The Sailor's Word-Book Part 51

CAUL. The membrane encompa.s.sing the head of some infants when born, and from early antiquity esteemed an omen of good fortune, and a preservative against drowning; it was sought by the Roman lawyers with as much avidity as by modern voyagers. Also, a northern name for a dam-dike. Also, an oriental license. (_See_ KAULE.)

CAULK, TO. (_See_ CAULKING.) To lie down on deck and sleep, with clothes on.

CAULKER. He who caulks and pays the seams. This word is mistaken by many for _c.a.w.ker_ (which see).

CAULKER'S SEAT. A box slung to a ship's side whereon a caulker can sit and use his irons; it contains his tools and oak.u.m.

CAULKING OF A SHIP. Forcing a quant.i.ty of oak.u.m, or old ropes untwisted and drawn asunder, into the seams of the planks, or into the intervals where the planks are joined together in the ship's decks or sides, or rends in the planks, in order to prevent the entrance of water. After the oak.u.m is driven in very hard, hot melted pitch or rosin is poured into the groove, to keep the water from rotting it. Among the ancients the first who made use of pitch in caulking were the inhabitants of Phaeacia, afterwards called Corfu. Wax and rosin appear to have been commonly used before that period; and the Poles still subst.i.tute an unctuous clay for the same purpose for the vessels on their navigable rivers.

CAULKING-b.u.t.t. The opening between ends or joints of the planks when worked for caulking.

CAULKING-IRONS. The peculiar chisels used for the purpose of caulking: they are the caulking-iron, the making-iron, the reeming-iron, and the rasing-iron.

CAULKING-MALLET. The wooden beetle or instrument with which the caulking-irons are driven.

CAURY. Worm-eaten.

CAVALIER. In fortification, a work raised considerably higher than its neighbours, but generally of similar plan. Its object is to afford a plunging fire, especially into the near approaches of a besieger, and to shelter adjacent faces from enfilade. Its most frequent position in fortresses is at the salient of the ravelin, or within the bastion; and in siege-works in the advanced trenches, for the purpose of enabling the musketry of the attack to drive the defenders out of the covered way.

CAVALLO, by some CARVALHAS. An oceanic fish, well-known as the bonito or horse-mackerel.

CAVALOT. A gun carrying a ball of one pound.

CAVALRY. That body of soldiers which serves and fights on horseback.

CAVER. _See_ KAVER.

CAVIARE. A preparation of the roe of sturgeons and other fish salted. It forms a lucrative branch of commerce in Italy and Russia.

CAVIL. A large cleat for belaying the fore and main tacks, sheets, and braces to. (_See_ KEVELS.)

CAVITY. In naval architecture signifies the displacement formed in the water by the immersed bottom and sides of the vessel.

CAWE, OR CAWFE. An east-country eel-box, or a floating perforated cage in which lobsters are kept.

c.a.w.kER. An old term signifying a gla.s.s of strong spirits taken in the morning.

CAY, OR CAYOS. Little insulated sandy spots and rocks. The Spaniards in the West Indies called the Bahamas _Los Cayos_, which we wrote _Lucayos_. (_See_ KEY.)

CAZE-MATTE. _See_ CASEMATE.

CAZERNS. _See_ CASERNES.

C.B. The uncials of Companion of the most honourable Order of the Bath.

This grade was recently distributed so profusely that an undecorated veteran testily remarked that if government went on thus there would soon be more C.B.'s than A.B.'s in the navy.

CEASE FIRING. The order to leave off.

CEILING. The lining or planks on the inside of a ship's frame: these are placed on the flat of the floor, and carried up to the hold-beams. The term is a synonym of _foot-waling_ (which see).

CELLS. _See_ SILLS.

CELOCES, OR CELETES. Light row-boats, formerly used in piracy, and also for conveying advice.

CEMENT, ROMAN. For docks, piers, &c. _See_ POZZOLANA.

CENTIME. _See_ FRANC.

CENTINEL. _See_ SENTINEL.

CENTRAL ECLIPSE. _See_ ECLIPSE.

CENTRE (usually CENTER). The division of a fleet between the van and the rear of the line of battle, and between the weather and lee divisions in the order of sailing.

CENTRE OF CAVITY, OF DISPLACEMENT, OF IMMERSION, AND OF BUOYANCY, are synonymous terms in naval architecture for the mean centre of that part of a vessel which is immersed in the water.

CENTRE OF GRAVITY, OR BALANCING POINT. _See_ GRAVITY.

CENTRE OF MOTION. _See_ MOTION (CENTRE OF).

CENTURION. A military officer who commanded one hundred men, in the Roman armies.

CEOLA. A very old term for a large ship.

CERADENE. A large fresh-water mussel.

CERCURI. Ancient ships of burden fitted with both sails and oars.

CERTIFICATE. A voucher or written testimony to the truth of any statement. An attestation of servitude, signed by the captain, is given with all discharges of men in the navy.

CERTIFY, TO. To bear official testimony.

CESSATION OF ARMS. A discontinuation or suspension of hostilities.

CETINE. An ancient large float, says Hesychius, "in bulk like a whale;"

derived from _cetus_, which applied both to whale and ship.

C.G. Coast-guard (which see).

CHAD. A fish like a small bream, abundant on the south-west coasts of England.

CHAFE, TO. To rub or fret the surface of a cable, mast, or yard, by the motion of the ship or otherwise, against anything that is too hard for it.--_Chafing-gear_, is the stuff put upon the rigging and spars to prevent their being chafed.

CHAFFER. A name for a whale or grampus of the northern seas.

CHAFING-CHEEKS. A name given by old sailors to the sheaves instead of blocks on the yards in light-rigged vessels.

CHAFING-GEAR. Mats, sinnet, spun-yarn, strands, battens, scotchmen, and the like.