NAUTICAL TERMS.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 69, 23 March 1887, Page 4

NAUTICAL TERMS.

Origin of tho Words Cabooso, Caddy,

and Forecastle,

'■Caboose" waa formerly tha namo of tho galloy or small kitchen of soiall merchantmen. Falconer Bpella it " coboose," nnd describes it as a sort of box or house to cover tho chimney of some merchant ships. Previous to the introduction of the* caboose tho furnaces for cooking were, in three deckers, placed on themiddlo deck, in two-decked ships in tho forecastlo, and, adds my authority (au anonymous author of a troatiso on shipbuilding, writton in 1701), also in all ships which havo forecastles tho provisions aro there dressed." " Chady" is a forcible, oldfashioned word that haa been replaced by the mincing, affected term "saloon," in tho Jast century it signified " a sort of cabin or cook room in the fore part or near tho stern of a lighter or barge of burden." It ia curious to note the humblo origin of a term subsequently takon to designate tho gilded and sumptuous first-class cabin accommodation ot the great Indian, American and Australian ships. "Forecustlo,' again I liud defined by old writers as " a place fitted for a closo light on tho upper deck forward." Tho torm was retained to denote tho place in which tho crew live. The exploded oxpresaions aro numerous. A short list may prove of interest. "Hulling" nnd " trying " were the words which answer to what we now call "hove-to." "Sailing large," having the wind free or quartering ; this expression is dead. " I'lyiug " was the old term for " beating "—" we plyed to windward," ie., "wo beat to windward." The word is obsolete, as is "spooning," replaced by " scudding " For " voering'1 we have substituted " wearing." Some fjood, strong, expressive words havo vanished. Nobody nowadays talka of "clawing off," though tho expression is perfect as'representing a vessel clutching and grabbing at the wind in her eflorls to haul off from a lee shoro. For " shivering 'we now say " shaking." " The topsail shivers to the wind." In these days it "shakes." We no longer speak of tho " topsail strip," but of the topsail hoisted or tho yard mastheaded. "Hank for hank," signifying two ships beating together and always going about at the same moment, so that one cannot get to windward of the other, is now " tack for tack" We have ceased to "heave our staysails ;" they are now loosed and hoisted. Tho old " horso" has made way for tho " foot rope," though we still retain tho term " Flemish horse " for the short foot rope at the topsail yard arms. The word " horse " readily suggests the origin of tho term "stirrup," a rope fitted to the footrope that it may not be weightod down too deep by tha men standing on it. It ia plain that "horse" is owing to tho seamen "riding" tho yard by it. Anything traversed was called a "horse." The term is etill used. The " round house or "coach" yielded to " cuddyY' as "cuddy" has to "saloon." The poop remains; but the "poop royal" of tho French and Spaniards, or the " topgallant poop" of our own shipwrights—a short deck over the aftermost part of the poop— has utterly disappeared.