GARETTE. A watch-tower.
GARFANGLE. An archaic term for an eel-spear.
GAR-FISH. The _Belone vulgaris_, or bill-fish, the bones of which are
green. Also called the guard-fish, but it is from the Anglo-Saxon _gar_,
a weapon.
GARGANEY. The _Querquedula circia_, a small species of duck, allied to
the teal.
GARLAND. A collar of ropes formerly wound round the head of the mast, to
keep the shrouds from chafing. Also, a strap lashed to a spar when
hoisting it in. Also, a large rope grommet, to place shot in on deck.
Also, in shore-batteries, a band, whether of iron or stone, to retain
shot together in their appointed place. Also, the ring in a target, in
which the mark is set. Also, a wreath made by crossing three small
hoops, and covering them with silk and ribbons, hoisted to the
main-topgallant-stay of a ship on the day of the captain's wedding; but
on a seaman's wedding, to the appropriate mast to which he is stationed.
Also, a sort of cabbage-net, whose opening is extended by a hoop, and
used by sailors to contain their day's provisions, being hung up to the
beams within their berth, safe from cats, rats, ants, and cockroaches.
GARNET. A sort of purchase fixed to the main-stay of a merchant-ship,
and used for hoisting the cargo in and out at the time of loading or
delivering her. A whip.--_Clue-garnet._ (_See_ CLUE and CLUE-GARNETS.)
GARNEY. A term in the fisheries for the fins, sounds, and tongues of the
cod-fish.
GARNISH. Profuse decoration of a ship's head, stern, and quarters. Also
money which pressed men in tenders and receiving ships exacted from each
other, according to priority.
GARR. An oozy vegetable substance which grows on ships' bottoms.
GARRET, OR GARITA. A watch-tower in a fortification; an old term.
GARRISON. A military force guarding a town or fortress; a term for the
place itself; also for the state of guard there maintained.
GARRISON GUNS. These are more powerful than those intended for the
field; and formerly nearly coincided with naval guns; but now, the
introduction of armour-plating afloat leads to furnishing
coast-batteries with the heaviest guns of all.
GARRISON ORDERS. Those given out by the commandant of a garrison.
GARROOKA. A fishing-craft of the Gulf of Persia.
GARTERS. A slang term for the ship's irons or bilboes.
GARTHMAN. One who plies at a _fish-garth_, but is prohibited by statute
from destroying the fry of fish.
GARVIE. A name on our northern shores for the sprat.
GASKET. A cord, or piece of plaited stuff, to secure furled sails to the
yard, by wrapping it three or four times round both, the turns being at
a competent distance from each other.--_Bunt-gasket_ ties up the bunt of
the sail, and should consequently be the strongest; it is sometimes made
in a peculiar net form. In some ships they have given place to
beckets.--_Double gaskets._ Passing additional frapping-lines round the
yards in very stormy weather.--_Quarter-gasket._ Used only for large
sails, and is fastened about half-way out upon the yard, which part is
called the quarter.--_Yard-arm gasket._ Used for smaller sails; the end
is made fast to the yard-arm, and serves to bind the sail as far as the
quarter-gasket on large yards, but extends quite into the bunt of small
sails.
GAS-PIPE. A term jocularly applied to the newly-introduced
breech-loading rifle.
GAT. A swashway, or channel amongst shoals.
GATE. The old name for landing-places, as Dowgate and Billingsgate; also
in cliffs, as Kingsgate, Margate, and Ramsgate; those in Greece and in
Italy are called _scala_. Also, a flood, sluice, or water gate.
GATE, OR SEA-GATE. When two ships are thrown on board one another by a
wave, they are said to be in a sea-gate.
GATHER AFT A SHEET, TO. To pull it in, by hauling in slack.
GATHER WAY, TO. To begin to feel the impulse of the wind on the sails,
so as to obey the helm.
GATH-LINN. A name of the north polar star; two Gaelic words, signifying
ray and moisture, in allusion to its subdued brightness.
GATT. A gate or channel, a term used on the Flemish coast and in the
Baltic. The Hellegat of New York has become Hell Gate.
GAUB-LINE. A rope leading from the martingale in-board. The same as
_back-rope_.
GAUGE. _See_ GAGE.
GAUGE. An instrument for measuring shot, wads, &c. For round shot there
are two kinds, viz. the high gauge, a cylinder through which the shot
must pass; and the low gauge, a ring through which it must not pass.
GAUGE-COCKS. A neat apparatus for ascertaining the height of the water
in a steamer's boiler.
GAUGE-ROD. A graduated iron for sounding the pump-well.
GAUGNET. The _Sygnathus acus_, sea-needle, or pipe-fish.
GAUNTLET. (_See_ GIRT-LINE.) Also, a rope round the ship to the lower
yard-arms, for drying scrubbed hammocks. Of old the term denoted the
armed knight's iron glove. (_See_ GANT-LOPE, for _running the
gauntlet_.)
GAUNTREE. The stand for a water or beer cask.
GAUNTS. The great crested grebe in Lincolnshire.
GAUT, OR GHAUT. In the East Indies, a landing-place; and also a chain of
hills, as the Western Gauts, on the Mysore coast.