BOO 



BOO 



and t^ii'j msy be done each flood, obfervlng not to have the 

 fmtj!:= thrive into the works, whicli might give the enemy too 

 gi-c-:it an advantage. 



To lay a boom in a Jlnught channsl. If the wind for the 

 moll purt blow obhqucly acrofs the river or channel, on the 

 flai-board quarter goiuir up the river, and the boom b^' hiid 

 liirei'lly athwart the channel, which w.is the cafe at London- 

 derry in 16S9, when it was forced, the lhi}!s coming with the 

 tide of flood, and a leadiii'r gale, will run llemlings agai:'ll 

 it, and poinbly break it, by ftriking with a dnect force ; 

 wherea*, if the boom could be laid obliquely athwart the 

 river, nearly in a line with the wind, fo that the fhip mill 

 take it with her bow, the blow would be diverted by the 

 fliip's cafting, becaufe, in this pofition, the enemy caiun)t 

 run ilenilings againiiit ; for, in failing up the river, the fliip 

 nuilt be near before the lielm ; and to bring her head to a 

 boom laid obliquely, the helm muil be put down, and then 

 it will be a great chance it flie comes to fo nicely as to take 

 the boom ; befides, millakes maybe committed in the con- 

 fufion by the man at the helm, and by him upon the land, 

 and by rcalonofthe fmoke ; and, exclufivcly ot all tliefe, it 

 may be taken for granted, that the fliip would call along-fide 

 the boom ; and then the batteries at the end of the boom on 

 the larboard fide would rake it fore and aft, while the op- 

 pofite batteries on the llarboard fide, playing on the broad- 

 fide with double-round and partridge, mull make a great 

 (laughter among the men cutting at the boom. And if it 

 fliould not fwing along-fide the boom, hut lie ilcn;lings 

 againft it, the batteries on the llarboard fide of the river, 

 which are to be made above the weather-end of the boom, 

 ■will rake it fore and aft, while thofe on the larboard fide 

 play on its quarter, or broad-fide. The fhips within the 

 boom, protett ed by it, fliould be moored in a kind of half- 

 moon, with thtir broad-fides flanking the boom : and fevcral 

 old, or, at leaft, ufelefs (hips, may be funk, as foon as a fignal 

 is given from one of the forts, fignifying that the boom will 

 be cut. For this pnrpofe, thofe fliips fliOuld have large fcut- 

 tles ready cut ; and, for a farther iecurity, it would be very 

 proper to have a fmall boom to divert the enemy, that the 

 fhips may be iunk in the channel before he boards them. 

 The chief ftrength, however, is in the boom ; and if a 

 double, triple, or four-fold boom, were laid, provided mate- 

 rials could be procured, and the value of the ftiipping and 

 cargoes warranted the expence and labour, it would make 

 the place fo much the llronger, and the enterprife of the 

 enemy more hazardous. In ftretching thefe booms, the 

 trouble of many anchors may be fpartd, by making all the 

 cables fall to the firft, and fo let them float in a bight, and by 

 a fmall anchor ride upon the tbb, to keep clear of one 

 another. 



To lay a loom i/i the bend of a river. From the point 

 formed by its end, llretch two booms acrofs the channel, one 

 towards the middle of the oppofite bight, and the other fo 



much higher, as to lie direftly athwart tl: 



le ctianne 



I, leav 



kind of aiigiiL''.r fpnce between them. Next the point from 

 whence the two booms llretch, ereft a proper fort or bat- 

 tery, to command the channel below and above the bend. On 

 the other fide of the river, eredt another fort or battery 

 againll the bight a little above the end of the lower boom, 

 and fo difpofed, that its cannon may rake the channel coming 

 up, as well as command both the booms. From fuch a dif- 

 pofition, it is a great chance if a fliip anfwer her helm fo ex- 

 aftly ae to time, in bearing or loofing about the point, as to 

 take the boom ftemlings ; and if fne fmite it with her bow, 

 (he calls ; and, in either ca'e, flie will be raked fore and aft 

 by one fort, and have her broadfide battered by the other. 

 Let feme old vefTels be fitted up for firc-ftips, and placed be- 



tween the two booms; from each (liip let two lia\vftr»>>e 

 carried alhore, one on each lide, and fixed to crabs, or caii. 

 ilans let up ; fo that as foon as the enemy has pdAld the fiilt 

 boom, thefe Ihips being fet on lire, and heaved in tluir way, 

 nothing can hinder the enemy's deftruflion. The fliips to 

 be defended may be moored in a halt moon, with their broad- 

 iides fo laid as to batter the enemy when he allempts the 

 boom. When no flrong attacks by land arc to be feared, 

 the mooring of fliips behind a point is be!l, on account of 

 laying the boom. If the boom fliould be forced, which mnft 

 be upon the flood, a fire-fliij), inlUad of falling on board a 

 fliip thus moored, will, by the tide, be hurried beyond her ; 

 and il the place be favourable to the fli'ps moored there, it 

 will be found impracticable to boaid a fliip thus moored, 

 with fuch a wind and tide as the enemy mull have to break 

 the boom, unlels he expofe his boats in carrying out an an- 

 chor to warp over, which will be a very dangerous attempt, 

 or fome unaccountable accident inteivtne. 



Boom, drift, any yard, fpar, S;c. by which a boat may 

 ride llem on to the fea in a gale of wind, and drive to lee- 

 ward. The ufual method is to make fall a rope, about twice 

 the length of the fpar, to each end of it, and to the middle 

 of the fpar the boat-rope is to be bent. By this contrivance, 

 a boat, in a gale of wind, will drive llem on to the fea, and 

 the drift-boom will prevent the fea from breaking over the 

 boat. See Boat. 



'QootA-irons, in a Ship, are two flat iron rings formed into 

 one piece one above the other, employed to conneft the 

 booms to the yards, &c. ; the lower ring is the largell, and is 

 driven on the yard. Some boom-irons fallen on the yards 

 with a crotch or ilrap, fecured by nails and hoops. 



Viooj:\-Tackle. See Tackle. 



Boom, in Geography, the principal place of a canton, in 

 the department of Deux Neuthts, and diftriil of Anvers. 

 The place contains 3428, and the canton 14,519 inhabitants. 

 The territory comprehends 92^ kiliometres and 1 1 communes. 



V>ootA-chi}:inel. See Brandarii;s. 



BOOMAZOOSE, a river of Africa, in the province of 

 Conflantina, which bounds on one fide the plain, in which are 

 found the ruins of the ancient Thubuna, now Tubaa ; and 

 the river Bareekah bounds it on the other fide. 



BOOMBANI, a town of Africa, in Ludamar, north- 

 eall of Jarra, and north-wefl of Benowm. N. lat. 15° 10'. 

 N. long. 7° 12'. 



BOOMITES, a term ufed by fome authors to exprefs a 

 kind of agate, ol a very remarkable brightnefs and tranf- 

 parence, which rcprefents the figures of flirubs, trees, moflfes, 

 &c. in the manner of the deiidrachates, acommon mocho-Jlnne. 

 This is, however, very different in the degree of tranfpa- 

 rencc and brightnefs. 



BOOMKIN. See Bumpkin. 



BOOMEAND, or I.aUmd bank, in Geography, is the 

 fecond bank from the fliorc, ending nearly againll Nieuport, 

 on the coaft of Flanders, betwixt that and Ollend. Be- 

 tween that and the firft bank, called the Crcer, a channel of 

 eii^ht or nine fathoms palfes through. 7'ill the banks bi - 

 gin off Ollend, bJing four, and what are called the Flemilh 

 banks. 



Y,OQ>UO^.OJle-Snndo, a fmall iiland near the coaft of 

 Norway, 12 miles W. of Swroy. 



BOOMUGGAR, a dillria of Africa, in the province of 

 Conllantina, which is very fertile, and bears feveral traces 

 of ancient buildings. 



BOON, in Ancient Geography, a port of Cappadocia on the 

 Euxine fea, between Cotyora and the promontory of Jafon, 

 according to Arrian — Alfo, a village of Ethiopia, near the 

 Nile, and on the well fide of it. Ptolemy. 



B0CN> 



