carpenter, wherever necessary, according to their respective offices.

The marines are generally quartered on the poop and forecastle or gangway, under the direction of their officers; although, on some occasions, they assist at the great guns, particularly in distant cannonading.

QUARTERS! is also an exclamation to implore merey from a victorious enemy.

RAKING a ship, the act of cannonading a ship on the stern, or head, so as that the balls shall scour the whole length of her decks; which is one of the most dangerous incidents that can happen in a naval action. This is frequently called raking fore and aft, being the same with what is called enfilading by engineers.

RATES, the orders or classes into which the ships of war are divided, according to their force and magnitude.

The British fleet is distributed into six rates, exclusive of the inferior vessels that usaally attend on naval armaments; as sloops of war, armed ships, bomb ketches, fire ships, and cutters, or schooners commanded by lieutenants.

Ships of the first rate, mount 100 cannon, having 42 pounders on the lower deck, 24 pounders on the middle deck, 12 pounders on the upper deck, and 6 pounders on the quarter-deck and forecastle. They are manned with 850 men, including their officers, seamen, marines, and servants.

In general, the ships of every rate, besides the captain, have the master, the boatswain, the gunner, the chaplain, the purser, the surgeon, and the carpenter; all of whom, except the chaplain, have their mates or assistants, in which are comprehended the sail maker, the master at arms, the armourer, the captain's clerk, the gunsmith, &c.

The number of other officers are always in proportion to the rate of the ship. Thus a first rate has six lieutenants, six master's mates, twenty-four midshipmen, and five surgeon's mates, who are considered as gentlemen; besides the following petty officers: quarter-masters and their mates, fourteen; boatswain's mates and yeomen, eight; gunners mates and assistants, six; quarter-gunners, twenty-five; carpenter's mates, two, besides

fourteen assistants; with one steward, and steward's mate to the

purser.

The first rates are generally 222 feet 6 inches in length, from the head to the stern; the length of her keel, 151 feet 3 inches; that of her gun deck, or lower deck, 186 feet; her extreme breadth is 51 feet 10 inches; her depth in the hold, 21 feet 6 inches; her burthen 2162 tons; and her poop reaches 6 feet before the mizen mast.

Ships of the second rate carry 90 guns upon three decks, of which those on the lower battery are 32 pounders; those on the middle 18 pounders; on the upper deck, 12 pounders; and those on the quarter deck, 6 pounders, which usually amount to four or six. Their complement of men is 750, in which there are six lieutenants, four master's mates, twenty-four midshipmen, and four surgeon's mates, fourteen quarter-masters and their mates, eight boatswain's mates and yeomen, six gunner's mates and yeomen, with twenty-two quarter-gunners, two carpenter's mates, with ten assistants, and one steward and steward's mate.

Ships of the third rate carry from 64 to 80 cannon, which are 32, 18, and 9 pounders. The 80 gun ships, however, begin to grow out of repute, and to give way to those of 74, 70, &c. which have only two whole batteries; whereas the former have three, with 28 guns planted on each, the cannon of their upper deck, being the same as those on the quarter-deck and forecastle of the latter, which are 9 pounders. The complement in a 74 is 650, and in a 64, 500 men; having in peace, four lieutenants, but in war, five; and when an admiral is aboard, six. They have three master's mates, sixteen midshipmen, three surgeon's mates, ten quarter masters and their mates; six boatswain's mates and yeomen, four gunner's mates and yeomen, with eighteen quarter gunners, one carpenter's mate, with eight assistants, and one steward and steward's mate under the purser.

Ships of the fourth rate mount from 60 to 50 guns, upon two decks, and the quarter deck. The lower tier is composed of 24 pounders, the upper tier of 12 pounders, and the cannon on the quarter deck and forecastle are 6 pounders. The complement of a 50 gun ship, is 350 men, in which there are three lieutenants, two master's mates, ten midshipmen, two surgeon's mates, eight

quarter masters and their mates, four boatswain's mates and their yeomen, one gunner's mate and one yeoman, with twelve quarter gunners, one carpenter's mate and six assistants, and a steward and steward's mate.

20.

All vessels of war, under the fourth rate, are usually comprehended under the general names of frigate, and never appear in the line of battle. They are divided into the fifth and sixth rates, the former mounting from 40 to 32 guns, and the latter from 28 to The largest of the fifth rate have two decks of cannon, the lower batteries being of 18 pounders, and that of the upper deck 9 pounders; but those of 36 and 32 guns have only one complete deck of guns, mounting 12 pounders, besides the quarter deck and forecastle, which carry 6 pounders. The complement of a ship of 44 guns, is 280 men; and that of a frigate of 36 guns, 240 men. The first has three, and the second two lieutenants; and both have two master's mates, six midshipmen, two surgeon's mates, six quarter masters and their mates, two boatswain's mates, and one yeoman, one gunner's mate and one yeoman, with ten or eleven quarter gunners, and one purser's steward.

Frigates of the sixth rate carry 9 pounders, those of 28 guns, having 3 pounders on their quarter deck, with 200 men for their complement; and those of 24, 160 men; the former has two lieutenants, the latter one; and both have two master's mates, four midshipmen, one surgeon's mate, four quarter masters and their mates, one boatswain's mate, and one yeoman, one gunner's mate and one yeoman, with six or seven quarter gunners, and one purser's steward.

The sloops of war carry from 18 to 8 cannon, the largest of which have 6 pounders; and the smallest, viz. those of 8 and 10 guns 4 pounders. There officers are generally the same as in the sixth rates, with little variation; and their complements of men are from 120 to 60, in proportion to their force or magnitude.

N.B. Bomb vessels are on the same establishment as sloops'; but fire ships and hospital ships are on that of fifth rates.

REACH, the line or distance, comprehended between any two points or stations on the banks of a river, wherein the current flows in a straight uninterrupted course.

REAR, a name given to the last division of a squadron, or the last squadron of a fleet, and which is accordingly commanded by the third officer of the said fleet or squadron.

REEF, a certain portion of a sail, comprehended between the top or bottom, and a row of eyelet holes, parallel thereto.. REEFING, the operation of reducing a sail, by taking in one or more of the reefs, which is performed by lines.

RIDING, when expressed of a ship, is the state of being retained in a particular station, by means of one or more cables with their anchors, which are for this purpose sunk into the bottom of the sea, &c. in order to prevent the vessel from being driven at the mercy of the wind or current. A rope is said to ride, when one of the turns by which it is wound about the capstern or windlass lies over another, so as to interrupt the operation of heav ing.

RIDING athwart, the position of a ship which lies across the direction of the wind, and tide, when the former is so strong as to prevent her from sailing into the current of the latter.

RIDING between the wind and tide, the situation of a vessel at anchor, when the wind and tide act upon her in direct opposition; in such a manner as to destroy the effort of each other upon her hull; so that she is in a manner ballanced between their reciprocal force, and rides without the least strain on her cables.

RIGGING, a general name given to all the ropes employed to support the masts; and to extend or reduce the sails, or arrange them to the disposition of the wind.

The former, which are used to sustain the masts, remain usually in a fixed position, and are called standing rigging; such are the shrouds, stays, and back stays. The latter, whose office is to manage the sails, by communicating with various blocks or pullies, situated in different places of the masts, yards, shrouds, &c. are comprehended in the general term of running rigging. Such are the braces, sheets, haliards, clue lines, brails, &c.

RIGHTING, the act of restoring a ship to her upright position, after she has been laid on a careen, by the mechanical powers usually applied in that operation.

A ship is also said to right at sea when she rises, with her masts

erected, after having been pressed down on one side by the effort of her sails, or a heavy squall of wind.

RIGHTING, when expressed of the helm, implies the replacing it in the middle of the ship, after having produced the required effect, of wheeling her to the right or left, as much as appeared necessary.

ROAD, a bay or place of anchorage, at some distance from the shore, on the sea coast, whither ships or vessels occasionally repair, to receive intelligence, orders, or necessary supplies; or to wait for a fair wind, &c.

ROYAL, a name given to the highest sail which is extended in a ship. It is spread immediately above the top gallant sail, to whose yard arms the lower corners of it are attached. This sail is never used but in light and favourable breezes.

RUNNING RIGGING, all that part of a ship's rigging which passes through the blocks, to dilate, contract, or traverse the sails.

SALUTE, a testimony of defence or homage rendered by the ships of one nation to another; or by ships of the same nation to a superior or equal.

This ceremony is variously performed, according to the circumstances, rank, or situation of the parties. It consists in firing a certain number of cannon, or vollies of small arms; in striking the colours or top sails; or in one or more general shouts of the whole ship's crew, mounted on the masts or rigging for that purpose.

SCALING the guns, the act of cleaning the inside of a ship's cannon, by the explosion of a small quantity of powder; which effectually blows out any dirt or scales of iron which may adhere to the interior surface.

SCANTLING, the dimensions of any piece of timber, with regard to its breadth and thickness in ship building.

SCHOONER, a small vessel with two masts, whose main sail and fore sail are suspended from gaffs reaching from the mast towards the stern; and stretched out below by booms, whose foremost ends are hooks to an iron, which clasps the mast so as to turn therein as upon an axis, when the after ends are swung from one side of the vessel to the other.