acquisition of this intelligence, we have endeavoured to treat those
subjects at large, in the different parts of this work, according to
their importance. We have also sketched the general outlines of the
respective charges of all the superior officers, which, in conformity to
the plan of this work, become previous to this article. Thus the duties
of the admiral, the captain, the lieutenant, and the master, are already
explained in their proper places; and whatever intelligence appears
necessary to discharge those offices, is also, in a high degree,
essential to the midshipman. Those officers indeed, as well as many
others, are furnished with suitable instructions to regulate their
conduct; but the midshipman, being invested with no particular charge
from the government, is by consequence omitted in those official
regulations. In a work of this kind, however, the importance of the
subject is not always determined by the superiority of rank or station.
If our province is to communicate instruction, those who are the least
informed are certainly the principal objects thereof, and to them our
attention is more peculiarly directed. Hence the extent of our design
comprehends many circumstances which would be immaterial in general
orders and regulations; and hence abundance of particular directions to
respective officers, inserted in those general regulations, are rejected
here as foreign to our purpose. Averse as we are, on other occasions, to
offend the rigid nicety of a critic, by introducing moral reflections,
in a performance dedicated to scientifical description, we must for once
be indulged with a short deviation from the plan hitherto invariably
followed. Happy! if our efforts may in any degree operate to produce the
effects for which they were calculated.
On his first entrance in a ship of war, every midshipman has several
disadvantageous circumstances to encounter. These are partly occasioned
by the nature of the sea-service, and partly by the mistaken prejudices
of people in general, respecting naval discipline, and the genius of
sailors and their officers. No character, in their opinion, is more
excellent than that of the common sailor, whom they generally suppose to
be treated with great severity by his officers, drawing a comparison
between them not very advantageous to the latter. The midshipman usually
comes aboard tinctured with these prejudices, especially if his
education has been amongst the higher rank of people; and if the
officers happen to answer his opinion, he conceives an early disgust to
the service, from a very partial and incompetent view of its operations.
Blinded by these prepossessions, he is thrown off his guard, and very
soon surprized to find, amongst those honest sailors, a crew of
abandoned miscreants, ripe for any mischief or villainy. Perhaps, after
a little observation, many of them will appear to him equally destitute
of gratitude, shame, or justice, and only deterred from the commission
of any crimes by the terror of severe punishment. He will discover, that
the pernicious example of a few of the vilest in a ship of war are too
often apt to poison the principles of the greatest number, especially if
the reins of discipline are too much relaxed, so as to foster that
idleness and dissipation, which engender sloth, diseases, and an utter
profligacy of manners. If the midshipman, on many occasions, is obliged
to mix with these, particularly in the exercises of extending or
reducing the sails in the tops, he ought resolutely to guard against
this contagion, with which the morals of his inferiors may be infected.
He should however avail himself of their knowledge, and acquire their
expertness in managing and fixing the sails and rigging, and never
suffer himself to be excelled by an inferior. He will probably find a
virtue in almost every private sailor, which is entirely unknown to many
of his officers: that virtue is emulation, which is not indeed mentioned
amongst their qualities by the gentleman of _terra firma_, by whom their
characters are often copiously described with very little judgment.
There is hardly a common tar who is not envious of superior skill in his
fellows, and jealous on all occasions to be out-done in what he
considers as a branch of his duty! Nor is he more afraid of the dreadful
consequences of whistling in a storm, than of being stigmatized with the
opprobious epithet of _lubber_. Fortified against this scandal, by a
thorough knowledge of his business, the sailor will sometimes sneer in
private, at the execution of orders, which to him appear aukward,
improper, or unlike a seaman. Nay, he will perhaps be malicious enough
to suppress his own judgment, and by a punctual obedience to command,
execute whatever is to be performed, in a manner which he knows to be
improper, in order to expose the person commanding to disgrace and
ridicule. Little skilled in the method of the schools, he considers the
officer who cons his lesson by rote as very ill qualified for his
station, because particular situations might render it necessary for the
said officer to assist at putting his own orders in practice. An
ignorance in this practical knowledge will therefore necessarily be
thought an unpardonable deficiency by those who are to follow his
directions. Hence the midshipman, who associates with these sailors in
the tops, till he has acquired a competent skill in the service of
extending or reducing the sails, &c. will be often entertained with a
number of scurrilous jests, at the expence of his superiors. Hence also
he will learn, that a timely application to those exercises can only
prevent him from appearing in the same despicable point of view, which
must certainly be a cruel mortification to a man of the smallest
sensibility.
If the midshipman is not employed in these services, which are
undoubtedly necessary to give him a clearer idea of the different parts
of his occupation, a variety of other objects present themselves to his
attention. Without presuming to dictate the studies which are most
essential to his improvement, we could wish to recommend such as are
most suitable to the bent of his inclination. Astronomy, geometry, and
mechanics, which are in the first rank of science, are the materials
which form the skilful pilot and the superior mariner. The theory of
navigation is entirely derived from the two former, and all the
machinery and movements of a ship are founded upon the latter. The
action of the wind upon the sails, and the resistance of the water at
the stem, naturally dictate an enquiry into the property of solids and
fluids: and the state of the ship, floating on the water, seems to
direct his application to the study of hydrostatics and the effects of
gravity. A proficiency in these branches of science will equally enlarge
his views, with regard to the operations of naval war, as directed by
the efforts of powder, and the knowledge of projectiles. The most
effectual method to excite his application to those studies is, perhaps,
by looking round the navy, to observe the characters of individuals. By
this enquiry he will probably discover, that the officer, who is
eminently skilled in the sciences, will command universal respect and
approbation; and that whoever is satisfied with the despicable ambition
of shining the hero of an assembly, will be the object of universal
contempt. The attention of the former will be engaged in those studies,
which are highly useful to himself in particular, and to the service in
general. The employment of the latter is to acquire those superficial
accomplishments, that unbend the mind from every useful science,
emasculate the judgment, and render the hero infinitely more dextrous at
falling into his station in the dance, than in the line of battle.
Unless the midshipman has an unconquerable aversion to the acquisition
of those qualifications, which are so essential to his improvement, he
will very rarely want opportunities of making a progress therein. Every
step he advances in those meritorious employments, will facilitate his
accession to the next in order. If the dunces, who are his officers or
mess-mates, are rattling the dice, roaring bad verses, hissing on the
flute, or scraping discord from the fiddle, his attention to more noble
studies will sweeten the hours of relaxation. He should recollect that
no example from fools ought to influence his conduct, or seduce him from
that laudable ambition which his honour and advantage are equally
concerned to pursue.
MIZEN, _artimon_, (_misana_, Ital.) the aftermost or hindmost of the
fixed sails of a ship, extended sometimes by a _gaff_, and sometimes by
a _yard_ which crosses the mast obliquely; the fore-end reaching almost
down to the deck, and the after-end being peeked up as high above the
middle of the yard, where it is attached to the mast. The figure of the
mizen is accordingly a trapezia, or a parallelogram, one of whose
corners is cut off by a diagonal, extended from one of its sides to the
opposite corner, which becomes the _peek_ of the mizen. See the article
SAIL.
MIZEN-MAST, the mast upon which the mizen and its top-sail and
stay-sails are supported, besides other sails, which are set
occasionally, as the _driver_, ring-tail, &c. See the article MAST.
The shrouds, stays, and back-stays of this mast, as well as all the
running-rigging, together with its several yards and sails, being
described under the articles SHROWD, STAY, YARD, &c. the reader is
referred thither for the explanations thereof, which are in general
applicable also to the same furniture of both the other masts.
MOLE, a name given in the Mediterranean to a long pier, or artificial
bulwark of masonry, extending obliquely across the entrance of a
harbour, in order to break the force of the sea from the vessels which
are anchored within.
MOLE is also, although improperly, applied to the harbour or haven,
which is formed by the bulwark above described, which is then
denominated the mole-head.
MONSOON, a name given to the periodical or trade-winds, which blow
regularly in certain latitudes of the Indian ocean. They continue five
or six months invariably in one direction, and then alter their course,
and blow, during an equal space of time, from a different point of the
compass with the same uniformity.
MOORING, the act of confining and securing a ship in a particular
station, by chains or cables, which are either fastened to the adjacent
shore, or to anchors in the bottom.
A ship may be either moored by the _head_, or by the head and stern;
that is to say, she may be secured by anchors before her, without any
behind: or she may have anchors out, both before and behind her; or her
cables may be attached to posts, rings, or _moorings_, which answer the
same purpose.
When a ship is moored by the head with her own anchors, they are
disposed according to the circumstances of the place where she lies, and
the time she is to continue therein. Thus wherever a tide ebbs and
flows, it is usual to carry one anchor out towards the flood, and
another towards the ebb, particularly where there is little room to
range about; and the anchors are laid in the same manner, if the vessel
is moored head-and-stern in the same place. The situation of the
anchors, in a road or bay, is usually opposed to the reigning winds, or
those which are most dangerous; so that the ship rides therein with the
effort of both her cables. Thus if she rides in a bay, or road, which is
exposed to a northerly wind and heavy sea from the same quarter, the
anchors passing from the opposite _bows_ ought to lie east and west from
each other: hence both the cables will retain the ship in her station
with equal effort against the action of the wind and sea.
MOORINGS are usually an assemblage of anchors, chains, and _bridles_,
laid athwart the bottom of a river, or haven, to ride the shipping
contained therein.
The anchors, employed on this occasion, have rarely more than one fluke,
which is sunk in the river near low-water mark. Two anchors, being fixed
in this manner, on the opposite sides of the river, are furnished with a
chain, extending across from one to the other. In the middle of the
chain is a large square link, whose lower end terminates in a swivel,
which turns round in the chain as about an axis, whenever the ship veers
about with the change of the tide. To this swivel-link are attached the
bridles, which are short pieces of cable, well served, whose upper ends
are drawn into the ship, at the mooring-ports, and afterwards fastened
to the masts, or cable-bits.
A great number of moorings, of this sort, are fixed in the royal ports,
or the harbours adjacent to the king’s dock-yards, as Deptford, Chatham,
Portsmouth, Plymouth, &c.
MORTAR, a piece of artillery, shorter and wider than the cannon, and
having a chamber different from the size of its bore.
Mortars are used in the attack of a fortified place, by sea, to
discharge bombs or carcases amongst the buildings. The bomb is a great
hollow ball, filled with powder, which, falling into the works of a
fortification, &c. destroys the most substantial buildings by its
weight; and, bursting asunder, creates the greatest disorder and
mischief by its splinters.
The chambers of mortars are extremely different in their figures, and
each of those figures is defended by better or worse arguments. Thus
they are spherical, cylindrical, conical, bottled, or concave. In
reality, nothing appears to be less determined upon true principles or
experiments than the proportions of the several parts of a mortar[39].
As the sea-mortars, or those which are fixed in the bomb-vessels, are
generally fixed at a much greater distance than is ever required ashore,
they are made somewhat longer, and much heavier, than the land-mortars.
Plate VI. fig. 7. represents a sea-mortar, the principal parts of which
are, A, the chace; B, the reinforce; C, the breech; and D, the
trunnions. The interior part, comprehended between the dotted lines, is
called the bore, wherein the bomb is lodged; and the inner part of the
bore, which is diminished towards the breech, and contains the powder,
is termed the chamber.
Mr. Muller, in his Treatise of Artillery, very justly observes, that the
breech of our 13 inch sea-mortars is loaded with an unnecessary weight
of metal. The chamber thereof contains 32 pounds of powder, and at the
same time they are never charged with more than 12 or 15 pounds, by the
most expert officers, because the bomb-vessel is unable to bear the
violent shock of their full charge. Thus the action of the powder is
diminished by the vacancy left in the chamber, which is never above half
filled. As a charge of 12 or 15 pounds of powder at most is therefore
sufficient, it is evidently proved, by the theory of powder, that this
will produce the greatest effect when discharged from a mortar with a
cylindrical chamber, represented by fig. 8. He also proves, by a variety
of experiments made by Captain Desaguliers and himself, that the conical
chamber, now used, is considerably inferior to the cylindrical one with
the last charge of powder.
To facilitate the use of the mortar, it is placed in a solid carriage of
timber, called the bed, whose different parts are strongly bolted
together. By means of this it is firmly secured in its situation, so
that the explosion of the powder may not alter its direction. In the
middle of the upper-side of this carriage, plate VI. fig. 9. are two
semi-circular notches, to receive the trunnions; over these are fixed
two very strong bands of iron, called the cap-squares, _a_, the middle
of which is bent into a semi-circle, to embrace the trunnions, and keep
them fast in the mortar-bed. The cap-squares are confined to the
timber-work by strong pins of iron, called the eye-bolts, _b_, into
whose upper ends are driven the keys, chained beneath them. On the
fore-part of the bed a piece of timber is placed transversely, upon
which rests the belly of the mortar, or that part which contains the
chamber. The elevation of this piece, which is called the bed-bolster,
is represented by fig. 13. and the plan by fig. 12. it is used to
elevate and support the mortar whilst firing.
These beds are placed upon very strong frames of timber, which are fixed
in the bomb-ketch, and represented in fig. 14. plate VI. They are
securely attached to the frames, by means of a strong bolt of iron, fig.
15. called the pintle, passing perpendicularly through both, and
afterwards through one of the beams of the vessel. Thus the pintle,
which passes through the hole in the centre of the plan, fig. 10. serves
as an axis to the bed; so that the mortar may be turned about
horizontally as occasion requires.
Plate VI. fig. 9. represents the elevation of the bed of a 10 inch
sea-mortar; fig. 10 is the plan, and 11 the front view thereof; fig. 12
exhibits the plan, and fig. 13 the elevation of the bed-bolster.
We have already observed, that the bomb, which is usually called the
shell by artillery-people, is a great hollow ball, charged with powder.
Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the bomb, and fig. 17 a section of it,
whereby the thickness is exhibited. The parts _a_ and _b_ of the shell
are its handles, by which it is lifted up or removed; and _c_ is the
fuse-hole, or aperture, through which the powder is poured in to charge
it.
It appears, by fig. 17, that the lower part of the shell is thickest, by
which it becomes heavier on that side, and accordingly falls thereon,
and never on the fuse. It is also the better enabled thereby to resist
the impression of the powder, by which it is discharged from the mortar.
Both of these reasons, however, Mr. Muller conceives to be immaterial,
because nothing but an absolute stoppage of the air can exhaust the
fuses, as their composition enables them to burn in water, as well as
air or earth; and the explosion of the mortar would not, in his opinion,
be able to break them, if they are equally thick every where. The most
proper quantity of powder to charge a bomb is probably two thirds of the
weight which would fill the cavity.
The fuse of the bomb is represented by _c d_, fig. 17. It is generally a
conical tube, formed of beech, willow, or some dry wood, and filled with
a composition of sulphur, salt-petre, and mealed-powder. The bomb being
charged, this fuse is inserted in the cavity through the fuse-hole; and
when fired, communicates the fire to the powder in the shell.
The fuses for bombs are charged with great care, that nothing may
prevent them from communicating the fire to the powder in the centre of
the bomb. They are driven into the shell so as that only about an inch
and a half comes out beyond the fuse-hole; and then the shell is said to
be fixed.
These fuses are also charged long before there is occasion to use them;
and that the composition with which they are filled may not fall out, or
be damaged, by growing damp, the two ends are covered with a composition
of tallow, mixed either with pitch or bees wax. When the fuse is to be
put into the shell, the little end is opened or cut off; but the great
end is never opened till the mortar is to be fired[40].
When the proper quantity of powder, necessary to charge the mortar, is
put into the chamber, it is covered with a wad, well beat down with the
rammer. After this the fixed shell is placed upon the wad, as near the
middle of the mortar as possible, with the fuse-hole uppermost, and
another wad pressed down close upon it, so as to keep the shell firm in
its position. The officer then points the mortar, or gives it the
inclination necessary to carry the bomb to the place designed. When the
mortar is thus fixed, the fuse is opened; the priming-iron is also
thrust into the touch-hole of the mortar to clear it, after which it is
primed with the finest powder. This done, two of the matrosses, or
sailors, taking each one of the matches, the first lights the fuse, and
the other fires the mortar. The bomb, thrown out by the explosion of the
powder, is carried to the place intended; and the fuse, which ought to
be exhausted at the instant of the shell’s falling, inflames the powder
contained therein, and bursts the shell into splinters; which, flying
off circularly, occasion incredible mischief wheresoever they reach.
_Necessary orders before a bombardment by sea._
When any fixed shells are issued from the tenders, the artillery people
on board are immediately to fix others in their room, and are always to
keep in their tenders the same number they had at first.
The shells are to be fixed in the boat appointed to carry them, provided
the weather permits; otherwise, in the safest place on deck, and to be
_kitted_, or lowered down into a spare rack, which must be in each boat
for that purpose. While the shells are fixing, the powder-room is to be
shut, the hatches laid and well secured against fire, and the place
where they are fixed is to be well watered.
The shells being carefully examined in order that no spike is left
therein, by which the fuse may be split, the fuses are to be cut the
full length, and to be set home into the shell very strongly.
No shells, fixed during the service, are to be kitted; but if any should
be left, when the service is over, they are immediately to be kitted.
The powder in the bomb-vessels is to be used first; and none to be
opened or measured out, except in the captain’s cabin, the door of which
is to be kept shut during the whole time, and covered with tanned hides,
to make it as secure as possible.
The fixed shells in the boats are to be likewise covered from fire or
wet with hair-cloth and tanned hides, with the utmost care.
If the service is carried on at night, all the powder is to be ready
measured out in cartridges, which may be kept in the powder-magazine and
captain’s cabin, in the empty powder-barrels and powder-bags; and all
the shells requisite are to be ready. The tin tubes, one powder-horn,
and the port-fires; also the punches and bits for the vents, are to be
kept in the captain’s cabin.
No fire or light, except match and port-fires, to be on board either
bomb-vessel or tender during the service.
The captain’s cabin and the passage to it; also the way to the magazine
and decks, are to be constantly watered.
The spunges for the mortars are to be all examined and tried, and if too
large, they are to be cut so as to enter easily.
The vents of the mortars are to be examined, and the punches and tubes
tried in them.
A laboratory-chest is to be on board each bomb-vessel, in the captain’s
cabin, in which all the small stores are to be kept.
Two tubs of water are to be on deck, for the lightest port-fires and
match, which must be constantly held in them till ordered to fire.
Two careful men are also to be appointed for this service, who are to do
nothing else on any account.
Two careful men of the artillery are to be left on board each tender,
for the filling and fixing of the shells.
Application must be made to the admiral for two men of war’s boats to
attend on each bomb-ketch and tender, for carrying shells and stores.
One of these is to be loaded with fixed shells, which, when sent to the
bomb-vessel, must remain with her until they are all taken out, which
should be only as they are wanted for loading the mortars; it is then to
return to the tender. The other boat, mean while, will be receiving more
fixed shells, and on the signal given from the bomb-ketch for more
shells, must immediately repair to her with them.
A gang of warrant-officers, and eight seamen, are to be at each mortar,
to give whatever assistance may be required.
A gang from the navy, with a careful warrant-officer, and a
non-commissioned officer of the artillery, are to have the charge
between decks on board each bomb and tender, to get up the fixed shells
that are in the rack; and a careful person is to remain constantly at
the powder-room door, which must be kept shut as much as possible.
When any powder is wanted from the tender for loading the mortar, it
should be measured out in the tender, and the proper charge put into
paper-cartridges, upon which should be written the quantity, and the
mortar for which it is allotted.
If the service of mortars should render it necessary to use pound-shots,
200 of them, with a wooden bottom, are to be put into the 13 inch
mortar, and a quantity of powder, not exceeding five pounds; and 100 of
the above shot, with 2½ lb. of powder for the 10 inch mortar, or 3 lb.
at most.
One inch of fuse burns 4 seconds and 48 parts.
Weight of the sea-mortars and shells, as also of their full charges.