The sea-mans dictionary, or, An exposition and demonstration of all the parts and things belonging to a shippe together with an explanation of all the termes and phrases used in the practique of navigation / composed by Henry Manwaring ...

M (Book M)

To MAn.

We say a Ship is well Man'd, when she hath men e∣nough to use her Ordnance, trym her sailes, and plye a conve∣nient number of small shot, besides the Surgeons, Carpenters, and some to hand along powder, and other men that are necessary, but not figh∣ters; I meane so as that men being appointed to their charge shall only intend that; though it be true that a man may step from a Gun to a roape, or from a roape to use a small-shot, and the like, and therefore it may be thought there should not need so many; yet I would have

those things done, as works of Supererogation, not as being forced to them, for if necessity then require, whilst the sailes are a trimming, the Ordnance or small-shot must lie still: What inconvenience the want of sufficient manning is, in a man of War, they can best tell, who have been best experienced in that loboursome fight at sea, which ma∣ny times doth not only last for a day, but two or three: for mine own part, though I might well be ashamed not to know, and dare to doe as much with a few men, as any other, yet to speake my conscience, and tell my mind cleerely, were I worthy to command the Kings ships in any service, I would rather have twenty men too many, then ten too few: A Marchant-man, is counted well manned when he hath double so many men, as would else barely saile his ship, yet commonly they loose their ships rather for want of men, then desire to save themselves; for though for a while, he may defend himselfe, yet the man of War will be sure of him, if he can have sea roome, and time enough; When they would have men to goe heave at the Capstaine, they say, man the Capstaine; also when Ships meet, and desire to shew all their men, they are commanded to come all up a-loft, and this they call manning the Ship: So when men are commanded to goe up into the top, to take in the Top-sailes, they say, man the top well (that is) a suffi∣cient number of men to goe into the top, to take in the saile; also man the boate.

Man of War.

I doe not meane to describe what a Captaine or man is, who is a man of War, but a Ship of War (which is called a man of War among Sea-men) making use of the figure Metonimia, (continens pro contento) These qualities, commodities and condi∣tions, I require in a Ship, which I would say should be a right brave man of War: first, she must saile well; secondly, be roomie betwixt the Decks; thirdly, flush without any falls, (for hindering men to passe too and fro at ease,) she must beare out her lower tire all reasonable fitting weather (which if she doe, the lower she carries them the better) her chase and bowe must be well contrived, to shoote as ma∣ny Peeces right fore-ward, and bowing, as may be (for those parts come to be most used in fight) the Ordnance not to lie right over one an other, but so, as that upon the least yawe of the helme, one Peece or other may ever come to beare: And lastly, she must beare a stowte-saile, such a Ship well manned, with men convenient, to ply their Ord∣nance,

handle the sailes, and use some small shot, were worthy to be called a man of War; That Ship which wants any of these, is like a Souldier who should want either a hand, a legg, or an Arme.

The Manger.

Is a place made with plancks, which are fastned upon the Deck, right under the hawse (some foote and a halfe high) and sometimes is made like a Triangle, meeting at the outward angle aft-ward, either a bast, or before the fore-mast; the use whereof, is on∣ly to receive the water which comes in at the hawses, when the Ship rides an Anchor in great stresses, that the water should not run aft in the Decks, and so in howld (as it may) Some Ships, whose hawses lie high, and that doe ride easily in the sea, need them not; but other have much use of them.

Marling.

Is a small line made of untwisted hempe to be more gentle and pliant then other lines, and it is also tar'd, the use whereof is to sease the ends of roapes from farsing out, also they use to sease the sides of the straps at the arsse of the blocks together with this: Also if a saile be ript out of the bolt-roape, then (if they have hast, or cold-weather, so as they cannot sow it in) they take Marling, and with that (put through the eylot-holes) they make fast the saile to the bolt-roape; this is called marling the saile.

Marling-speeke.

Is a small speeke of iron, made of purpose for the splising together of small roapes, and also to open the bolt roapes when they sow in the saile.

Martnetts.

Are small lines, which are fastned to the leggs on the leetch of the saile, and seeme like Crow-feete, the fall being reeved through a block and the top-mast-head, and so comes downe by the mast to the Deck: The Martnetts of the top-sailes are in the same manner, to the head of the top-gallant mast, but their fall comes no far∣ther then the top, where it is haled; when they are to hale these Mart∣netts, the terme is, top the Martnetts: the use of them are to bring that part of the Leetch of the saile which is next to the yard-arme, up close to the yard, when we farthell the saile; these most commonly be∣long to the two courses; yet many great Ships have them to the top-sailes and sprit-sailes.

Masts.

The Masting of a Ship, is of much importance to the sai∣ling and conditions of a Ship; for if she be over masted, either in length or bignesse, it will over-charge the Ship and make her lie-downe too

much by a wind, and labour too much a-hull; If she be under-masted, (that is too small, or too short) then she looses the benefit and advan∣tage of spreading so much more saile to give her way: There are some differences, in the proportioning of Masts, according to the use of the Ship, for those which are to goe long voiages, are not to be masted ac∣cording to true proportion, but to be made shorter, and bigger then ordinary, for feare of spending them in a long journey, where they cannot be repaired: But the rule and way whereby we give the true proportion, for the length of any Mast is, to take ⅘ of the bredth of the Ship, and that multiplied by 3. shall give the just number of feete, that the maine-mast shall be of in length; the bignesse to be one inch to a yard in length, but more, if it be a made-mast; for example: Take a Ship, whose bredth is 30. foote, foure fifties of 30. are 24. foote; so I say, that this Ships maine-mast must be 24. yards long, for every yard is 3. foote, and 24. inches through, allowing one inch to every yard: The fore-mast is in length to be ⅘ of the maine-mast, which will be 20. yards lacking one ⅘ part of a yard, and 20. inches through: The bolt-sprit ever the same in length and thicknesse, with the fore-mast, the missen mast to be halfe the length of the maine-mast, which will be 12. yards long, and 12. inches through: And so this is the true propor∣tion for the Masts of a Ship, which is 30. foot broad at the beame: for as we take the proportion of the length of our yards from the keele, so doe we take the proportion of her Masts from the beame, or bredth of the Ship. A long-mast is termed a tawnt-mast; a short mast is termed a lowe-mast.

Matts.

Are broad clowtes weaved of synnet and thrums toge∣ther, (and some are made without thrums;) the use whereof is to save things from galling, and are used in these places: To the maine and fore-yards, at the ties, (to keep the yards from galling against the mast) upon the Gun-wale of the Loofe, (to keep the clew of the saile from galling there) upon the bolt-sprit and beake-head, to save the clew of the fore-sailes.

Mettle.

By speaking of the mettle of a peece of Ordnance, is com∣monly meant, not the quality, but the quantitie of the mettle whereof it is made: (as to dispert the mettle: Vide dispert: (When they say, the Peece is laid under-mettle, that is, with her mouth lower then the breetch; or contrary, she lies over-mettle if the mouth lie higher then

the breetch: and if she lie point-blancke, then they say, she lies right with her mettle: So that it is seemes, because the breetch hath most mettle, they doe more singularly attribute the word mettle to that, then any other. If a Peece have much mettle in any part, they say, she is well fortified, and so contrary.

The Missen.

When we say the Missen, it is meant, that we speake of the saile, not of the mast, (as set the Missen, that is, fit the Missen-saile;) Change the Missen, (that is, bring the yard to the other side of the mast; and so the tack to the other boord:) And so, speek the Missen, (that is, put the yard right up and downe by the mast:) Spell the Mis∣sen (that is, let goe the Sheate and peeke it up) the use of the Missen, is to keepe the Ship close to a wind. Note, if a Ship gripe too much, then we use no Missen, for then she will never keep out of the wind; Sometimes also, we use the Missen when we are at an Anchor, to back the Ship a-sterne, to keep her from fouling her Anchor upon the tur∣ning of the tide: (sometimes also, we tie with the Missen: Some great long Ships require two Missens, then they call that next the maine-mast, the maine-missen; that next the Poope, the Bonaventure Missen.

The Missen-Mast.

Vide Mast.

The Missen-Saile.

Vide Saile.

The Missen-Top-mast.

Vide Top-Mast.

The Missen Yard.

Vide Yard.

To Moore, or Mooring.

To Moore a Ship, is to lay out her An∣chors, as is most fit for the Ship to ride by in that place where she is: for there are these kind of Mooreings: first to moore a crosse, or thwart, which is to lay one Anchor on one side a river, and the other on the other, right against, so as both Cabels (either for Ebb or Flood) may beare together: Next, to Moore alongst, that is to lay one An∣chor right in the middle of the streame on a head, and the other a-sterne, and this is, where they feare driveing a Ship; for then both the Cabels will beare together, if she Tallee in upon either shore: The third is Mooreing water-shot, that is (as you would say) quartring betwixt both, for this is neither a-crosse the tide, nor a-longst the tide; when they come into any place, they perceive where, which way, and upon what point of the Compasse, the wind or sea is like to endanger them most, and so just there they lay-out an Anchor, and this they call Moore∣ing

for West, North-west, or is the Point is: Note, that a Ship is not said to be Moore with leste then two Anchors a-ground, yet if she have but one a-ground and a Hawser, a-short (which is called a proviso) we say she is Moored, with her head to the shore.

To Mount.

Mounting a peece af Ordnance, is taken in two sen∣ses, that is, either to put them upon, and in their Carriages, (as we say, the Ships Ordnance are not mounted, that is, not on their Carriages) or else when they are in their Carriages, and the mouth of her lies too low for the marke, we say, Mount the Peece higher; But if she lie with her mouth too high for the marke, we say, Let fall the Peece a little, and not dis-mount the Peece; for to dis-mount the Peece, is to take it out of the Carriage, or that the Carriage is not serviceable: as in fight, when a shot hath taken, or broken a Carriage, we say, the Peece is dis-mounted.

Munck-seame.

This is a kind of sowing the canvasses of the sailes together, the edge of the one is sowne over the edge of the other, and so it is sowne on both sides; this is the strongest way of sowing the sailes.

Murderers.

Are small Iron or Brasse Peeces with Chambers: In Marchant-men they are most used at the Bulk-heads of the fore-castle, half-deck, or steeridge; and they have a Pintell, which is put into a stock, and so they stand and are traversed, out of which they use Mur∣dering-shot, to scower the Decks, when men enter, but Iron Murde∣rers are dangerous for them which discharge them, for they will scale extremely, and endanger their eyes much with them, I have known di∣vers hurt with shooting them oft.