TAB. The arming of an archer's gauntlet or glove.
TABERIN. A species of shark greatly dreaded by the pearl-fishers of
Ceylon.
TABERNACLE. A strong trunk on the deck of river barges, forming a kind
of hinge to enable them to lower the mast when going under bridges.
Also, used to elongate the mast of any boat by stepping it in a
tabernacle.
TABLE-CLOTH. A fleecy-looking cloud which sometimes covers the "table"
or flat top of Table Mountain, at the Cape of Good Hope; it is the
forerunner of a south-easter, being the condensation of moisture in the
sea-air as it ascends the mountain side.
TABLE-LAND. Land which is flat-topped, however it may be raised more or
less above the ordinary level of the vicinity.
TABLE-MONEY. An allowance to admirals and senior officers, in addition
to their pay, to meet the expenses of their official guests.
TABLES. _See_ ASTRONOMICAL TABLES, and NAUTICAL TABLES.
TABLE-SHORE. A low level shore.
TABLET. _See_ TRAPEZOID. Also, a flat coping stone placed at the top of
the revetement of the escarp, to protect the masonry from the weather.
TABLING. A broad hem on the edges of a ship's sails, to strengthen them
in that part which is sewed to the bolt-rope. Also, letting one piece of
timber into another, similar to the _hooking_ of planks, so that they
cannot be pulled asunder.
TACES. _See_ TAISHES.
TACK. A rope to confine the weather lower corners of the courses and
staysails when the wind crosses the ship's course obliquely. Also, the
rope employed to haul out the lower outer clue of a studding-sail to the
boom-end. With jibs and fore-and-aft sails, the tack confines them
amidships. A ship is said to be _on the tack_ of the side from which the
wind comes: even if it be on the quarter.--_To tack._ To go about, to
change the course from one board to another from the starboard to the
port tack, or _vice versa_. It is done by turning the ship's head
suddenly to the wind, whereby her head-sails are thrown aback, and cause
her to fall off from the wind to the other tack. The opposite to
_wearing_.
TACK AND HALF-TACK. Working to windward, or along shore, by long and
short boards, or legs, alternately.
TACKLE. A purchase formed by the connection of a fall, or rope, with two
or more blocks. When a power sustains a weight by a rope over a fixed
sheave, the weight and power will be equal; but if one end of the rope
be fixed, and the sheave be movable with the weight, then the power will
be but half the weight; but in a combination of sheaves, or pulleys, the
power will be to the weight as 1 to the numbers of parts of the
fall.--_Ground-tackle._ Anchors, cables, &c.--_Tack-tackle._ A small
tackle used to pull down the tacks of the principal sails to their
respective stations, and particularly attached to the main-sails of
brigs, sloops, cutters, and schooners.
TACKLE-FALL. The part hauled upon in any tackle, simple or compound.
TACK OR SHEET. A man's saying that he will not start tack or sheet
implies resolution.
TACK-PINS. The belaying pins of the fife-rail; called also Jack-pins.
TACTICS. The art of disposing and applying naval or military forces in
action with the enemy, in whose presence strategy gives place to
tactics.
TAFFIA. A bad spirit, made and sold at Mauritius.
TAFFRAIL, OR TAFFAREL. The upper part of a ship's stern, a curved
railing, the ends of which unite to the quarter-pieces.
TAIL. A rope spliced into the strop or round of any block, leaving a
long end for making fast to rigging, spars, &c.--_To tail on to a bank._
To be aground abaft only.--_To tail up_ or _down a stream_. When at
anchor in a river, is as a ship's stern swings.
TAIL-BLOCK. A rope-stropped block, having an end of rope attached to it
as a tail, by which it may be fastened to any object at pleasure.
TAIL OF A GALE. The latter part of a gale, when its violence is dying
out.
TAIL ON, OR TALLY ON. The order to clap on to a rope.
TAIL-RACE. The water which leaves the paddles of a steam-boat. Also, the
water-course of a mill beyond the water-wheel.
TAIL-TACKLE. A luff-tackle purchase, with a hook in the end of the
single block, and a tail to the upper end of the double block.
Synonymous with _watch-tackle_.
TAIL UP. When a whale dives perpendicularly. In this case whalers expect
the fish to rise near the same spot. Also termed _fluking_.
TAIL-VALVE. A valve in the air-pump at the opposite side from the
condenser, and connected with the latter by a pipe under the air-pump:
it opens when pressed by steam entering the condenser by the
blow-through valve, but the weight of the atmosphere is sufficient to
keep it shut so long as there is a vacuum in the condenser.
TAINT. By admiralty law, the taint of contraband extends to all property
on board belonging to the owners of detected contraband articles.
TAISHES. Armour for the thighs.
TAISTE. A northern name for the black guillemot.
TAJASO. The jerked beef supplied to ships on some parts of the coast of
America.
TAKE. The draught of fishes in a single drag of the net. Also, _to
take_, in a military sense, to take or adopt any particular formation,
as to take open order, or to take ground to the right or the left.--To
_take_ an astronomical observation, so to ascertain the position of a
celestial body as to learn from it the place of the ship.
TAKEL [Anglo-Saxon]. The arrows which used to be supplied to the fleet;
the _takill_ of Chaucer.
TAKEN AFT. Complained of on the quarter-deck.
TAKE-UP. The part between the smoke-box and the bottom of the funnel in
a marine boiler. Also, a seaman _takes up slops_ when he applies to the
purser for articles of ready-made clothes, to be charged against his
wages. Also, an officer _takes up the gauntlet_ when he accepts a
challenge, though no longer in the form of a glove.
TAKE WATER ON BOARD, TO. To ship a sea.
TAKING A DEPARTURE. Determining the place of a ship by means of the
bearing and distance of a known object, and assuming it as the point to
be calculated from.
TAKING IN. The act of brailing up and furling sails at sea; generally
used in opposition to setting. (_See_ FURL and SHORTEN.) Also said of a
ship when loading.
TAKING OFF. Said of tides, when decreasing from the spring-tides.
TALARO. A silver coin of Ragusa, value 3_s._ sterling: also of Venice,
value 4_s._ 2_d._
TALE [from Anglo-Saxon _tael_, number]. Taylor thus expressed it in
1630--
"Goods in and out, which daily ships doe fraight
By guesse, by tale, by measure, and by weight."
TALLANT. The upper hance, or break of the rudder abaft.
TALL SHIP. A phrase among the early voyagers for square-rigged vessels
having top-masts.