COSMICAL RISING AND SETTING OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES. Their rising and
setting with the sun.
COSMOGRAPHER. Formerly applied to "too clever by half." Now, one who
describes the world or universe in all its parts.
COSS. A measure of distance in India, varying in different districts
from one mile and a half to two miles.
COSTAL. Relating to the coast.
COSTEIE. An old English word for going by the coast.
COSTERA. A law archaism for the sea-coast.
COSTS AND DAMAGE. Demurrage is generally given against a captor for
unjustifiable detention. Where English merchants provoke expense by
using false papers, the court decrees the captors their expenses on
restitution. (_See_ EXPENSES.)
COT. A wooden bed-frame suspended from the beams of a ship for the
officers, between decks. It is inclosed in canvas, sewed in the form of
a chest, about 6 feet long, 1 foot deep, and 2 or 3 feet wide, in which
the mattress is laid.
COTT. An old term for a little boat.
COTTON, GUN. _See_ GUN-COTTON.
COTTONINA. The thick sail-cloth of the Levant.
COUBAIS. An ornamented Japanese barge of forty oars.
COUD. An old term used for _conn_ or _cunn_.
COULTER-NEB. A name of the puffin (_Fratercula arctica_).
COUNCIL-OF-WAR. The assemblage of officers for concerting measures of
moment, too often deemed the symbol of irresolution in the
commander-in-chief.
COUNTER. A term which enters into the composition of divers words of our
language, and generally implies opposition, as _counter-brace_,
_counter-current_, &c.--_Counter of a ship_, refers to her after-seat on
the water: the counter above extends from the gun-deck line, or lower
ribbon moulding of the cabin windows, to the water-line (or seat of
water); the lower counter is arched below that line, and constitutes the
hollow run. It is formed on the transom-buttocks.
COUNTER-APPROACHES. Works effected outside the place by the garrison
during a siege, to enfilade, command, or otherwise check the approaches
of the besieger.
COUNTER-BALANCE WEIGHT, in the marine engine. (_See_ LEVER.) Also in
many marine barometers, where it slides and is fixed by adjusting
screws, so as to produce an even-balanced swing, free from jerk.
COUNTER-BRACE, TO. Is bracing the head-yards one way, and the
after-yards another. The counter-brace is the lee-brace of the
fore-topsail-yard, but is only distinguished by this name at the time of
the ship's going about (called tacking), when the sail begins to shiver
in the wind, this brace is hauled in to flatten the sail against the
lee-side of the top-mast, and increase the effect of the wind in forcing
her round. Counter-bracing becomes necessary to render the vessel
stationary when sounding, lowering a boat, or speaking a stranger. It is
now an obsolete term, and the man[oe]uvre is called _heaving-to_.
COUNTER-CURRENT. That portion of water diverted from the main stream of
a current by the particular formation of the coast or other obstruction,
and which therefore runs in a contrary direction. There is also a
current formed under the lee-counter of a ship when going through the
water, which retains floating objects there, and is fatal to a man, by
sucking him under.
COUNTERFORTS. Masonry adjuncts, advantageous to all retaining walls, but
especially to those which, like the escarps of fortresses, are liable to
be battered. They are attached at regular intervals to the hinder face
of the wall, and perpendicular to it; having various proportions, but
generally the same height as the wall; they hold it from being thrust
forward from behind, and, even when it is battered away, retain the
earth at the back at such a steep slope that the formation of a
practicable breach remains very difficult. When arches are turned
between the counterforts, the strength of the whole structure is much
increased: it is then called a _counter-arched revetement_.
COUNTERGUARD. In fortification, a smaller rampart raised in front of a
larger one, principally with the intention of delaying for a period the
besieger's attack. Other means, however, are generally preferred in
modern times, except when a rapid fall in the ground renders it
difficult to cover the main escarp by ordinary resources.
COUNTER-LINE. A word often used for _contravallation_.
COUNTERMARCH. To change the direction of a march to its exact opposite.
In some military movements this involves the changing of front and
wings.
COUNTERMINES. Military defensive mines: they may be arranged on a system
for the protection of the whole of a front of fortification by the
discovering and blowing up not only the subterranean approaches of the
besieger, but also his more important lodgments above.
COUNTER-MOULD. The converse of _mould_ (which see).
COUNTER-RAILS. The balustrade work, or ornamental moulding across a
square stern, where the counter terminates.
COUNTERSCARP. In fortification, the outer side of the ditch next the
country; it is usually of less height, and less strongly revetted than
the escarp, the side which forms the face of the rampart.
COUNTER-SEA. The disturbed state of the sea after a gale, when, the wind
having changed, the sea still runs in its old direction.
COUNTERSIGN. A particular word or number which is exchanged between
sentinels, and intrusted to those on duty. (_See_ PAROLE.)
COUNTER-SUNK. Those holes which are made for the heads of bolts or nails
to be sunk in, so as to be even with the general surface.
COUNTER-TIMBERS. Short right-aft timbers for the purpose of
strengthening the counter, and forming the stern.
COUNTER-TRENCHES. _See_ COUNTER-APPROACHES.
COUNTRY. A term synonymous with _station_. The place whither a ship
happens to be ordered.
COUP DE GRACE. The finishing shot which brings an enemy to surrender; or
the wound which deprives an adversary of life or resistance.
COUP DE MAIN. A sudden and vigorous attack.
COUP D'[OE]IL. The skill of distinguishing, at first sight, the weakness
of an enemy's position, as Nelson did at the Nile.
COUPLE, TO. To bend two hawsers together; coupling links of a cable;
coupling shackles.
COUREAU. A small yawl of the Garonne. Also, a narrow strait or channel.
COURSE. The direction taken by anything in motion, shown by the point of
the compass _towards_ which they run, as water in a river, tides, and
currents; but of the wind, as similarly indicated by the compass-point
_from_ which it blows. Course is also the ship's way. In common
parlance, it is the point of the compass upon which the ship sails, the
direction in which she proceeds, or is intended to go. When the wind is
foul, she cannot "lie her course;" if free, she "steers her course."
COURSES. A name by which the sails hanging from the lower yards of a
ship are usually distinguished, viz. the main-sail, fore-sail, and
mizen: the staysails upon the lower masts are sometimes also
comprehended in this denomination, as are the main staysails of all
brigs and schooners. A ship is under her courses when she has no sail
set but the fore-sail, main-sail, and mizen. _Trysails_ are courses
(which see), sometimes termed _bentincks_.
COURSET. The paper on which the night's course is set for the officer in
charge of the watch.
COURT-MARTIAL. A tribunal held under an act of parliament, of the year
1749, and not, like the mutiny act, requiring yearly re-enactment. It
has lately, 6th August, 1861, been changed to the "Naval Discipline
Act." At present a court may be composed of five, but must not exceed
nine, members. No officer shall sit who is under twenty-one years of
age. No flag-officer can be tried unless the president also be a
flag-officer, and the others flag, or captains. No captain shall be
tried unless the president be of higher rank, and the others captains
and commanders. No court for the trial of any officer, or person below
the rank of captain, shall be legal, unless the president is a captain,
or of higher rank, nor unless, in addition, there be two other officers
of the rank of commander, or of higher rank. Any witness
summoned--civil, naval, or military--by the judge-advocate, refusing to
attend or give evidence, to be punished as for same in civil courts. The
admiralty can issue commissions to officers to hold courts-martial on
foreign stations, without which they cannot be convened. A
commander-in-chief on a foreign station, holding such a commission, may
under his hand authorize an officer in command of a detached portion to
hold courts-martial. Formerly all officers composing the court,
attendants, witnesses, &c., were compelled to appear in their full-dress
uniforms; but by recent orders, the undress uniform, with cocked hat and
sword, is to be worn.
COUTEL. A military implement which served both for a knife and a dagger.
COUTERE. A piece of armour which covered the elbow.
COVE. An inlet in a coast, sometimes extensive, as the Cove of Cork. In
naval architecture, the arched moulding sunk in at the foot or lower
part of the taffrail.--_My cove_, a familiar friendly term.
COVER. Security from attack or interruption, as under cover of the
ship's guns, under cover of the parapet. In the field exercise and drill
of troops, one body is said to cover another exactly in rear of it.
Covers for sails when furled (to protect them from the weather when
loosing and airing them is precluded), are made of strong canvas
painted.
COVERED WAY. In fortification, a space running along the outside of the
ditch for the convenient passage of troops and guns, covered from the
country by a palisading and the parapet of the glacis. It is of
importance to an active defence, as besides enabling a powerful musketry
fire to be poured on the near approaches of the besieger, it affords to
the garrison a secure base from which to sally in force at any hour of
the day or night.
COVERING-BOARD. _See_ PLANK-SHEER.
COVERING-PARTY. A force detached to protect a party sent on especial
duty.
COVERT-WAY. _See_ COVERED WAY.
COW. Applied by whalers to the female whale.--_To cow._ To depress with
fear.
COWARDICE, AND DESERTION OF DUTY IN FIGHT. Are criminal by law, even in
the crew of a merchant-ship. Such poltroonery is very rare.