The Sailor's Word-Book Part 204

_Lily_ foundered with all hands in consequence, and several vessels at St. Helena have been driven from their anchors and wrecked. These waves roll in from the north, and do not break till they reach soundings, when they evince terrific power, rising from 5 to 15 feet above the usual level of the waters. A connection with volcanoes has been suggested as a cause.

ROLLERS. Cylindrical pieces of timber, fixed either horizontally or vertically in different parts of a ship above the deck, so as to revolve on an axis, and prevent the cables, hawsers, and running rigging from being chafed, by lessening their friction. The same as _friction-roller_.

Also, movable pieces of wood of the same figure, which are occasionally placed under boats, pieces of heavy timber, &c.

ROLLING. That oscillatory motion by which the waves rock a ship from side to side. The larger part of this disturbance is owing to the depth of the centre of gravity below the centre of figure, the former exercising a violent reaction when disturbed from its rest by pa.s.sing seas; therefore it is diminished by raising the weights, and must by no means be confounded with heeling.

ROLLING-CHOCK, OR JAW-PIECE. Similar to that of a gaff, fastened to the middle of an upper yard, to steady it.

ROLLING-CLEAT. Synonymous with _rolling-chock_.

ROLLING DOWN TO ST. HELENA. Running with a flowing sheet by the trade-wind.

ROLLING-HITCH. Pa.s.s the end of a rope round a spar or rope; take it round a second time, riding the standing part; then carry it across, and up through the bight.

ROLLING-SWELL. That heaving of the sea where the waves are very distant, forming deep troughs between.

ROLLING-TACKLES. Used to prevent the yards from swaying to and fro under heavy rolling motion.

ROLLSTER, OR ROSTER. A rotation list of officers.

ROLL UP A SAIL, TO. To hand it quickly.

ROMAN CEMENT. A cement which hardens under water; used for piers, docks, &c., as pozzolana, Aberthaw limestone, &c.

ROMBOWLINE, OR RUMBOWLINE. Condemned canvas, rope, and the like. Also the coa.r.s.e rope used to secure new coils.

RONDEL. An old term for a light, round shield.

RONE. A northern term for the roe of a fish.

RONNAL. A northern term for a female fish, as kipper is for the male.

ROOBLE. A Russian coin. (_See_ RUBLE.)

ROOD-GOOSE. A name for the brent-goose.

ROOF-TREE. _See_ ROUGH-TREE.

ROOKE, OR ROUKE. A mist, dampness, or fog.

ROOM. A name given to some reserved apartment in a ship, as--_The bread-room._ In the aftermost part of the hold: properly lined to receive the bread, and keep it dry.--_The cook-room._ (_See_ GALLEY.)--_The gun-room._ On the after gun-deck of ships of the line, or steerage of frigates; devoted to the gun-room officers.--_Light-room._ Attached to the magazine.--_Sail-rooms_, devoted to the sails, are on the orlop deck, and are inclosed for the reception of the spare sails.--_Slop-room._ Devoted to slop-clothing.--_Spirit-room._ A secure s.p.a.ce in the after-part of a ship's hold, for the stores of wine, brandy, &c.--_Steward's-room._ The office devoted to the purser's steward of former times, now paymaster's steward, whence he issues most of the light provisions to the ship's company.--_Ward-room._ A room over the gun-room in ships of the line, where the lieutenants and other princ.i.p.al officers sleep and mess. The term _sea-room_ is applied when a ship obtains a good offing, is clear of the coast dangers, and is free to stand on a long course without nearing danger.

ROOM, ROOMER, OR GOING ROOM. The old term for going large, or from, the wind. (_See_ LASK and LARGE.) It is mentioned by Bourne in 1578.

ROOMING. An old word to signify running to leeward.--_To go room._ To bear down.

ROOST. A phrase applied to races of strong and furious tides, which set in between the Orkney and Shetland Islands, as those of Sumburgh and the Start.

ROPE. Is composed of hemp, hide, wire, or other stuff, spun into yarns and strands, which twisted together forms the desired cordage. The word is very old, being the actual representative of the Anglo-Saxon _rap_.--_To rope a sail._ To sew the bolt-rope round its edges, to strengthen it and prevent it from rending.

ROPE-BANDS. Small plaited lines rove through the eyelet holes with a running eye, by which the head of a sail, after the earings are secured, is brought to the yard or jack-stay.

ROPE-HOUSE. A long building in a dockyard, where ropes are made.

ROPE-LADDER. Such as hangs over the stern, to enable men to go into boats, &c.

ROPE-MAKER. A first-cla.s.s petty officer in the navy.

ROPE OF SAND. A term borrowed from a Greek proverb signifying attempting impossibilities; without cohesion. Said of people who ought, but will not combine to effect a necessary object.

ROPES. A general name given to all the cordage above one inch in circ.u.mference used in rigging a ship; but the name is severally applied to the awning, bell, boat, bolt, breast, bucket, buoy, davit, entering, grapnel, guest or guist, guy, heel, keel, man, parral, pa.s.sing, ring, rudder, slip, swab, tiller, top, and yard: all which see under their respective heads. Ropes are of several descriptions, viz.:--_Cable-laid_, consists of three strands of already formed hawser-laid or twisted left-hand, laid up into one opposite making nine strands.--_Hawser-laid_, is merely three strands of simple yarns twisted right, but laid up left.--_Four-strand_ is similarly laid with four strands, and a core scarcely twisted.--_Sash-line_ is plaited and used for signal halliards.--_Rope-yarn_ is understood to be the selected serviceable yarns from condemned rope, and is worked into twice-laid. The refuse, again, into rumbowline for temporary purposes, not demanding strength.

ROPES, HIGH. _On the high ropes_. To be ceremonious, upstart, invested with brief authority.

ROPE'S END. The termination of a fall, and should be pointed or whipped.

Formerly much used for illegal punishment.

ROPE-YARN. The smallest and simplest part of any rope, being one of the large threads of hemp or other stuff, several of which being twisted together form a strand.

ROPING-NEEDLES. Those used for roping, being strong accordingly.

RORQUAL, OR FURROWED WHALE. A name of Scandinavian origin applied to the fin-back whales, distinguished from the right whales by the small size of their heads, shortness of their whalebone, the presence of a dorsal fin, and of a series of conspicuous longitudinal folds or furrows in the skin of the throat and chest.

ROSE, OR STRAINER. A plate of copper or lead perforated with small holes, placed on the heel of a pump to prevent choking substances from being sucked in. Roses are also nailed, for the like purpose, upon the holes which are made on a steamer's bottom for the admission of water to the boilers and condensers.

ROSE-LASHING. This lashing is middled, and pa.s.sed opposite ways; when finished, the ends appear as if coiled round the crossings.

ROSINA. A Tuscan gold coin, value 17_s._ 1_d._ sterling.

ROSS. A term from the Celtic, signifying a promontory.

ROSTER, OR ROLLSTER. A list for routine on any particular duty. (_See_ ROLLSTER.)

ROSTRAL-CROWN. The naval crown anciently awarded to the individual who first boarded an enemy's ship.

ROSTRUM. A prow; also a stand for a public speaker.

ROTATION. The motion of a body about its axis.

ROTHER. This lineal descendant of the Anglo-Saxon _roter_ is still in use for _rudder_ (which see).

ROTTEN ROW. A line of old ships-in-ordinary in _routine_ order.

ROUBLE. _See_ RUBLE.

ROUGH BOOKS. Those in which the warrant officers make their immediate entries of expenditure.

ROUGH-KNOTS, OR ROUGH NAUTS. Unsophisticated seamen.