The Sailor's Word-Book Part 181

PARREL WITH TRUCKS. Is composed of a single rope pa.s.sing through a number of bull's-eye trucks, sufficient to embrace the mast; these are princ.i.p.ally used for the cheeks of a gaff.

Pa.r.s.eES. The great native merchants of Bombay, &c., and a very useful cla.s.s as merchants and shopkeepers all along the Malabar coast. They are the remains of the ancient Persians, and are Guebres, or fire-worshippers.

PART, TO. To break a rope. To part from an anchor is in consequence of the cable parting.

PARTAN. A name on our northern coasts for the common sea-crab.

PARTING. The state of being driven from the anchors by breaking the cables. The rupture or stranding of any tackle-fall or hawser.

PARTIZAN, OR PERTUISAN. A halbert formerly much used. Thus in Shakspeare (_Antony and Cleopatra_), "I had as lief have a reed that will do me no service, as a partizan I could not heave." Also, a useful stirring man, fit for all sorts of desultory duties.

PARTIZAN WARFARE. Insurrectionary, factional, and irregular hostilities.

PARTNERS. A framework of thick plank, fitted round the several scuttles or holes in a ship's decks, through which the masts, capstans, &c., pa.s.s; but particularly to support it when the mast leans against it.

PARTNERSHIP with a neutral cannot legalize commerce with a belligerent.

PART OWNERS. Unlike any other partnership, they may be imposed upon each other without mutual consent, whence arises a frequent appeal to both civil and common law. (_See_ SHIP-OWNER.)

PARTRIDGES. Grenades thrown from a mortar.

PARTY. The detachment of marines serving on board a man-of-war. Also, a gang of hands sent away on particular duties.

PASHA. Viceroy. A Turkish t.i.tle of honour and command.

Pa.s.s. A geographical term abbreviated from pa.s.sage, and applied to any defile for crossing a mountain chain. Also, any difficult strait which commands the entrance into a country. Also, a certificate of leave of absence for a short period only. Also, a thrust with a sword.

Pa.s.s, OR Pa.s.sPORT. A permission granted by any state to a vessel, to navigate in some particular sea without molestation; it contains all particulars concerning her, and is binding on all persons at peace with that state. It is also a letter of licence given by authority, granting permission to enter, travel in, and quit certain territories.

Pa.s.s, TO. To give from one to another, and also to take certain turns of a rope round a yard, &c., as "Pa.s.s the line along;" "pa.s.s the gasket;"

"pa.s.s a seizing;" "pa.s.s the word there," &c.

Pa.s.sAGE. A voyage is generally supposed to comprise the outward and homeward pa.s.sages. Also, a west-country term for ferry. (_See_ VOYAGE.)

Pa.s.sAGE-BOAT. A small vessel employed in carrying persons or luggage from one port to another. Also, a ferry-boat.

Pa.s.sAGE-BROKER. One who is licensed to act in the procuring of pa.s.sages by ships from one port to another.

Pa.s.sAGE-MONEY. The allowance made for carrying official personages in a royal ship. Also, the charge made for the conveyance of pa.s.sengers in a packet or merchant-vessel.

Pa.s.sAGES. Cuts in the parapet of the covered way to continue the communication throughout.

Pa.s.sANDEAU. An ancient 8-pounder gun of 15 feet.

Pa.s.sAREE, OR Pa.s.sARADO. A rope in use when before the wind with lower studding-sail booms out, to haul out the clues of the fore-sail to tail-blocks on the booms, so as to full-spread the foot of that sail.

Pa.s.sED. The having undergone a regular examination for preferment.

Pa.s.sED BOYS. Those who have gone through the round of instruction given in a training-ship.

Pa.s.sE-VOLANT. A name applied by the French to a _Quaker_ or wooden gun on board ship; but it was adopted by our early voyagers as also expressing a movable piece of ordnance.

Pa.s.sPORT. _See_ Pa.s.s.

Pa.s.s-WORD. The countersign for answering the sentinels.

PATACHE. A Portuguese tender, from 200 to 300 tons, for carrying treasure: well armed and swift.

PATAc.o.o.n. A Spanish piece of eight, worth 4_s._ 6_d._

PATALLAH. A large and clumsy Indian boat, for baggage, cattle, &c.

PATAMAR. An excellent old cla.s.s of advice-boats in India, especially on the Bombay coast, both swift and roomy. They are grab-built, that is, with a prow-stern, about 76 feet long, 21 feet broad, 11 feet deep, and 200 tons burden. They are navigated with much skill by men of the Mopila caste and other Mussulmans.

PATAMOMETER. An instrument for measuring the force of currents.

PATAXOS. A small vessel formerly used by the Spaniards as an advice-boat.

PATCH. The envelope used with the bullet in old rifles.--_Muzzle-patch_ is a projection on the top of the muzzle of some guns, doing away with the effect of dispart in laying.

PATELLA. The limpet, of which there are 250 known species.

PATERERO. A kind of small mortar sometimes fired for salutes or rejoicing, especially in Roman Catholic countries on holidays.

PATERNOSTER-WORK. The framing of a chain-pump.

PATH. The trajectory of a sh.e.l.l.

PATOO-PATOO. A formidable weapon with sharp edges, used by the Polynesian Islanders and New Zealanders as a sort of battle-axe to cleave the skulls of their enemies.

PATROL. The night-rounds, to see that all is right, and to insure regularity and order.

PATRON, OR PADRONE. The master of a merchant vessel or coaster in the Mediterranean. Also, a cartridge-box, _temp._ Elizabeth.

PAUL BITT. A strong timber fixed perpendicularly at the back of the windla.s.s in the middle, serving to support the system of pauls which are pinned into it, as well as to add security to the machine.

PAULER, THAT IS A. A closer or stopper; an unanswerable or puzzling decision.

PAUL RIM. A notched cast-iron capstan-ring let into the ship's deck for the pauls to act on.

PAULS, OR PAWLS. A stout but short set of bars of iron fixed close to the capstan-whelps, or windla.s.s of a ship, to prevent them from recoiling and overpowering the men. Iron or wood brackets suspended to the paul-bitts of a windla.s.s, and dropping into appropriate scores, act as a security to the purchase. To the windla.s.s it is vertical; for capstans, horizontal, bolted to the whelps, and b.u.t.ting to the deck-rim.

PAUL THERE, MY HEARTY. Tell us no more of that. Discontinue your discourse.

PAUNCH-MAT. A thick and strong mat formed by interweaving sinnet or strands of rope as close as possible; it is fastened on the outside of the yards or rigging, to prevent their chafing.

PAVILION. A state tent.

PAVILLON [Fr.] Colours; flag; standard.