IMMER. A water-fowl (_See_ EMBER-GOOSE). The _Colymbus immer_ of Linn.,
the great plunger of Buffon.
IMMERSION. The prismatic solid carried under water on the lee-side of a
ship by its inclination.--_Centre of immersion_, the mean centre of the
part immersed. (_See_ CENTRE OF CAVITY.) Astronomically, immersion means
the disappearance of a heavenly body when undergoing eclipse.
IMP. One length of twisted hair in a fishing-line.
IMPEDIMENTA. The ancient term for the baggage of an army.
IMPORT, IMPORTATION, AND IMPORTER, being exactly the reverse of
_export_, _exportation_, and _exporter_, refer to those terms, and take
the opposite meaning. To import is therefore to bring commodities into a
country for the purpose of traffic.
IMPOSSIBLE. A hateful word, generally supplanted among good seamen by
"we'll try." A thing which is impossible in law, is pronounced to be all
one with a thing impossible in nature.
IMPOST. The tax received for such foreign merchandises as are brought
into any haven within a prince's dominions.
IMPREGNABLE. Said of a fortress or position supposed to be proof against
any attack.
IMPRESS, TO. To compel to serve.
IMPRESSION. The effect produced upon any ship, place, or body of troops,
by a hostile attack.
IMPRESSMENT. The system and act of pressing seamen, and compelling
them--under plea of state necessity--to serve in our men-of-war.
IMPREST. Charge on the pay of an officer.
IMPREST-MONEY. That paid on the enlistment of soldiers.
IN. The state of any sails in a ship when they are furled or stowed, in
opposition to _out_, which implies that they are set, or extended to
assist the ship's course. Hence, _in_ is also used as an order to
shorten sail, as "In topgallant-sails." It was moreover an old word for
embanking and inclosing; thus Sir Nicholas L'Estrange (_Harleian MS.
6395_) speaks of him who had "the patent for _inning_ the salt marshes."
IN AND OUT. A term sometimes used for the scantling of timbers, the
moulding way, and particularly for those bolts that are driven into the
hanging and lodging knees, drawn through the ship's sides, and termed
_in-and-out bolts_.
IN-BOARD. Within the ship; the opposite of _out-board_.
IN-BOATS! The order to hoist the boats in-board.
IN-BOW! The order to the bowman to throw in his oar, and prepare his
boat-hook, previous to getting alongside.
INCH. The smallest lineal measure to which a name is given; but it has
many subdivisions. Also, a general name for a small coast islet on the
northern shores, from the old Gaelic word.
INCIDENCE, ANGLE OF. That which the direction of a ray of light, &c.,
makes at the point where it strikes with a line drawn perpendicularly to
the surface of that body.
INCLINATION. In geometry, is the mutual tendency of two lines or planes
towards each other, so as to form an angle.
INCLINATION OF AN ORBIT. The angle which the path of a comet or planet
makes with the plane of the ecliptic.
INCLINATORY NEEDLE. An old term for the _dipping-needle_ (which see).
INCLINOMETER. An invention by Wales in Cook's second voyage, where
particulars are given.
INCOMPETENCY, OR INSUFFICIENCY, OF A MERCHANTMAN'S CREW. A bar to any
claim on warrantry; as it is an implied condition in the sea-worthiness
of a ship, that at sailing she must have a master of competent skill,
and a crew sufficient to navigate her on the voyage.
INDEMNIFICATION. A stipulated compensation for damage done.
INDEMNITY. Amnesty; security against punishment.
INDENTED LINE. In fortification, a connected line of works composed of
faces which offer a continued series of alternate salient and
re-entering angles. It is conveniently applied on the banks of a river
entering a town, and was to be seen on the James river in Virginia, near
Richmond, in 1864.
INDENTED PARAPET. One of which the interior slope is indented with a
series of vertical cavities, enabling the men stationed within them to
fire across the proper front.
INDENTING FOR STORES. An indispensable duty to show that every article
has been actually received.
INDENTURES, PAIR OF. A term for _charter-party_.
INDEX. The flat bar which carries the nonius scale and index-glass of a
quadrant, octant, quintant, or sextant.
INDEX-ERROR. The reading of the verniers of the above-named instruments.
It is the correction to be applied to the + or - reading of a vernier
when the horizon and index-glasses are parallel.
INDEX-GLASS. A plane speculum, or mirror of quick-silvered glass, which
moves with the index, and is designed to reflect the image of the sun or
other object upon the horizon glass, whence it is again reflected to the
eye of the observer.
INDEX-ROD. A graduated indicator.
INDIAMAN. A term occasionally applied to any ship in the East India
trade, but in strict parlance the large ships formerly officered by the
East India Company for that trade, and generally armed.
INDIAN INK. Properly Chinese; compounded of a peculiar lamp-black and
gum.
INDIAN OCEAN. The great Oriental Ocean.
INDRAUGHT. A particular flowing of the ocean towards any contracting
part of a coast or coasts, as that which sets from the Atlantic into the
Straits of Gibraltar, and on other coasts of Europe and Africa. It
usually applies to a strong current, apt to engender a sort of vortex.
INDUCED MAGNETISM. The magnetic action of the earth, whereby every
particle of soft iron in certain positions is converted into a magnet.
INDULTO. The duty formerly exacted by the crown of Spain upon colonial
commodities.
INEQUALITY, SECULAR. A small irregularity in the motions of planets,
which becomes important only after a long lapse of years. The _great
inequality_ of Jupiter and Saturn is a variation of their orbital
positions, caused by the disturbing action of one planet on the other.
INERTIA. The passive principle by which bodies persist in a state of
motion or rest, and resist as much as they are resisted. (_See_ VIS
INERTIAE.)
INFANTRY. Foot soldiers of the regular army; so called throughout Europe
after the original Spanish "infanteria," or troops of the infanta or
queen of Spain, who first developed on a large scale the importance of
the arm.
INFERIOR CONJUNCTION. Mercury or Venus is said to be in inferior
conjunction, when it is situated in the same longitude as the sun, and
between that luminary and the earth.
INFERIOR PLANETS. This name, the opposite of superior, is applied to
Mercury and Venus, because they revolve in orbits interior to the
earth's path.
INFORMATION. In admiralty courts, implies a clause introduced into a
citation, intimating that in the event of a party cited not appearing,
the court will proceed in his absence.
INGS. An old word said to be left here by the Danes; it signifies low
grounds or springy meadows near a river, or creek, liable to occasional
overflowings.
IN-HAULER. The rope used for hauling in the clue of a boom-sail, or
jib-traveller: it is the reverse of _out-hauler_.
INITIAL VELOCITY. The velocity of a projectile at the moment of
discharge from a gun.
INJECTION-PIPE. This is fixed in the interior of a marine steam-engine,
is fitted with a cock, and communicates with the water outside: it is
for the purpose of playing into the condenser while the engine is
working, and creating a vacuum.
INLAND SEA. Mediterranean. Implies a very large gulf surrounded by land,
except at the communication with the ocean, as the Baltic, Red, and
Mediterranean Seas.
INLAND TRADE. That which is wholly managed at home, and the term is in
contradistinction to commerce. In China it is applied to canal-trade.
INLET. A term in some cases synonymous with _cove_ and _creek_ (which
see), in contradistinction to outlet, when speaking of the supply and
discharge of lakes and broad waters, or an opening in the land, forming
a passage to any inclosed water.
INNER AND OUTER TURNS. Terms applied to the passing of the reef-earings,
besides its over and under turns.
INNER JIB-STAY. A temporary stay lashed half-way in, on the jib-boom; it
sets up with lashing-eyes at the fore top-mast head.
INNER POST, OR INNER STERN-POST. The post on which the transoms are
seated. An oak timber brought on and fayed at the fore-edge of the
main-post, and generally continued as high as the wing-transom, to seat
the other transoms upon, and strengthen the whole. (_See_ STERN-POST.)
It applies to the main stern-post in steamers, the screw acting between
it and the outer, on which the rudder is hung.
INNINGS. Coast lands recovered from the sea by draining.
INNIS. An old Gaelic term for an island, still in use.
INQUIRY, COURT OF, is assembled by order of a commanding officer to
inquire into matters of an intricate nature, for his information; but
has no power of adjudication whatever: but too like the Star Chamber.
INSHORE. The opposite of _offing_.--_Inshore tack._ Standing in from
sea-ward when working to windward on a coast.
INSHORED. Come to shore.
INSIDE MUSTER-PAPER. A description of paper supplied from the dockyards,
ruled and headed, for making ships' books.
INSPECTION. The mode of working up the dead-reckoning by computed
nautical tables. Also, a general examination or survey of all parts of a
sea or land force by an officer of competent authority.
INSTALMENT. A partial payment.
INSTANCE COURT. A department of the admiralty court, governed by the
civil law, the laws of Oleron, and the customs of the admiralty,
modified by statute law.
INSTITUTION. An establishment founded partly with a view to instruction;
as the Royal United Service Institution in London.
INSTRUCTIONS. _See_ PRINTED INSTRUCTIONS.
INSTRUMENT. A term of extensive application among tools and weapons; but
it is here introduced as an official conveyance of some right, or the
record of some fact.
INSUFFICIENCY OF A MERCHANTMAN'S CREW. This bars the owner's claim on
the sea-worthy warrant. (_See_ INCOMPETENCY.)
INSURANCE. _See_ MARINE INSURANCE.
INSURED. The party who obtains the policy and pays the premium.