The Sailor's Word-Book Part 248

TRICING-LINE. A small cord, generally pa.s.sing through a block or thimble, and used to hoist up any object to render it less inconvenient; such are the tricing-lines of the yard-tackle, &c.

TRICK. The time allotted to a man on duty at the helm. The same as _spell_.

TRICKER. An old spelling for the trigger of a gun.

TRIE. An old word for trim.--_Out of trie_, crank.

TRIGGER. In ship-building, is the letting fall the paul of the cradle by which the dog-sh.o.r.e falls flush, and offers no further obstruction to the ship gliding down the ways into her absurdly termed "native element." Also, a small catch under the lock of fire-arms, by drawing which back, when the piece is c.o.c.ked, it is discharged.

TRIGGER-FINGER. _See_ FORE-FINGER.

TRIGGER-LINE. A line by which the gun is fired.

TRIG-MEAT. A western term for any kind of sh.e.l.l-fish picked up at low water.

TRIGON. _See_ TRIANGLE.

TRIGONOMETRY. The science which deals with measuring triangles, or determining their unknown sides and angles, plane or spherical.

TRIM. The set of a ship on the water, whether by the head or the stern, or on an even keel. It is by the disposition of the ballast, cargo, masts, and other weight which she carries, that a vessel is best adapted for navigation. Also, the working or finishing of any piece of timber or plank to its proper shape or form.--_In trim_, is neat and regular.--_To trim_, is to arrange the sails so that they may receive the full advantage of the wind.

TRIM OF THE HOLD. The arrangement of the cargo, &c., by which a vessel carries sail well, and becomes under control as well as sea-worthy.

TRIMMED. Sails properly set, and yards well braced after tacking.

TRIMMED SHARP. The arrangement of a ship's sails in a slant wind, so that she may keep as close as possible to the breeze.

Tr.i.m.m.i.n.g A JACKET. Rope's-ending the wearer.

TRIMONIER. A corruption of _timoneer_, but formerly a rating on ships'

books.

TRIM THE BOAT! The order to sit in the boat in such a manner as that she shall float upright. Also, to edge aft, so that her steerage becomes easier, and she does not ship heavy seas.

TRINK. An old contrivance for catching fish. (Statute 2 Hen. VI. c. 15.)

TRIP. An outward-bound pa.s.sage or short voyage, particularly in the coasting trade. It also denotes a single board in plying to windward.

Also, the movement by which an anchor is loosened from its bed and raised clear of the bottom, either by its cable or buoy-rope.--_The anchor's a-trip_, _i.e._ no longer holds.

TRIPLE STAR. Three stars situated in close proximity, but apparently only optically connected. (_See_ TERNARY SYSTEM.)

TRIPPING. Giving a yard the necessary cant by a tripping-line. Also, the lifting an upper mast to withdraw its fid, in order that it may be lowered by means of the mast-rope.

TRIPPING-LINE. A small rope serving to unrig the lower top-gallant yard-arm of its lift and brace, when in the act of sending it down on deck. Also, the line used for tripping an upper mast.

TROACHER, OR TROAKER. A dealer in smuggled goods.

TROCHOID, OR CYCLOID. A geometrical curve, resulting from a circle being made to run along a right line, whence the French designate it _roulette_. But if a circle be made to roll along the circ.u.mference of another circle, it becomes an _epicycloid_ (which see).

TROITE. An archaism for the cuttle-fish.

TROLLING. Drawing the bait along the water to imitate the swimming of a real fish; this is generally done by a long line attached to the stern of a sailing-boat. The word of old signified sauntering or idling about.

TROMBONE. A species of blunderbuss for boat service, taking its name from its unseemly trumpet mouth.

TRONA. An article of export from Tripoli and Egypt; the _natron_ of commerce, and _over munnoo_ of the East Indies. Sesqui-carb. of soda mixed with salt and sulphate of soda.

TROOP. A company of cavalry, commanded by a captain, generally from forty to sixty strong. Also, an a.s.sembling beat of the drum.--_Trooping the guard_, or _the colours_, are special military ceremonies connected with guard-mounting.--_Troop the guard._ A ceremony daily practised in large ships by the marines at morning muster.

TROOP-BOATS. Are built with great flatness of floor, with extreme breadth, carried well forward and aft, and possessing the utmost buoyancy, as well as capacity for stowage. They were carried as paddle-box boats (inverted), and thus protected the paddles as well as being ready for use.

TROOP-SHIPS. A cla.s.s of vessel of excellent account, during war, in the hands of government; far preferable to hired transports for the purpose of conveying soldiers, especially cavalry and their horses. They were usually, in the last French war, 50's and 64's; and with the lower-deck guns taken out, were roomy and airy.

TROPHY. Anything captured from an enemy and shown or treasured as a token of victory.

TROPICAL MOTION. _See_ MOTION.

TROPICAL REVOLUTION. If the periodic time of a circuit round the sun be taken in reference to the equinoxes or tropics, it is called a tropical revolution.

TROPIC-BIRD. _Phaethon aethereus_, a well-known sea-bird, distinguished by two very long feathers in its tail; also termed _boatswain-bird_, from the tail feathers resembling a marline-spike.

TROPICS. Two imaginary lines upon the globe, or lesser circles of the sphere, parallel to the equator, and at 23-1/2 distance on each side of it; they touch the ecliptic at its greatest distances from the equator, and from the boundaries of the sun's declination, north and south.

TROUGH [from the Anglo-Saxon _troh_]. A small boat broad at both ends.

Also, the hollow or interval between two waves, which resembles a broad and deep trench perpetually fluctuating. As the set of the sea is produced by the wind, the waves and the trough are at right angles with it; hence a ship rolls heaviest when she is in the trough of the sea.

TROUL. The action of silt being rolled along by a tide.

TROUNCE, TO. To beat or punish. An old word; in Mathew's translation of the Bible, 1537, we find, "The Lord trounced Sisera."

TROUNCER. An old word for a waister.

TROUS DE LOUP. Holes dug in the form of an inverted cone, with a sharp picket or stake in each, to break the march of an enemy's column when advancing to the attack.

TROW. A clinker-built, flat-floored barge used on the Severn, &c. Also, a sort of double boat with an interval between, and closed at the ends; it is used on the Tyne for salmon-fishing, the fisherman standing across the opening, leister in hand, ready to strike the quarry which pa.s.ses.

TRUCE. The exhibition of a flag of truce has been religiously respected amongst civilized nations. It is a request by signal to desist from farther warfare, until the object of the truce requested has been acceded to or rejected.

TRUCHMAN. _See_ TRUGMAN.

TRUCK. A Cornish word for the trough between two surfs. Also, exchange, as fish for grog, &c.

TRUCKLE. A Welsh coracle.

TRUCKS. Pieces of wood of various forms, though mostly round; they are for different purposes, as wheels on which the gun-carriages run.--_Trucks of the flag-staves or at the mast-head._ Circular caps on the upper mast-heads; they are generally furnished with two or more small sheaves, through which the signal halliards are rove.--_Trucks of the parrels._ Spherical pieces of wood, termed bull's-eyes, having a hole through them, in which is inserted the rope of the parrel. (_See_ PARRALS.)--_Trucks for fair leaders_, are similar to bull's-eyes, but are scored to fit the shrouds to which they are seized. The ropes are thus kept from getting jammed between the yards and the rigging; they are also useful, especially at night, as guides to particular ropes.

TRUE ANOMALY. _See_ ANOMALY.

TRUE-BLUE. A metaphorical term for an honest and hearty sailor: "true to his uniform, and uniformly true."