The Sailor's Word-Book Part 47

CAPACISE. A corrupt form of _capsize_.

CAPACITY. Burden, tonnage, fitness for the service, rating.

CAPE. A projecting point of land jutting out from the coast-line; the extremity of a promontory, of which last it is the secondary rank. It differs from a headland, since a cape may be low. The Cape of Good Hope is always familiarly known as "The Cape." _Cape_ was also used for a rhumb-line.

CAPE, TO. To keep a course. How does she cape? how does she lie her course?

CAPE FLY-AWAY. A cloud-bank on the horizon, mistaken for land, which disappears as the ship advances. (_See_ FOG.)

CAPE-HEN. _See_ MOLLY-MAWK.

CAPELLA. The lucida of Auriga, and a nautical star.

CAPE-MERCHANT [_capo_]. An old name for super-cargo in early voyages, as also the head merchant in a factory.

CAPE-PIGEON, OR CAPE-PETREL. A sea-bird which follows a ship in her pa.s.sage round the cape; the _Procellaria capensis_. (_See_ PINTADOS.)

CAPER. A light-armed vessel of the 17th century, used by the Dutch for privateering.

CAPER CORNER-WAY. Diagonally.

CAPFUL OF WIND. A light flaw, which suddenly careens a vessel and pa.s.ses off.

CAPITAL OF A WORK. In fortification, an imaginary line bisecting its most prominent salient angle.

CAPITANA. Formerly the princ.i.p.al galley in a Mediterranean fleet: the admiral's ship.

CAPITULATION. The conditions on which a subdued force surrenders, agreed upon between the contending parties.

CAPLIN, OR CAPELIN. A fish of the family _Clupeidae_, very similar to a smelt; frequently imported from Newfoundland dried. It is the general bait for cod-fish there.

CAP'N. The way in which some address the commanders of merchant vessels.

CAPON. A jeering name for the red-herring.

CAPONNIERE. In fortification, a pa.s.sage across the bottom of the ditch, covered, at the least, by a parapet on each side, and very generally also with a bomb-proof roof, when it may be furnished with many guns, which are of great importance in the defence of a fortress, as the besieger can hardly silence them till he has constructed batteries on the brink of the ditch.

CAPOTE. A good storm-coat with a hood, much worn in the Levant, and made of a special manufacture.

CAPPa.n.u.s. The worm which adheres to, and gnaws the bottom of a ship, to prevent which all ships should be sheathed with copper.

CAPPED. A ship making against a race or very strong currents.

CAPRICORNUS. The tenth sign of the zodiac, which the sun enters about the 21st of December, and opens the winter solstice.

CAP-SCUTTLE. A framing composed of coamings and head-ledges raised above the deck, with a top which shuts closely over into a rabbet.

CAP-Sh.o.r.e. A supporting spar between the cap and the trestle-tree.

CAPSIZE, TO. To upset or overturn anything.

CAP-SQUARE. The clamp of iron which shuts over the trunnions of a gun to secure them to the carriage, having a curve to receive one-third part of the trunnion, the other two being sunk in the carriage; it is closed by forelocks.

CAPSTAN, CABESTAN, CAPSTERN, CAPSTON, &c. A mechanical arrangement for lifting great weights. There is a variety of capsterns, but they agree in having a horizontal circular head, which has square holes around its edge, and in these long bars are shipped, and are said to be "swifted"

when their outer ends are traced together; beneath is a perpendicular barrel, round which is wrapped the rope or chain used to lift the anchor or other great weight, even to the heaving a ship off a shoal. Now, in most ships where a capstern is used to lift the anchor, the chain cable is itself brought to the capstern. The purchase or lifting power is gained by the great sweep of the bars. A perpendicular iron spindle pa.s.ses through the whole capstern, and is stepped into a socket on the deck below the one on which it stands. In some cases capsterns are double in height, so that bars may be worked on two decks, giving more room for the men.

CAPSTAN, TO COME UP THE. In one sense is to lift the pauls and walk back, or turn the capstan the contrary way, thereby slackening, or letting out some of the rope on which they have been heaving. The sudden order would be obeyed by surging, or letting go any rope on which they were heaving. Synonymous to "Come up the purchase."

CAPSTAN, TO HEAVE AT THE. To urge it round, by pushing against the bars, as already described.

CAPSTAN, TO MAN THE. To place the sailors at it in readiness to heave.

CAPSTAN, TO PAUL THE. To drop all the pauls into their sockets, to prevent the capstan from recoiling during any pause of heaving.

CAPSTAN, TO RIG THE. To fix the bars in their respective holes, thrust in the pins to confine them, and reeve the swifter through the ends.

CAPSTAN, SURGE THE. Is the order to slacken the rope which is wound round the barrel while heaving, to prevent it from riding or fouling.

This term specially applies to surging the messenger when it rides, or when the two lashing eyes foul on the whelps or the barrel.

CAPSTAN-BAR PINS. Pins inserted through their ends to prevent their unshipping.

CAPSTAN-BARRING. An obsolete sea-punishment, in which the offender was sentenced to carry a capstan-bar during a watch.

CAPSTAN-BARS. Long pieces of wood of the best ash or hickory, one end of which is thrust into the square holes in the drumhead, like the spokes of a wheel. They are used to heave the capstan round, by the men setting their hands and chests against them, and walking round. They are also held in their places in the drumhead holes, by little iron bolts called capstan or safety pins, to prevent their flying out when the surging overcomes the force of the men. Many men have been killed by this action, and more by the omission to "pin and swift."

CAPSTAN-ROOM. _See_ ROOM.

CAPSTAN-STEP. (_See_ STEP OF THE CAPSTAN.) The men march round to the tune of a fiddle or fife, and the phrase of excitement is, "Step out, lads, make your feet tell."

CAPSTAN-SWIFTER. A rope pa.s.sed horizontally through notches in the outer ends of the bars, and drawn very tight: the intent is to steady the men as they walk round when the ship rolls, and to give room for a greater number to a.s.sist, by manning the swifters both within and without.

CAPTAIN. This t.i.tle is said to be derived from the eastern military magistrate _katapan_, meaning "over everything;" but the term _capitano_ was in use among the Italians nearly 200 years before Basilius II.

appointed his katapan of Apulia and Calabria, A.D. 984. Hence, the corruption of the Apulian province into _capitanata_. Among the Anglo-Saxons the captain was _schipp-hlaford_, or ship's lord. The captain, strictly speaking, is the officer commanding a line-of-battle ship, or a frigate carrying twenty or more cannon. A captain in the royal navy is answerable for any bad conduct in the military government, navigation, and equipment of his ship; also for any neglect of duty in his inferior officers, whose several charges he is appointed to regulate. It is also a t.i.tle, though incorrectly, given to the masters of all vessels whatever, they having no commissions. It is also applied in the navy itself to the chief sailor of particular gangs of men; in rank, captain of the forecastle, admiral's c.o.xswain, captain's c.o.xswain, captain of the hold, captain of main-top, captain of fore-top, &c.

CAPTAIN. A name given to the crooner, crowner, or gray gurnard (_Trigla gurnardus_).

CAPTAIN OF A MERCHANT SHIP. Is a certificated officer in the mercantile marine, intrusted with the entire charge of a ship, both as regards life and property. He is in no way invested with special powers to meet his peculiar circ.u.mstances, but has chiefly to depend upon moral influence for maintaining order amongst his pa.s.sengers and crew during the many weeks or even months that he is cut off from appeal to the laws of his country, only resorting to force on extreme occasions. Great tact and judgment is required to fulfil this duty properly.

CAPTAIN OF A SHIP OF WAR. Is the commanding officer; as well the post-captain (a t.i.tle now disused) as those whose proper t.i.tle is commander.

CAPTAIN OF THE FLEET. Is a temporary admiralty appointment; he is ent.i.tled to be considered as a flag-officer, and to a share in the prize-money accordingly. He carries out all orders issued by the commander-in-chief, but his special duty is to keep up the discipline of the fleet, in which he is supreme. He is the adjutant-general of the force, hoisting the flag and wearing the uniform of rear-admiral.

CAPTAIN OF THE HEAD. Not a recognized rating, but an ordinary man appointed to attend to the swabs, and to keep the ship's head clean.

CAPTAIN OF THE HOLD. The last of the captains in rank, as a first-cla.s.s petty officer.

CAPTAIN OF THE PORT. The captain of the port is probably better explained by referring to that situation at Gibraltar. He belongs to the Board of Health; he controls the entries and departures, the berthing at the anchorage, and general marine duties, but possesses no naval authority. Hence, the port-captain is quite another officer. (_See_ PORT-CAPTAIN.)

CAPTAIN-GENERAL. The highest army rank.