stay
  Line that braces the jib-boom, passing from the end through the dolphin striker to the ship.

Nanny House
 
(Slang)
A brothel.

Orlop
  The lowest deck in a ship.

Pariah
(
Mess
)  A mess made up of those rejected by others.

Packet
/
Packet Service
  The HEIC maintained a number of fast sailing vessels to maintain communications and carry light cargo.

Peter
(
Blue
)  Introduced in the 1750's as a blue flag with six white balls. The later version, which replaced the balls with a white square, became the signal to recall everyone to the ship.

Phyz
 
(Slang)
face.

Pipeclay
  Compound used to polish and whiten leatherwork.

Point Blank
  The range of a cannon when fired flat. (For a 32 pounder this would be roughly 1000 feet.)

Portable Soup
  A boiled down mixture of beef and offal that could be reconstituted with water.

Preventive Service
  The customs (or excise) service; at the time both acted independently.

Pushing School
 
(Slang)
A brothel.

Pusser
 
(Slang)
Purser.

Pusser's Pound
  Before the Great Mutinies, meat was issued at 14 ounces to the pound, allowing an eighth for wastage. This was later reduced to a tenth.

Quarterdeck
  In larger ships the deck forward of the poop, but at a lower level. The preserve of officers.

Queue
  A pigtail. Often tied by a seaman's best friend (his tie mate).

Quoin
  Triangular wooden block placed under the cascabel of a long gun to adjust the elevation.

Ratlines
  Lighter lines, untarred and tied horizontally across the shrouds at regular intervals, to act as rungs and allow men to climb aloft.

Reef
  A portion of sail that can be taken in to reduce the size of the whole.

Reefing points
  Light line on large sails, which can be tied up to reduce the sail area in heavy weather.

Reefing Tackle
  Line that leads from the end of the yard to the reefing cringles set in the edges of the sail. It is used to haul up the upper part of the sail when reefing.

Rigging
  Tophamper; made up of standing (static) and running (moveable) rigging, blocks etc. Also
(slang)
Clothes.

Rondy
 
(Slang)
Rendezvous. A recruitment point and base for the press for men joining a ship.

Rummer
  Large drinking glass originating in Holland.

Running
  Sailing before the wind.

Salt Horse
 
(Slang)
Salt beef.

Scarph
  A joint in wood where the edges are sloped off to maintain a constant thickness.

Schooner
  Small craft with two or three masts.

Scran
 
(Slang)
Food.

Scupper
  Waterway that allows deck drainage.

Sheet
  A line that controls the foot of a sail.

Shrouds
  Lines supporting the masts athwart ship (from side to side) which run from the hounds (just below the top) to the channels on the side of the hull.

Six an' Eight-Pence
 
(Slang)
A lawyer or attorney (from a commonly charged fee).

Smoke
 
(Slang)
to discover, or reveal something hidden.

Soft
T
ack
  Bread.

Spirketting
  The interior lining or panelling of a ship.

Spring
  Hawser attached to a fixed object that can be tensioned to move the position of a ship fore and aft along a dock, often when setting out to sea. Breast lines control position perpendicular to the dock.

Sprit Sail
  A square sail hung from the bowsprit yards, less used by 1793 as the function had been taken over by the jibs although the rigging of their yards helps to brace the bowsprit against sideways pressure.

Stay Sail
  A quadrilateral or triangular sail with parallel lines hung from under a stay. Usually pronounced stays'l.

Stern Sheets
  Part of a ship's boat between the stern and the first rowing thwart and used for passengers.

Stingo
 
(Slang)
Beer.

Strake
  A plank.

Suds
(
in the
) 
(Slang)
To be in trouble.

Tack
  To turn a ship, moving her bows through the wind. Also a leg of a journey relating to the direction of the wind. If from starboard, a ship is on the starboard tack. Also the part of a fore and aft loose-footed sail where the sheet is attached, or a line leading forward on a square course to hold the lower part of the sail forward.

Taffrail
  Rail around the stern of a vessel.

Thumper
 
(Slang)
A third rate or above.

Ticket Men
  Hands employed aboard a pressing tender to replace those crew seized, and see the vessel safely to harbour.

Timoneer
  One who steers a ship.

Tophamper
  Literally any weight either on a ship’s decks or about her tops and rigging, but often used loosely to refer to spars and rigging.

Tow
  Cotton waste.

Trick
 
(Slang)
A period of duty.

Veer
  Wind change, clockwise.

Waist
  Area of main deck between the quarterdeck and forecastle.

Watch
  Period of four (or in case of dog watch, two) hour duty. Also describes the two or three divisions of a crew.

Watch List
  List of men and stations, usually carried by lieutenants and divisional officers.

Wearing
  To change the direction of a square rigged ship across the wind by putting its stern through the eye of the wind. Also jibe – more common in a fore and aft rig.

Wedding Garland
  An actual garland that would be raised when a ship was expected to remain at anchor for some while. It signified that the ship was not on active duty and women were allowed aboard. This was considered a preferable alternative to granting shore leave, a concession that was bound to be abused.

Windward
  The side of a ship exposed to the wind..

Yellow
(
Admiral
)  The rank of Admiral was achieved solely through seniority. Following a man being made post (captain) he gradually rose on the captains' list as those above him died, retired, or were promoted. On attaining flag rank he would normally be appointed Rear Admiral of the Blue Squadron, the lowest level of flag officer other than Commodore. But should the officer be considered unsuitable for such a position, he would be appointed to an unspecified squadron; what was popularly known as being yellowed, and a disgrace to him so honoured.

––––––––

H
MS
Prometheus

Captain: 
Sir Richard Banks

Lieutenants: 
Michael Caulfield, Davison, Thomas King, Benson, Lewis, Carlton

Sailing Master: 
Brehaut

Master's Mate: 
Cartwright

Midshipmen

and Volunteers: 
Bruce, Chivers, Sutton, Franklin, Adams, Steven

Surgeon: 
Robert Manning

Surgeon's Mates
: Dodgeson, Prior

Loblolly boys
: Macintosh, Wells, Mercer

Purser
: Dawson

Boatswain's Mates
: Simmonds, Clement

Master at Arms
 a.k.a. “Jimmy Leggs”: Saunders

Gunner
:  Abbot

Gunner's Mate
:  Hurle

Quarter Gunner
:  Guillom

Cook
:  Stone

Carpenter
:  Roberts

Sailmaker
:  Stevenson

Captain's Steward
:  David

Davison's Steward
:  Hughes

King's Steward
:  Keats

Poulterer
:  “Jemmy Ducks”

Seamen
:  Jenkins, Todd, Marne, Dilston, Colebrook, Carter, Sanderson, Jeffrey, Hill, Remmer and Moffat