■■ 
sea 
BOA 
closed over it as to oblige the fangs to act. 
The bird, when disengaged, shewed imme- 
diately symptoms of poison; and after seve- 
ral ineffectual efforts to rise, rested with the 
beak on the ground, the head being seized 
with trembling. In the space of 20 minutes 
it lay down on one side, and convulsions 
soon supervening, it expired within 26 mi- 
nutes from the bite. 
BOAR. See Sus. 
BOARD, among seamen. To go abroad, 
signifies to go into the ship. To slip by 
the board, is to slip down by the ship’s side. 
Board and board, is when two ships come 
so near as to touch one another, or when 
they lie side by side. To make a board is 
to turn to windward ; and the longer your 
boards are, the more you work into the 
wind. To board it up, is to beat it up 
sometimes upon one tack, and sometimes 
upon another. She makes a good board, 
that is, the ship advances much at one tack. 
The weather board, is that side of the ship 
which is to windward. 
BOARDING a ship, is entering an ene- 
my's ship in a fight. In boarding a ship, 
it is best to bear up directly with him, and 
to cause all your ports to leeward to be 
beat open; then bring as many guns from 
your weather side, as yon have ports for ; 
and laying the enemy’s ship on board, loof 
for loof, order your tops and yards to be 
manned, and furnished with necessaries ; 
and let all your small shot be in readiness ; 
then charge at once, with both small and 
great, and at the same time, enter your 
men under cover of the smoke, either on 
the bow of your enemy’s ship, or bring your 
midship close up with her quarter, and so 
enter your men by the shrouds : or if you 
would use your ordnance, it is best to board 
your enemy’s ship athwart her hawse ; for, 
in that case, you may use most of your great 
guns, and she only those of her prow. Let 
some of your men eadeavour to cut down 
the enemy’s yards and tackle, whilst others 
clear the decks, and beat the enemy from 
aloft. Then let the scuttles and hatches 
be broke open with all possible speed to 
avoid trains, and the danger of being blown 
up by barrels of powder placed under tiie 
decks. 
Another method is described in Falco- 
ner’s Marine Dictionary, which is as fol- 
lows : the assailant having previously select- 
ed his men armed with pistols and cutlasses, 
A number of powder flasks, fitted with a 
fuzes, are provided, to be thrown upon the 
enemy’s deck immediately before the as- 
BOA 
sault. Besides this, the hoarder is gene- 
rally furnished with an earthen shell, called 
a stink-pot, which, on that occasion, is sus- 
pended from his yard-arms or bowsprit end. 
This machine is also charged with powder, 
mixed with other inflammable and suffo- 
cating materials, w ith a lighted fuze at the 
aperture. Thus prepared, and having grap- 
pled his adversary, the boarder displays his 
signal to begin the assault. The fuzes of 
the stink-pot and powder-flasks being light- 
ed, they are immediately thrown upon the 
deck of the enemy, where they burst and 
catch fire, producing an intolerable stench 
and smoke, and filling the deck with tu- 
mult and distraction. Amidst the confu- 
sion occasioned by this infernal apparatus, 
the detachment provided, rush aboard, 
sword in hand, under cover of the smoke, 
on their antagonist, who is in the same pre- 
dicament with a citadel stormed by be- 
siegers, and generally overpowered, unless 
he is furnished with extraordinary means of 
defence, or equipped with places of retreat, 
furnished with small arms, Ac. which may 
be fired at any time upon the boarders, and 
frequently with success. 
BOAT, is a small open vessel worked by 
oars or sails. The construction and names 
of boats are different, according to the 
purposes for which they are intended. The 
boats or wherries plying on the Thames 
about London are either scullers, wrought 
by a single person with oars ; or oars, 
wrought by two persons each with an oar. 
Boat, life, a boat invented by Mr. Henry 
Greathead, of South Shields, for the pur- 
pose of preserving the lives of shipwrecked 
persons. 
In the year 1802, the Society of Arts 
rewarded the inventor with their gold me- 
dal and fifty guineas for his invention. The 
length of the boat is 30 feet, and both ends 
are made exactly similar, so that she may 
be rowed in either direction; and she is 
steered by an oar at each end, in the place 
of a rudder. These oars are one third 
longer than the rowing oars, and afford a 
great power to set the boat straight to meet 
the waves in a proper manner ; she is ge- 
nerally rowed by ten oars, and will carry 
a great number af passengers, though she 
should bs full of water. This is owing to 
a considerable quantity of cork made fast 
to her gunwale, which at the same time 
renders her very buoyant, and guards her 
against being stowed by running foul of a 
ship’s side, &c. The particular construc- 
tion of this boat will be best understood 
am 
