DIFFERENT KINDS OF SHIPS. 77 



is to deaden the ship's course in an instant, and it is performed by bringing 

 one half of the sail to tlie wind, and bracing the others aback. Two 

 signal flags are flying at the fore topsail yard-arm in our figure. 



Cutters, another kind of vessel of war, have an entirely diflTerent build, 

 and are adapted to make their way through the water with the utmost 

 rapidity. They are rather long ; the stern is small, and sits deep in the 

 water ; the prow stands perpendicular, and has no head. A cutter at the 

 most is 100 feet long, 32 feet wide, and eighteen feet deep, of 180 to 360 

 tons burden, and carrying from 6 to 8 light guns, usually G- or 8-pounders ; 

 they have only one mast, very high and inclining towards the stern. In 

 small cutters the mast is of one piece ; in those of a larger size there is a 

 top-mast and cross-trees, but no top ; the bowsprit lies horizontally. A cutter 

 has a boom-sail, a top-sail, a top-gallant-sail, several stay-sails, and some- 

 times also a royal ; a studding-sail and a spanker may also be used. They 

 are employed as coast guards, and to carry orders. PL 11, jig. ^, shows an 

 EnfTlish war cutter close to the wind. The cutters in the merchant service 

 must carry other sails. A smaller kind of cutter carries from four to eight 

 light guns. 



Schooners are built like cutters, but have two masts. The fore-mast 

 carries a gaff-sail, and the main-mast a boom-sail of considerable height. 

 Both masts have stay-sails, and also top-gallant-sails. There are several 

 stay-sails on the bowsprit, and a fore-stay-sail on the fore-mast. As the 

 stay-sails have no effect when the vessel is directly before the wind, a 

 square fore-sail is then set, which in such cases is also used in sloops and 

 cutters. A schooner carries from four to eight light guns. A variety of 

 manoeuvres by these vessels is shown on pi. 29, jig. 1. 



A galliot is a medium between the brig and the schooner, which is now 

 in common use in the navy of some countries. Its sails are adapted to 

 take the greatest advantage of the wind, and this circumstance, as well as 

 the great simplicity of the rigging, makes it a favorite when light guns are 

 to be used, and when the burden is under four hundred toiKi. They gene- 

 rally carry from ten to twenty light guns, and are built in every variety of 

 fashion. The common galliot has a yard on the main-mast, and also on the 

 fore-mast. The brig-galliot has on the fore-mast the fore-yard, fore topsail 

 yard, and fore topgallant-sail yard like a brig, but its main-mast is galliot- 

 rigged. Both masts have boom-sails, and the fore-mast has two stay-sails. 

 PL 16, jig. 2, is a Dutch brig-galliot, drying sail. There is sometimes also 

 a royal {pi. 15, jig. 9). PL 14, jig. I, shows one galliot with only a yard at 

 the fore- mast. 



A lugger is a small vessel used for carrying orders and the like. It has 

 two masts with topmasts standing in iron rings. The four sails carried on 

 these masts are fastened to yards. The bowsprit can be extended at plea- 

 sure, and carry two or three stay-sails. A short mast stands on the stern, 

 serving also as a flagstaff, to which a spanker can be attached. Fig. 3 is 

 an English lugger giving signals. 



We must also here make mention o( galleys, although they properly belong 

 to the middle ages. They are still used to some extent in France, Spain, and 



729 



