JOHN BULL. The origin of this nickname is traced to a satire written in
the reign of Queen Anne, by Dr. Arbuthnot, to throw ridicule on the
politics of the Spanish succession.
JOHN COMPANY. The former board of directors for East India affairs.
JOHN DORY. A corruption of _jaune dore_, which is the colour of this
fish. It is one of the _Scombridae_, _Zeus faber_. John Dory was also the
name of a celebrated French pirate.
JOHNNY RAW, OR JOHNNY NEWCOME. An inexperienced youngster commencing his
career; also applied to landsmen in general. (_See_ RAW.)
JOHNNY SHARK. A common sobriquet of the _Squalus_ tribe.
JOHN-O'-GROAT'S BUCKIE. A northern name for the _Cypraea pediculus_, a
small shell found on our sea-coasts.
JOHN TUCK. The galley corruption of _chantuck_, or _jantook_, a Chinese
viceroy, specially meaning the viceroy of Canton.
JOIN, TO. To repair to a ship, and personally to enter on an official
position on board her. So also the junction of one or more ships with
each other.
JOINER. One who is a cabinet-maker, and performs neat work as captain's
joiner.
JOINT. The place where any two pieces of timber or plank are united. It
is also used to express the lines which are laid down in the mould-loft
for shaping the timbers.
JOLLY. This term is usually applied to a comely and corpulent person,
but afloat it is a familiar name for a soldier.--_Tame jolly_, a
militiaman; _royal jolly_, a marine.
JOLLY-BOAT. A smaller boat than the cutter, but likewise clincher-built.
It is generally a hack boat for small work, being about 4 feet beam to
12 feet length, with a bluff bow and very wide transom; a kind of
washing-tub. (_See_ GELLYWATTE and CUTTER.)
JOLLY JUMPERS. Sails above the moon-rakers.
JOLLY ROGER. A pirate's flag; a white skull in a black field.
JONATHAN. A name often applied to Americans in general, but really
appropriate to the Quakers in America, being a corruption of John
Nathan.
JONK. _See_ JUNK.
JORUM, OF GROG, &c. A full bowl or jug.
JOURNAL. Synonymous at sea with _log-book_; it is a daily register of
the ship's course and distance, the winds and weather, and a general
account of whatever is of importance. In sea-journals, the day, or
twenty-four hours, used to terminate at noon, because the ship's
position is then generally determined by observation; but the shore
account of time is now adopted afloat. In machinery, _journal_ is the
bearing part of a shaft, upon which it rests on its Y's or bearings.
JOURNEY-WORK. Work performed by the day.
JOVIALL. Relating to the system of the planet Jupiter.
JOVICENTRIC. As seen from, or having relation to, the centre of Jupiter.
JOWDER. A term on our western coasts to denote a retail dealer in fish.
JOWL. The head of a fish. (Also, _see_ BLOCK.)--_Cheek by jowl._ Close
together.
JUAN-MOOAR. The Manx and Erse term for the black-backed gull.
JUBALTARE. The early English word for Gibraltar.
JUDGE-ADVOCATE OF THE FLEET, OR TO THE FORCES. A legal officer whose
duty it is to investigate offences previous to determining on sending
them before a court-martial, and then to report on the sentence awarded.
He has civil deputies in Great Britain; but officers (generally
secretaries to admirals, or pursers) are appointed by the courts abroad.
JUDGE-ADVOCATE, DEPUTY. An officer appointed to assist the court upon
some general courts-martial for the trial of officers, seamen, and
marines, accused of a breach of the articles of war.
JUDGMENT. In prize matters, the sentences of foreign courts, even though
such decisions be manifestly unjust, are conclusive in ours by comity.
The tribunals of France are not so complacent.
JUFFER. _See_ UPHROE.
JUGGLE-MEER. A west-country word for a coast quagmire.
JUGLE, OR JOGGLE. In ship-building, a notch in the edge of a plank to
admit the narrow butt of another, as of the narrow end of a
steeling-strake.
JULIAN PERIOD. A period of 7980 years, dating from B.C. 4713; being the
product of the numbers 15, 19, and 28 multiplied into each other, they
being respectively the lengths, in Julian years, of the Indiction,
Metonic Cycle, and Solar Cycle. The Julian year was a period of 365-1/4
days, which was adopted as the length of the year after the reformation
of the calendar by Julius Caesar.
JULIO. An Italian coin, worth about sixpence.
JUMPERS. The short external duck-frock worn by sail-makers, artificers,
riggers, &c., to preserve the clothing beneath.
JUMP-JOINTED. When the plates of an iron vessel are flush, as in those
that are carvel-built.
JUNCO. _See_ PURRE.
JUNGADA. A balza, or simple kind of raft, of several logs of wood,
fitted with a tilt, and used on the coasts of Peru. It has a mast and
sails, and by means of a rudder, not unlike a sliding keel in principle,
is capable of working to windward. (_See_ GUARA.)
JUNGLE. A wilderness of wood; in Bengal the word is also applied to a
tract covered with long grass, which grows to an extraordinary height.
Jungles are dreaded for the fevers they engender.
JUNK. The Chinese junk is the largest vessel built by that nation, and
at one period exceeding in tonnage any war-vessels then possessed by
England. The extreme beam is one-third from the stern; it shows no stem,
it being chamfered off. The bow on deck is square, over which the
anchors slide fore and aft. Having no keel, and being very full at the
stern, a huge rudder is suspended, which at sea is lowered below the
depth of the bottom. The masts are immense, in one piece. The cane sails
are lug and heavy. The hull is divided into water-tight compartments,
like tanks.--_Junk_ is also any remnants or pieces of old cable, or
condemned rope, cut into small portions for the purpose of making
_points_, _mats_, _swabs_, _gaskets_, _sinnet_, _oakum_, and the like
(which see). Also, a dense cellular tissue in the head of the
sperm-whale, infiltrated with spermaceti. Also, salt beef, as tough to
the teeth as bits of rope, whence the epithet.
JUNKET. A long basket for catching fish.--_Junketting_, good cheer and
hearty jollification.
JUPITER. The longest known of the superior planets, and the largest in
the solar system; it is accompanied by four satellites.
JURATORY CAUTION. A process in the instance court of the admiralty, to
which a party is discretionally admitted on making oath that he is
unable to find sureties.
JUREBASSO. A rating in former times given to a handy man, who was partly
interpreter and partly purchaser of stock.
JURISDICTION. Right, power, or authority which magistrates or courts
have to administer justice.--_Within jurisdiction of civil powers_, as
regards naval matters, is within a line drawn from headland to headland
in sight of each other, and forming part of the same county. The
admiralty jurisdiction is confined to three miles from the coast in
civil matters, but exists wherever the flag flies at sea in criminal.
JURY-MAST. A temporary or occasional mast erected in a ship in the place
of one which has been carried away in a gale, battle, &c. Jury-masts are
sometimes erected in a new ship to navigate her down a river, or to a
neighbouring port, where her proper masts are prepared for her. Such
jury-masts are simply less in dimension for a light-trimmed vessel; as a
frigate would have a brig's spars.
JURY-RUDDER. A contrivance, of which there are several kinds, for
supplying a vessel with the means of steering when an accident has
befallen the rudder.
JUS PISCANDI. The right of fishing.
JUWAUR. The spring-flood of the Ganges and adjacent rivers.