44 N"AVAL SCIENCES. 



across the vessel. It consists of an octagonal axis, C, which, at the socket A, 

 is made round ; the heads are octagonal, and have holes for the handspikes ; 

 aft of the windlass is the post, G, on which also the ship's bell is hung, 

 bearing the tooth-work {fig. 12), with the pawls, aa, and the support, 6. 

 A tooth-work wheel, c {fig. 13), is attached to the windlass, C, in which 

 catch the pawls, aa {fig. 12). But if the windlass is to remain at rest, 

 it is secured by the large wheel {fig. 12), which is moved by the sup- 

 port, h. 



All the parts of the deck which are in the open air are surrounded on the 

 outside border by an inclosure, consisting principally of the bulwarks, 

 which are a continuation of the timbers lined with planks, and covered 

 with a plank on the top. The bulwarks are usually from three to four feet 

 high ; the almost semicircular part surrounding the bow, the arch of the 

 forecastle, is the highest. The railings are covered with thin boards, 

 which in some places are made to turn on hinges, especially at the part 

 of the deck on both sides of the bow and main hatchways ; in ships of 

 war, the gangways. In small merchant vessels there is no railing, and 

 a bar or small rope is used instead. The bulwarks in ships of war are 

 differently arranged, and higher throughout, at the quarter-deck being 

 from five to six feet high. The railing is made of double iron posts, 

 with holes at the upper end, through which a strong rope is drawn ; 

 from this rope a net-work of small cords is fastened to the bulwarks on 

 both sides, between which, during the daytime and when preparing for 

 battle, the hammocks of the crew are stowed and covered with tar- 

 paulin. 



The hawse-holes are round holes in the bow, near the stem, for the 

 cables ; they are lined with lead or copper, so that the water cannot pene- 

 trate to the timbers of the ship {pi. 12, fig. 3, L). Behind the hawse-holes 

 is a trough in which the water dropping from the cable is collected, and 

 passed off through the scuppers. 



The port-holes are embrasures in the sides of a vessel through which the 

 cannon are pointed ; they are surrounded by a frame of strong posts, 

 consisting of upper, lower, and side supporters, and are closed with shutters, 

 called port-lids, hung on hinges, and drawn up by a rope inside. 



Besides the parts of the ship now described, there are others arranged at 

 the same time ; for example, the cat-heads, being two beams, with light 

 carved work, which project over the bow on the right and left of the fore- 

 castle ; the outer part has metallic disks on the forward end ; the inner goes 

 down to a deck beam, to which it is bolted. They are used, after the 

 anchor has been heaved up above the water by the windlass, to suspend it 

 clear of the ship and ready to be dropped. 



The arrangements for belaying the running rigging are of different kinds. 

 There are belay in g-pins, cross-pieces, cleats, and others. Belaying-pins 

 are iron or wooden pins, placed in the rail at the mast or at the side. 

 Cross-pieces are distributed along the bulwarks, consisting of two vertical 

 and two horizontal pieces ; the upper ends of the head-pieces are sometimes 

 at a distance from the rail, and spread apart from each other, so that the 

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