COMPRISING

A DICTIONARY OF NAUTICAL WORDS AND PHRASES; BIOGRAPHICAL
NOTICES, AND RECORDS OF NAVAL OFFICERS;

SPECIAL ARTICLES ON NAVAL ART AND SCIENCE,

WRITTEN EXPRESSLY FOR THIS WORK

BY OFFICERS AND OTHERS OF RECOGNIZED AUTHORITY IN THE
BRANCHES TREATED BY THEM.

TOGETHER WITH

DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PRINCIPAL NAVAL STATIONS AND SEAPORTS OF THE WORLD.

COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME.

PHILADELPHIA:

L. R. HAMERSLY & CO.

1884.

Republished by Gale Research Company, Book Tower, Detroit, 1971

V 23

N3

1971

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 73-155740

PREFACE.

THE great abundance of encyclopædias that distinguishes our day would, at first
sight, seem to discourage any attempt to add to that department of literature. But
among all the works coming properly under the name of encyclopædia there is
not one, at least in the English language, that supplies the want which it is the aim
of this volume to meet. The sea is, so to speak, a world in itself. It has its own
vegetable and animal life, and its own natural laws; while on its surface floats a
multitude of vessels that serve either as the outlying defenses of the nations which
border upon it, or as the carriers of the commodities which they find a profit in
exchanging. This world of men and things, so peculiar and distinct, necessarily
has a peculiar language, peculiar customs, and peculiar belongings. It is, more-
over, a progressive world, and the arts and sciences that have relation to it are
moving and developing pari passi with those that relate solely to the terrene por-
tion of the globe. When to these considerations is added the fact that the sea is the
especial field of operations of a profession which unites in itself the characteristics of
the sailor and of the soldier, and to which is committed the high trust of maintaining
the honor and dignity of the nation which it represents in all parts of the globe, and
of extending over the citizens of its own country, wherever their business or pleasure
may call them, the protecting ægis of the national flag, it would certainly appear
that sufficient warrant exists for the issuing of this work, which has for its object the
bringing together in one view, and within convenient compass, the several kinds of
information most useful to naval officers, and most likely to be sought for by sea-
faring men of every name and grade. Nor is it only those that are by profession,
or calling, identified with the sea who will find profit and instruction in this volume.
There is a large and increasing class among the gentlemen of our own and other
countries who cultivate the sea for the pleasure that it yields, and who take a manly
delight in the danger and excitement incident to sporting upon its surface, to whom
a book like this must prove an auxiliary of great value. To these may be added,
as likely to find advantage in this book, all whose business, or love of knowledge,
prompts them to investigate the science of that world which has its habitation in,
under, or upon the waters of the great deep.

We have already intimated that this work claims to be unique. It embraces,
first, a complete dictionary of marine words and phrases; second, a large number of
original articles on special topies; third, a copious fund of biographical data; and,
fourth, a gazetteer of the principal naval stations and seaports of the world. No
other work uniting these several features exists in our language, nor, we think we
may confidently add, in any other.

Custom, no less than justice to those whose labors have produced the volume

iii

now offered to the public, makes it proper to assign to the several collaborators the
credit due for their respective shares in its preparation.

To Mr. Lewis R. Hamersly, who saw service with the navy during the war of
the Rebellion, and who, as the compiler of "The Records of Living Officers of the
Navy," and as the head of the military and naval publishing house of L. R. Ham-
ersly & Co., is well known to the naval profession, credit is due for the conception
and plan of the work, and also for the preparation of the general mass of records
of officers which it contains.

On Lieutenant J. W. Carlin has devolved the main burden of the editorial
conduct of the work. Besides numerous articles in other departments, he has ex-
clusively written or compiled the astronomical articles and definitions, as also the
entire mass of nautical definitions not herein specifically credited to others.

Medical Director Edward Shippen, whose biographical sketches of distin-
guished naval men of our own and former times constitute a feature of the work,
has, besides the articles bearing his signature, given it the benefit of his editorial
assistance in ways that have contributed largely to improve and perfect it.

Rear-Admiral George Henry Preble, besides the articles which appear over his
signature, has contributed the definitions of naval titles, and has greatly assisted the
work by his advice and encouragement.

Chief Engineer Albert Aston has contributed the general mass of definitions.
relating to machinery and steam-engineering, and Passed Assistant Engineer L. W.
Robinson has also made valuable contributions to the same department.

To Naval Constructor S. H. Pook belongs the credit of having furnished the
definitions of the terms pertaining to ship-building.

Lieutenant E. T. Strong, in addition to the articles signed by him, has con-
tributed the definitions of nautical and naval terms which occur under the letters
K, L, and T, respectively.

Lieutenant F. S. Bassett, in addition to the articles which appear over his sig-
nature, has compiled, or written, the greater part of the definitions included under
the alphabetical headings F, S, W, and X.

In several departments of the work Colonel George A. Woodward, U.S.A.,
has assisted by contributions and editorial supervision.

The following is a list of the principal works consulted in the preparation of
this volume: Smyth's Sailor's Word-book, Falconer's Marine Dictionary, Burn's
Naval and Military Technical Dictionary, Cooper's Naval History, Bedford's
Sailor's Pocket-book, Luce's Seamanship, Nares's Seamanship, Totten's Naval Text-
book, Dana's Seaman's Friend, Harbord's Glossary of Navigation, Bowditch's
Navigator, Loomis's Astronomy, Peabody's Astronomy, Proctor's Hand-book of
the Stars, Cooke's Naval Gunnery, Ordnance Instructions (1880), Lippincott's
Gazetteer, Wilson's Ship-building, Very's Navies of the World,, King's War-ships
and Navies of the World, Knight's Mechanical Dictionary, Sleeman's Torpedoes and
Torpedo Warfare (Electricity), Myer's Manual of Signals, Navy Regulations, Web-
ster's Dictionary, Worcester's Dictionary, Brande's Encyclopædia, Chambers's En-
cyclopædia, Appleton's Encyclopædia, Johnson's Encyclopædia, Kent's Commen-
taries, Sharswood's Blackstone.

BLOODGOOD, DELAVAN, Medical Inspector DULIN, JAMES C.