UGLY. A term applied to a threatening heavy atmosphere, also to a
head-sea. Also, to an ugly craft, as a mischievous foe, or a pirate.
ULCUS. An old term for the hulk of a ship of burden (_leg._ Ethelred).
ULIGINOUS CHANNELS. Those connecting the branches of rivers, by cuts
through the soil.
ULLAGE. The remainder in a cask or package which has leaked or been
partially used.--_Ullaged_ is used for damaged, short of contents.
ULTIMATUM. The final conditions upon which any proposition or treaty
with an enemy can be ratified.
ULTRA MARE. Beyond seas--a naval law term.
ULTRA VIRES. Beyond the power of might or right to interfere.
ULTRA-ZODIACAL. Beyond the limits of the zodiac; applied to those
asteroids that revolve outside the ancient zodiac.
UMBRA. The dark shadow of the moon, earth, or any other planet.
UMBRELLA-WARPING. A contrivance similar to an umbrella, by which ships
in a calm can be warped ahead.
UNATTACHED. In military phraseology, an officer not belonging to any one
company or regiment, or on half-pay.
UNBEND, TO. To cast off or untie; to remove the sails from their yards
and stays; to cast loose the cables from their anchors, or to untie one
rope from another.
UNBITT, TO. To remove the turns of a cable from off the bitts. (_See_
BITTS.)
UNCLAIMED, AS DERELICT. Vessels found at sea without a human being, or a
domestic animal, on board are good prizes, if not claimed within 366
days. If so claimed, full salvage, or half her value, is assigned to the
salvors.
UNDECAGON. A geometrical figure of eleven equal sides and angles.
UNDER BARE POLES. The condition of a ship under no canvas, or when the
wind is too violent to allow of any sail being set on her.
UNDER-BEVELLING. The alteration made inside a square in hewing timber,
as opposed to standing bevelling.
UNDER-BRIGHT. A meteorological term for the strong light which sometimes
appears below clouds near the horizon.
UNDER CANVAS. Synonymous with _under sail_.
UNDER-CURRENT. A stream which sets beneath the surface-water of the sea
whilst that is either in a quiescent state or moving in a contrary
direction. Swift rivers may run out at top whilst the flood-tide runs in
below.
UNDER DECK. The floor of a cabin, or 'tween decks.
UNDER FOOT. Under the ship's bottom; said of an anchor which is dropped
while she has head-way. An anchor is often dropped under foot when calm
prevails and the drift would be towards danger.--_To drop an anchor
under foot_, is to let it go and veer a little of the riding cable when
the coming home, or parting of the one by which she is riding, is
feared.
UNDER LEVEL. _See_ BEVELLING.
UNDER-MANNED. When a ship has an insufficient complement, or is
short-handed.
UNDER-MASTED. When the masts are either too small or too short, so that
a ship cannot spread the sail necessary to give her proper speed.
UNDER METAL. The condition of a gun when the muzzle is depressed, and
the metal, _i.e._ the breech, raised; the proper position when not in
use, to prevent moisture collecting in the chamber.
UNDER-RUN A HAWSER OR WARP, TO. To haul a boat along underneath it, in
order to clear it, if any part happens to be foul. _To under-run a
tackle_, is to separate the several parts of which it is composed, and
range them in order, so that the general effort may not be interrupted
when it is put in motion by the parts crossing, or by thorough-foots.
UNDER SAIL. The state of a ship when she is in motion from the action of
wind on her sails.
UNDER-SET. Wherever the wind impels the surface-water directly upon the
shore of a bay, the water below restores equilibrium by taking a
direction contrary to the wind. The _resaca_, or under-set, is
particularly dangerous on those beaches where heavy surf prevails.
UNDER-SHORE, TO. To support or raise a thing by putting a spar or prop
under it, as a ship is shored up in dock.
UNDER-SKINKER. Assistant to the purser's steward.
UNDER THE LEE. Sheltered from the wind by some intervening object, as a
ship under the lee of the land.
UNDER THE SEA. A ship lying-to in a heavy gale, and making bad weather
of it.
UNDER THE WIND. So situated to leeward of something as not to feel the
wind.
UNDER-TOW. An under current especially noticed at the mouths of great
rivers, or where tide and half-tides prevail, completely hampering the
sails even with a good breeze. (_See_ UNDER-CURRENT.)
UNDER WAY. A ship beginning to move under her canvas after her anchor is
started. Some have written this _under weigh_, but improperly. A ship is
_under weigh_ when she has _weighed_ her anchor: she may be with or
without canvas, or hove-to. As soon as she gathers way she is _under
way_. This a moot point with old seamen.
UNDERWRITERS. The parties who take upon themselves the risk of
insurance, and so called from subscribing their names at the foot of the
policy. They are legally presumed to be acquainted with every custom of
the trade whereon they enter a policy.
UNICORN. The old name for the howitzer, as improved from the licorn,
borrowed from the Turks during the last century by the Russians, and
from the latter by Europe generally.
UNICORN-FISH, OR SEA-UNICORN. A name for the _narwhal_ (which see).
UNIFORM. The dress prescribed by regulation for officers and men of the
army, navy, marines, &c.
UNION. The national flag of Great Britain, on shore or afloat. It is a
composition of the crosses of St. George of England, St. Andrew of
Scotland, and St. Patrick of Ireland, the last having been brought in in
1801. It was formerly inscribed, "For the Protestant Religion and for
the Liberty of England." It is in the upper canton of all British
ensigns. At the main it is the proper flag of an admiral of the fleet;
and was thus flown by Lord Howe at the battle of June 1, 1794.
UNION DOWN. When a ship hoists her ensign upside down it is a signal of
distress or of mourning.
UNION-JACK. The union flag used separately; in the merchant service it
must have a broad white border.
UNLIMBER, TO. With a gun on a travelling-carriage, to release it from
the limber, by lifting the trail off the pintle and placing it on the
ground, thus bringing it to the position for action.
UNLIVERY. Expenses of unlivery and appraisement are a charge in the
first instance against the captors of a prize, to be afterwards
apportioned by them ratably against the cargo.
UNMANAGEABLE. When a vessel refuses to answer her helm, has lost her
rudder, or is crippled in masts or sails.
UNMOORED. Having one anchor weighed; lying at single anchor.
UNREEVING. The act of withdrawing a rope from any block, thimble,
dead-eye, &c., through which it had formerly passed. (_See_ REEVE.)
UNRIG, TO. To dismantle a ship of her standing and running rigging.--_To
unrig the capstan_ is to take out the bars.
UNROOMAGED. An antiquated sea term, which, from its application by Sir
W. Raleigh, in his account of Sir R. Granville's action, may mean "out
of trim."
UNROVE HIS LIFE-LINE. Departed this life.
UNSERVICEABLE TICKET. This is made out in the same manner, and requires
the same notations, as a _sick-ticket_ (which see), only that no
inventory of clothes and other effects is necessary.
UNSHIP, TO. The opposite of _to ship_. To remove any piece of timber
from its situation in which it is generally used, as "unship the oars,"
lay them in the boat from the rowlocks; "unship the capstan bars," &c.
UNWHOLESOME SHIP. One that will neither hull, try, nor ride, without
labouring heavily in a sea. Also applied to a sugar ship diverted from
her former trade, and not properly cleansed, even before taking in a
cargo of timber.
UP ALONG. Sailing from the mouth of the channel upwards.
UP ANCHOR. Pipe to weigh; every man to his station.
UP AND DOWN. The situation of the cable when it has been hove in
sufficiently to bring the ship directly over the anchor. (_See_ RIGHT UP
AND DOWN.)
UP-AND-DOWN TACKLE. A purchase used in bowsing down the eyes of the
lower rigging over the mast-heads; lifting objects from the hold;
getting anchors over the side, &c.
UP BOATS! The order to hoist the boats to the stern and quarter davits.
UP COURSES! The order to haul them up by the clue-garnets, &c.
UPHAND-SLEDGE. A large sledge-hammer used in blacksmith's work, and
lifted with both hands, in contradistinction to the short stroke by the
master smith.
UPHROE. _See_ UVROU.
UPMAKING. Pieces of plank or timber piled on each other as filling-up in
building, more especially those placed between the bilge-ways and ship's
bottom preparatory to launching.
UPPER COUNTER. The counter between the wing transom and the rail. (_See_
COUNTER.)
UPPER DECK. The highest of those decks which are continued throughout
the whole length of a ship without falls or interruptions, as the
quarter-deck, waist, and forecastle of frigates, &c.
UPPER FINISHING. _See_ FINISHINGS.
UPPER MASTS. The top-mast, topgallant-mast, and royal-mast; any spars
above these are termed poles. (_See_ POLE-MASTS.)
UPPER STRAKE OR WASH OF BOATS. A strake thicker than those of the
bottom, wrought round the gunwales, and lined within the poppets.
UPPER OR TOP-RIDER FUTTOCKS. These timbers stand nearly the same as
_breadth-riders_, and very much strengthen the top-side.
UPPER TRANSIT. The passage of a circumpolar star over the meridian above
the pole; the opposite of the _lower transit_.
UPPER-WORKS. That part of a ship which rises from the water's surface
when she is properly trimmed for a voyage.
UP SCREW! The order in steamers to lift the screw on making sail.
UP WITH THE HELM. Put it a-weather; that is, over to the windward side,
or (whichever way the tiller is shipped) so as to carry the rudder to
leeward of the stern-post.
URANOGRAPHY. The delineation of constellations, nebulae, &c., on
celestial charts or globes.
URANOSCOPUS. _See_ SKY-GAZER.
URANUS. A superior planet discovered by the elder Herschel in 1781; it
has four known satellites, but possibly six, according to the impression
of the discoverer.
URCA. An armed Spanish fly-boat.
URSA MAJOR. One of the ancient northern constellations.
URSA MINOR. An ancient northern constellation, in which the north polar
star is situated.
USAGES. Besides the general laws of merchants, there are certain
commercial and seafaring usages which prevail in particular countries
with the force of law. Underwriters are bound by usages; and they are
legal precedents, binding in courts-martial.
USHANT TEAM. The sobriquet given to that portion of the Channel fleet
which blockaded Brest.
UTLAGHE. An outlaw; whence by corruption _laggers_, people transported
by sentence of law.
UVROU. The circular piece of wood, with holes in it, by which the legs
of a crow-foot are extended for suspending an awning.