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COLOMBIA. 



through the water, but must drift along like a 

 log : consequently, the rudder can then have no 

 effect in directing her course, and she is left en- 

 tirely at the mercy of the tide. The operation of 

 kedging mentioned above is a device to produce 

 a relative motion between the ship and the water, 

 in order, by that means, to bring the directing 

 power of the rudder into action. This is accom- 

 plished by allowing the anchor to trail along, in- 

 stead of its being lifted entirely off the ground, as 

 in the first supposition. It is known, as a nauti- 

 cal fact, that the degree of firmness with which 

 an anchor holds the ground depends, within cer- 

 tain limits, upon its remoteness from the ship. 

 When it is immediately under the bows, that is, 

 when the cable is vertical, the anchor has little or 

 no hold ; but when there is much cable out, it 

 fixes itself in the bottom, and cannot be dragged 

 out of its place. In the operation of kedging^ the 

 cable is hove, or drawn in^ till nearly in an up- 

 right position ; this immediately loosens the hold 

 of the anchor, which then begins to trail along 

 the ground, by the action of the tide pressing 

 against the ship. If the anchor ceases altogether 



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