GALLOPER. A small gun used by the Indians, easily drawn by one horse.
GALLOW-GLASSES. Formerly a heavy-armed body of foot; more recently
applied to Irish infantry soldiers.
GALLOWS. The cross-pieces on the small bitts at the main and fore
hatchways in flush-decked vessels, for stowing away the booms and spars
over the boats; also termed _gallowses_, _gallows-tops_,
_gallows-bitts_, and _gallows-stanchions_. The word is used colloquially
for archness, as well as for notoriously bad characters.
GALLS. Veins of land through which the water oozes.
GALL-WIND. _See_ WIND-GALL.
GALLY-GUN. A kind of culverin.
GALOOT. An awkward soldier, from the Russian _golut_, or slave. A
soubriquet for the young or "green" marine.
GALORE. Plenty, abundance.
GAMBISON. A quilted doublet formerly worn under armour, to prevent its
chafing.
GAME-LEG. A lame limb, but not so bad as to unfit for duty.
GAMMON, TO. To pass the lashings of the bowsprit.
GAMMONING. Seven or eight turns of a rope-lashing passed alternately
over the bowsprit and through a large hole in the cut-water, the better
to support the stays of the fore-mast; after all the turns are drawn as
firm as possible, the two opposite are braced together under the
bowsprit by a frapping. Gammoning lashing, fashion, &c., has a peculiar
seamanlike meaning. The gammoning turns are passed from the standing
part or bolt forward, over the bowsprit, aft through the knee forward,
making a cross lashing. It was the essence of a seaman's ability, and
only forecastle men, under the boatswain, executed it. Now galvanized
chain is more commonly used than rope for gammoning.
GAMMONING-HOLE. A mortise-opening cut through the knee of the head,
between the cheeks, through which the gammoning is passed.
GAMMON-KNEE. A knee-timber fayed and bolted to the stem, a little below
the bowsprit.
GAMMON-PLATE. An iron plate bolted to the stem of some vessels for the
purpose of supporting the gammoning of the bowsprit.
GAMMON-SHACKLE. A sort of triangular ring formed on the end of a
gammon-plate, for the gammoning lashing or chain to be made fast to.
GAND-FLOOK. A name of the saury-pike, _Scomberesox saurus_.
GANG. A detachment; being a selected number of a ship's crew appointed
on any particular service, and commanded by an officer suitable to the
occasion.
GANG-BOARD. The narrow platform within the side next the gunwale,
connecting the quarter-deck to the forecastle. Also, a plank with
several cleats or steps nailed to it to prevent slipping, for the
convenience of walking into or out of a boat upon the shore, where the
water is shallow.
GANG-CASKS. Small barrels used for bringing water on board in boats;
somewhat larger than _breakers_, and usually containing 32 gallons.
GANGWAY. The platform on each side of the skid-beams leading from the
quarter-deck to the forecastle, and peculiar to deep-waisted ships, for
the convenience of walking expeditiously fore and aft; it is fenced on
the outside by iron stanchions and ropes, or rails, and in vessels of
war with a netting, in which part of the hammocks are stowed. In
merchant ships it is frequently called the gang-board. Also, that part
of a ship's side, and opening in her bulwarks, by which persons enter
and depart, provided with a sufficient number of steps or cleats, nailed
upon the ship's side, nearly as low as the surface of the water, and
sometimes furnished with a railed accommodation-ladder projecting from
the ship's side, and secured by iron braces. Also, narrow passages left
in the hold, when a ship is laden, in order to enter any particular
place as occasion may require, or stop a leak. Also, it implies a
thoroughfare of any kind.--_To bring to the gangway_, to punish a seaman
by seizing him up to a grating, there to undergo flogging.
GANNERET. A sort of gull.
GANNET. The _Sula bassana_, or solan goose: a large sea bird of the
family _Pelecanidae_, common on the Scottish coasts.
GANNY-WEDGE. A thick wooden wedge, used in splitting timber.
GANTAN. An Indian commercial measure, of which 17 make a baruth.
GANT-LINE. Synonymous with _girt-line_ (which see).
GANT-LOPE, OR GAUNTLOPE (commonly pronounced _gantlet_). A _race_ which
a criminal was sentenced to _run_, in the navy or army, for any heinous
offence. The ship's crew, or a certain division of soldiers, were
disposed in two rows face to face, each provided with a knotted cord, or
_knittle_, with which they severely struck the delinquent as he ran
between them, stripped down to the waist. This was repeated according to
the sentence, but seldom beyond three times, and constituted "_running
the gauntlet_."
GANTREE, OR GANTRIL. A wooden stand for a barrel.