The Sailor's Word-Book Part 109

GANNY-WEDGE. A thick wooden wedge, used in splitting timber.

GANTAN. An Indian commercial measure, of which 17 make a baruth.

GANT-LINE. Synonymous with _girt-line_ (which see).

GANT-LOPE, OR GAUNTLOPE (commonly p.r.o.nounced _gantlet_). A _race_ which a criminal was sentenced to _run_, in the navy or army, for any heinous offence. The ship's crew, or a certain division of soldiers, were disposed in two rows face to face, each provided with a knotted cord, or _knittle_, with which they severely struck the delinquent as he ran between them, stripped down to the waist. This was repeated according to the sentence, but seldom beyond three times, and const.i.tuted "_running the gauntlet_."

GANTREE, OR GANTRIL. A wooden stand for a barrel.

GANZEE. Corrupted from Guernsey. (_See_ JERSEY.)

GAP. A chasm in the land, which, when near, is useful as a landmark.

GAPE. The princ.i.p.al crevice or crack in shaken timber.--_The seams gape_, or let in water.

GARAVANCES. The old term for _calavances_ (which see).

GARBEL. A word synonymous with _garboard_ (which see).

GARBLING. The mixing of rubbish with a cargo stowed in bulk.

GARBOARD-STRAKE, OR SAND-STREAK. The first range of planks laid upon a ship's bottom, next the keel, into which it is rabbeted, and into the stem and stern-post at the ends.

GARDE-BRACE. Anglo-Norman for armour for the arm.

GARE. _See_ GAIR-FOWL. Also, the Anglo-Saxon for _ready_. (_See_ YARE.)

GARETTE. A watch-tower.

GARFANGLE. An archaic term for an eel-spear.

GAR-FISH. The _Belone vulgaris_, or bill-fish, the bones of which are green. Also called the guard-fish, but it is from the Anglo-Saxon _gar_, a weapon.

GARGANEY. The _Querquedula circia_, a small species of duck, allied to the teal.

GARLAND. A collar of ropes formerly wound round the head of the mast, to keep the shrouds from chafing. Also, a strap lashed to a spar when hoisting it in. Also, a large rope grommet, to place shot in on deck.

Also, in sh.o.r.e-batteries, a band, whether of iron or stone, to retain shot together in their appointed place. Also, the ring in a target, in which the mark is set. Also, a wreath made by crossing three small hoops, and covering them with silk and ribbons, hoisted to the main-topgallant-stay of a ship on the day of the captain's wedding; but on a seaman's wedding, to the appropriate mast to which he is stationed.

Also, a sort of cabbage-net, whose opening is extended by a hoop, and used by sailors to contain their day's provisions, being hung up to the beams within their berth, safe from cats, rats, ants, and c.o.c.kroaches.

GARNET. A sort of purchase fixed to the main-stay of a merchant-ship, and used for hoisting the cargo in and out at the time of loading or delivering her. A whip.--_Clue-garnet._ (_See_ CLUE and CLUE-GARNETS.)

GARNEY. A term in the fisheries for the fins, sounds, and tongues of the cod-fish.

GARNISH. Profuse decoration of a ship's head, stern, and quarters. Also money which pressed men in tenders and receiving ships exacted from each other, according to priority.

GARR. An oozy vegetable substance which grows on ships' bottoms.

GARRET, OR GARITA. A watch-tower in a fortification; an old term.

GARRISON. A military force guarding a town or fortress; a term for the place itself; also for the state of guard there maintained.

GARRISON GUNS. These are more powerful than those intended for the field; and formerly nearly coincided with naval guns; but now, the introduction of armour-plating afloat leads to furnishing coast-batteries with the heaviest guns of all.

GARRISON ORDERS. Those given out by the commandant of a garrison.

GARROOKA. A fishing-craft of the Gulf of Persia.

GARTERS. A slang term for the ship's irons or bilboes.

GARTHMAN. One who plies at a _fish-garth_, but is prohibited by statute from destroying the fry of fish.

GARVIE. A name on our northern sh.o.r.es for the sprat.

GASKET. A cord, or piece of plaited stuff, to secure furled sails to the yard, by wrapping it three or four times round both, the turns being at a competent distance from each other.--_Bunt-gasket_ ties up the bunt of the sail, and should consequently be the strongest; it is sometimes made in a peculiar net form. In some ships they have given place to beckets.--_Double gaskets._ Pa.s.sing additional frapping-lines round the yards in very stormy weather.--_Quarter-gasket._ Used only for large sails, and is fastened about half-way out upon the yard, which part is called the quarter.--_Yard-arm gasket._ Used for smaller sails; the end is made fast to the yard-arm, and serves to bind the sail as far as the quarter-gasket on large yards, but extends quite into the bunt of small sails.

GAS-PIPE. A term jocularly applied to the newly-introduced breech-loading rifle.

GAT. A swashway, or channel amongst shoals.

GATE. The old name for landing-places, as Dowgate and Billingsgate; also in cliffs, as Kingsgate, Margate, and Ramsgate; those in Greece and in Italy are called _scala_. Also, a flood, sluice, or water gate.

GATE, OR SEA-GATE. When two ships are thrown on board one another by a wave, they are said to be in a sea-gate.

GATHER AFT A SHEET, TO. To pull it in, by hauling in slack.

GATHER WAY, TO. To begin to feel the impulse of the wind on the sails, so as to obey the helm.

GATH-LINN. A name of the north polar star; two Gaelic words, signifying ray and moisture, in allusion to its subdued brightness.

GATT. A gate or channel, a term used on the Flemish coast and in the Baltic. The h.e.l.legat of New York has become h.e.l.l Gate.

GAUB-LINE. A rope leading from the martingale in-board. The same as _back-rope_.

GAUGE. _See_ GAGE.

GAUGE. An instrument for measuring shot, wads, &c. For round shot there are two kinds, viz. the high gauge, a cylinder through which the shot must pa.s.s; and the low gauge, a ring through which it must not pa.s.s.

GAUGE-c.o.c.kS. A neat apparatus for ascertaining the height of the water in a steamer's boiler.

GAUGE-ROD. A graduated iron for sounding the pump-well.

GAUGNET. The _Sygnathus acus_, sea-needle, or pipe-fish.

GAUNTLET. (_See_ GIRT-LINE.) Also, a rope round the ship to the lower yard-arms, for drying scrubbed hammocks. Of old the term denoted the armed knight's iron glove. (_See_ GANT-LOPE, for _running the gauntlet_.)

GAUNTREE. The stand for a water or beer cask.

GAUNTS. The great crested grebe in Lincolnshire.