A Sea Grammar,
WITH
THE PLAINE EXPOSITION
of SMITHS Accidence for young
Sea-men, enlarged.

Diuided into fifteene Chapters: what they are you
may partly conceiue by the Contents.

Written by Captaine IOHN SMITH, sometimes
Gouernour of VIRGINIA, and Admirall of
NEW-ENGLAND.

LONDON,
Printed by IOHN HAVILAND,
1627.








TO ALL 
THE RIGHT 
HONOVRABLE, AND 
most generous Lords in England, 
especially those of his Majesties Priuy 
Councell, and Councell of Warre.
 

Great LORDS, 
IUlius Cæsar wrote his 
owne Commentaries, 
holding it no lesse 
honour to write, than 
fight; much hath bin 
writ concerning the 
art of war by land, yet 
nothing concerning 
the same at Sea. Many others might better 
than my selfe haue done this, but since I 
found none endeuourd it, I haue aduentured, 
encouraged by the good entertainment of 



my late printed Accidence. This I suppose 
will be much bettered by men in these things 
better experienced, others ignorance may 
fault it: I haue beene a miserable Practitioner 
in this Schoole of Warre by Sea and Land 
more than thirty yeeres, howeuer chance or 
occasion haue kept me from your Lordships 
knowledge or imployment. Yet I humbly 
entreat your Lordships to accept and patro­
nize this little Pamphlet, as the best testimony 
I can present your Honours, of my true duty 
to my King and Country. Thus humbly 
crauing your Honours pardons, and favou­
rable construction of my good intent, I re­
maine

Your Honours in all duty 
to be commanded, 

IOHN SMITH. 


 

 
TO THE READER
AND ALL WORTHY AD­
uenturers by Sea, and well wishers to 
Navigation.


Honest Readers,
IF my desire to doe good hath trans­
ported mee beyond my selfe, I 
intreat you excuse me, and take 
for requitall this rude bundle of 
many ages observations; al­
though they be not so punctually compiled as I 
could wish, and it may bee you expect; At this 
present I cannot much amend them; if any will 
bestow that paines, I shall thinke him my friend, 
and honour his endeuours. In the interim ac­
cept them as they are, and ponders errours in the 
balance of good will,

Your friend,

IOHN SMITH.




TO HIS WELL DESER­
uing friend Captaine IOHN
SMITH. 

 
REader within this little worke thou hast 
The view of things present, to come, and past, 
Of consequence and benefit to such 
As know but little, thinking they know much; 
And in thy quiet chamber safely read, 
Th' experience of the liuing and the dead, 
Who with great paine and perill oft haue tride 
When they on angry Neptunes backe did ride. 
He hauing with his Trident strucke the maine, 
To hoise them vp and throw them downe againe. 
Deare friend Ile cease and leave it to thy Booke. 
To praise thy labour. Reader ouer-looke. 
 
Edw. Ingham. 


To the much deseruing Captaine, 
Iohn Smith. 


I Hate to flatter thee, but in my heart 
I honour thy faire worth and high desert; 
And thus much I must say, thy merits claime 
Much praise and honor, both from Truth and Fame. 
What Iudge so e're thy Actions ouer-looke, 
Thou need'st not feare a triall by thy Booke. 
 
Geor. Bucke


 

TO HIS WORTHILY-­ 
deseruing friend Captaine 
IOHN SMITH.


THe Lighter Hippias of Troy disclos'd, 
Germans in India Cannowes now in trade, 
The Barge by grave Amocles was compos'd, 
The Argozees first the Illyrians made, 
	The Galley Iason built that Gracian sparke, 
	The Cyprians first did crosse the Seas with Barke. 

The Keele by the Phænicians first was nam'd, 
The Tyrrhens first made anchors, Plateans oares; 
The Rhodians for the Brigandine are fam'd, 
Cyrenians found the Craer, and Creet adores 
	Dædalus for Masts, and Saile-yards; Typhis wise 
	(With triple honour) did the sterne deuise. 

The Tackle famous Anacharsis wrought, 
Noble Pyseus did the Stem first frame, 
To light the Copians first the Rudder brought, 
Toung Icarus for Sailes acquir'd great fame, 
	Thou, with the best of these mai'st glory share, 
	That hast deuis'd, compil'd a worke so rare. 

For what long trauels observations true 
On Seas,( where waues doe seeme to wash the skies) 
Have made thee know, thou (willing) do'st vnscrew 
To those that want like knowledge; each man cries 
	Live worthy Smith; England for this endeuour 
	Will (if not stupid) give thee thanks for euer. 
 
Nicolas Burley. 



 
In Laudem Nobilissimi viri 
Iohannis Smith.
 
 
MOney, the worlds soule, that both formes and fames her, 
Is her bad Genius to, it damnes, and shames her. 
If merit and desert were truly weighed 
	In iustice Scales, not all by money swey'd; 
Smith should not want reward, with many moe, 
	Whom sad oblivion now doth ouer-flow. 
For now no good things gotten without money, 
	Except tis got, as Beares from thornes licke honey, 
With danger to themselues. For poore mens words 
	Are wind, and aire: Great mens are pickes, and swords. 
Greatnesse more safe may act lust, theft, or treason, 
	Than poore Iohn Smith or I may steale two peason, 
Or drinke a harmelesse cup, to chase away 
	Sad cares and griefes that haunt vs euery day. 
Who saw thy Virgin limbd by thee so truly, 
	Would sweare thou hadst beene one that sawest her newly, 
One of her latest louers. But to tell 
	The truth, I thinke they know her not so well. 
And this Sea Grammar learn'd long since by thee, 
	Thou now hast form'd so artificiallie, 
That many a beardlesse boy, and Artlesse foole, 
	Preferr'd before thee, may come to thy schoole. 
 
John Hagthorpe.
 



TO HIS FRIEND 
Captaine Smith, on his 
Grammar.
 
 
MUch traueld Captaine, I haue heard thy worth 
By Indians, in America set forth: 
Mee silence best seemes to keepe, and then 
Thy better praise be sung by better men, 
Who feele thy vertues worthinesse: Who can 
Deriue thy words, is more Grammarian, 
Than Camden, Clenard, Ramus, Lilly were; 
Here's language would haue non-plust Scaliger. 
These and thy trauels may in time be seene 
By those which stand at Helme, and prime ones beene. 
 
Edw. Iorden. 


IN AUTHOREM.


EAch Science termes of Art hath wherewithall 
To expresse themselues, calld Technologicall. 
Logicke doth teach what Pradicables bee, 
Genus and Species, * with the other three. 
Philosophie, purblind in the first Creation, 
Talks of first Matters forme, and void Priuation. 
Geographie teaches how for to define 
Tropicks, Meridians, and the Equators line. 
So words of Art belong to Navigation 
And ships, which here from thee receiue translation; 
That now th' vntraueld land-man may with ease 
Here know the language both of ships and Seas. 
I haue no Art of words due praise to impart 
To thee that thus expound'st these words of Art. 
 
W. S.

Technologicall, a
Greeke word
compounded of
two Greeke 
words, Πχνίι-λο­
ϒός, signifies
words of Art.

Pr. 5. {Genus.
{ Species.
{*differentia
{ Propriam.
{ Accidens.
 




IN AUTHOREM.

 
THou which in Sea-learning would'st Clerk commence, 
First learne to reade, and after reade to learne, 
For words to sound, and not to know their sense, 
Is for to saile a ship without a Sterne. 
By this Sea Grammar thou mayst distinguish 
And vnderstand the Lattine by the English. 

Here mayst thou learne the names of all ships geere, 
And with their names, their natures, and their vse; 
To hoise the Sailes, and at the Helme to steere; 
To know each Shroud, each Rope, each Knot, each Noose, 
And by their names to call them euery one, 
'Tis such a Booke as may be call'd Such none. 

And yet a Smith thereof the Authour is, 
And from his Forge alone we haue the same, 
Who, for his skill in such a worke as this, 
Doth farre excell all others of his name:
He's neither Lock-Smith, Gold-Smith, nor Black-Smith, 
But (to give him his right name) he's Iack-Smith. 
 
S. S.

 

 


The Contents.

 
CHAP. I.
OF Dockes and their definitions, and what belongs to 
them.
 
CHAP. II. 
How to build a Ship, with the definition of all the principall 
names of euery part of her, and her principall timbers, also 
how they are fixed one to another, and the reasons of their 
vse. 
 
CHAP. III. 
How to proportion the Masts and Yards for a Ship, by her 
Beame and Keele. 
 
CHAP. IIII. 
The names of all the Masts, Tops, and Yards belonging to a 
Ship. 
 
CHAP. V. 
How all the Tackling and Rigging of a Ship is made fast one to 
another, with the names and reasons of their vse. 
 
CHAP. VI. 
What doth belong to the Boats and Skiffe, with the definition of 
all those thirteen Ropes which are only properly called Ropes 
belonging to a Ship or a Boat, and their vse. 
 
CHAP. VII. 
The names of all sorts of Anchors, Cables, and Sailes, and how 
they beare their proportions, with their vse. Also how the 
Ordnance should be placed, and the goods stowed in a Ship. 
 
CHAP. VIII. 
The charge and duty of the Captaine of a Ship, and euery office 
and officer in a man of warre. 
 
CHAP. IX. 
Proper Sea tearmes for diuiding the Company at Sea, and


 
stearing, sayling, and moring a Ship in faire weather or in a 
storme. 
 
CHAP. X. 
Proper Sea tearmes for the Winds, Ebbes, Flouds, and Eddies, 
with their definitions, and an estimate of the depth of the 
Sea, by the height of the Hils & largenesse of the Earth. 
 
CHAP. XI. 
Proper Sea tearmes belonging to the good or bad condition of 
Ships, how to find them and amend them. 
 
CHAP. XII. 
Considerations for a Sea Captaine in the choise of his Ship, and 
in placing his Ordnance. In giuing Chase, Boarding, and 
entring a man of war like himself, or a defending Merchant 
man. 
 
CHAP. XIII.
How to manage a fight at Sea, with the proper tearmes in a 
fight largely expressed, and the ordering a Nauy at Sea. 
 
CHAP. XIV. 
The names of all sorts of great Ordnance, and their appurtenan­
ces, with their proper tearmes and expositions, also diuers 
observations concerning their shooting, with a Table of pro­
portion for their weight of metall, weight of powder, weight 
of shot, and there best at randome and point blanke inlar­
ged. 
 
CHAP. XV. 
How they diuide their shares in a man of Warre; what Bookes 
and Instruments are fit for a Sea man, with diuers adver­
tisements for young Gentlemen that intend to follow the Sea, 
and the vse of the petty Tally. 
 
The Expositions of all the most difficult words seldome 
used but amongst sea men: where you finde the 
word in the Margent in that breake against it: you shall find 
the exposition so plainly and briefly, that any willing capa­
city may easily vnderstand them.






A SEA GRAMMAR. 
 
CHAP. I. 
Of Dockes. and their definitions. 



A dry Docke. 
A Docke is a great pit or pond, 
or creeke by a harbour side, 
made conuenient to worke in, 
with two great floud-gates 
built so strong and close, that 
the Docke may be dry till the 
ship be built or repaired, and 
then being opened, let in the 
water to float and lanch her, 
and this is called a dry 
Docke.

A wet Docke.  
A wet Docke is any 
place, where you may hale in a ship into the oze out of the 
tides way, where shee may docke her selfe.
 
A Cradle.  
A cradel is a 
frame of timber, made along a ship, or the side of a gally 
by her billidge, for the more ease and safty in lanching, much 
vsed in Turkie, Spaine, and Italy.

The stockes.  
And the stockes are 
certaine framed posts, much of the same nature vpon the 
shore to build a Pinnace, a Catch, a Frigot, or Boat, &c. To 
those Dockes for building belongs their wood-yards, with 
saw-pits, and all sorts of timber; but the masts and yards are


 
chained together in some great water to keepe them from 
rotting, and in season;

A Crab.  
Also a crab is necessary, which is an 
engine of wood of three clawes, placed on the ground in 
the nature of a Capsterne, for the lanching of ships, or hea­
uing them into the Docke.



CHAP. II.
 
How to build a ship with the definitions of all the 
principall names of euery part of her prin­
cipall timbers, also how they are fixed one 
to another, and the reasons of their vse. 



The Keele.  
THe first and lowest timber in a ship is the 
keele, to which is fastened all the rest; this is 
a great tree or more, hewen to the propor­
tion of her burden, laid by a right line in the 
bottome of the docke, or stockes.

The Stem.  
At the 
one end is skarfed into it, the Stem, which is 
a great timber wrought compassing, and all the butt-ends of 
the planks forwards are fixed to it.

The Sterne.  
The Sterne post is ano­
ther great timber, which is let into the keele at the other end 
somewhat sloping, 

The fashion pee­
ces.  
& from it doth rise the two fashion pee­
ces, like a paire of great hornes, to those are fastened all the 
plankes that reach to the after end of the ship, 

The Rungs.  
but before 
you vse any plankes, they lay the Rungs, called floore tim­
bers, or ground timbers, thwart the keele; 

The Limberholes  
thorow those you 
cut your Limberholes to bring the water to the well for the 
pumpe, the vse of them is when the ship is built to draw in 
them a long haire rope, by pulling it from sterne to stem, to 
scowre them, and keepe them cleane from choaking.

The Floore.  
Those ground timbers doe giue the floore of the ship, 
being straight, 
 
Rungheads.  
sauing at the ends they begin to compasse, 
and there they are called the Rungheads, 

Sweepe. Mould.  
and doth direct



the Sweepe or Mould of the Foot-hookes and Nauell tim­
bers, 

Skarfing.  
for there doth begin the compasse and bearing of the 
ship, those are skarfed into the ground timbers, which is 
one peece of wood let into another, or so much wood cut 
away from the one as from the other, for when any of those 
timbers are not long enough of themselues, they are skar­
fed in this manner, to make two or three as one: 

Foot-hookes.  
those 
next the keele are called the ground Foot-hookes, the 
other the vpper Foot-hookes; 

Keeleson.  
but first lay your keele­
son ouer your floore timbers, which is another long tree 
like the keele, and this lying within as the other without, 
must be fast bound together with strong iron bolts thorow 
the timbers and all, 

Howle.  
and on those are all the vpper workes 
raised, when the Foot-hookes are skarfed, as is said, and 
well bolted, when they are planked vp to the Orlop they 
make the ships Howle, 

Ribs.  
and those timbers in generall are 
called the ships ribs, because they represent the carkasse of 
any thing hath ribs.

Sleepers.  
The sleepers run before and after on 
each side the keeleson, on the floore well bolted to the 
Foot-hookes, which being thus bound doe strengthen each 
other.

Spurkits.  
The Spurkits are the spaces betwixt the timbers a­
mongst the ship side in all parts, but them in Howle below 
the Sleepers, are broad boords, which they take vp 
to cleare the Spurkits, if any thing get betwixt the tim­
bers.

The Garbord.  
The Garbord is the first planke next the keele on the out­
side, 

Garbord strake.  
the Garbord strake is the first seame next the keele, 

Rising timbers.  
your rising timbers are the hookes, or ground timbers and 
foot-hookes placed on the keele, 

The Run.  
and as they rise by little 
and little, so doth the run of the ship from the floore, which 
is that part of the ship vnder water which comes narrower 
by degrees from the floore timbers along to the sterne post, 
called the ships way aftward, for according to her run she 
will steare well or ill, by reason of the quicknesse or slow­
nesse of the water comming to the rudder:

Plankes.  
now all those 
plankes vnder water, as they rise and are ioyned one end 
to another, 

Butt-ends.  
the fore end is called the Butt-end in all ships, 



but in great ships they are commonly most carefully bolted, 
for if one of those ends should spring, or giue way it would 
be a great troublesome danger to stop such a leake, 

Treenailes.  
the other 
parts of those plankes are made fast with good Treenailes 

Trunnions.  
and Trunnions of well seasoned timber, thorow the timbers 
or ribs, 

Whoodings.  
but those plankes that are fastened into the ships 
stem are called whoodings.

The Tucke.  
The gathering of those workes vpon the ships quarter 
vnder water is called the Tucke, if it lie too low it makes her 
haue a fat quarter, and hinders the quicke passage of the 
water to the rudder; if too high she must be laid out in that 
part, else she will want bearing for her after workes.

Transome.  
The 
Transome is a timber lies thwart the sterne, betwixt the two 
fashion peeces, 

Buttocks.  
and doth lay out the breadth of the ship at 
the buttockes, which is her breadth from the Tucke vp­
wards, and according there to her breadth or narrow­
nesse, we say she hath a narrow or broad buttocke, the fa­
shion peeces, before spoke of, are the two outmost timbers, 
on either side the sterne, excepting the counters.

Rake.  
The ships 
Rake is so much of her hull as hangs ouer both ends of the 
keele, so much as is forward is said, she rakes so much for­
ward, and so in like manner aftward: 

The Hull. The first.
Second.
Third Anchor. 
Then there is the first, second, 
and third Anchor, yet all such as a Ship in faire weather 
may ride by, and are called Bow Anchors.

Sheat Anchor. 
The greatest is 
the sheat Anchor, and neuer vsed but in great necessity. 
They are commonly made according to the burthen of the 
Ship by proportion, for that the sheat Anchor of a small 
ship will not serue for a Kedger to a great ship.

An Anchors
shanke.
Flook.
Shoulder.
Beame or Nut.
Eye.
Ring.
Stocke. 
Also it bea­
reth a proportion in it selfe, as the one flooke, which is 
that doth sticke in the ground, is but the third part of the 
shanke in length; at the head of the Shanke there is a hole 
called an Eye, and in it a Ring, wherein is the Nut to which 
there is fast fixed a Stocke of wood crossing the Flookes, and 
the length is taken from the length of the Shanke. These



differ not in shape but in waight, from two hundred, to three 
or foure thousand waight. Grapells, or Graplings, are the 
least of all, and haue foure flookes but no stock; for a boat 
to ride by, or to throw into a ship in a fight, to pull downe 
the gratings or hold fast.

A Cable, the
first, second, and
third. 
The Cables also carry a proportion to the Anchors, but 
if it be not three stroud, it is accounted but a Hawser,

Sheat Anchor
Cable. 
yet a 
great ships Hawser may be a Cable to the sheat Anchor for a 
small ship: and there is the first, second, and third Cable, 
besides the Sheat Anchor Cable. If the Cable bee well 
made, we say it is well laid.

Keckell. 
To keckell or sarue the Cable, 
as is said, is but to bind some old clouts to keepe it from 
galling in the Hawse or Ring.

Splice.
A shot of Cable. 
Splice a Cable, is to fasten 
two ends together, that it may be double in length, to make 
the Ship ride with more ease, and is called a shot of Cable.

Quoile.
A Fake. 
Quoile a Cable, is to lay it vp in a round Ring, or fake one 
aboue another.

Pay. 
Pay more Cable, is when you carry an 
Anchor out in the boat to turne ouer.

Pay cheape. 
Pay cheap, is when 
you ouer set it, or turnes it ouer boord faster. Veere more 
Cable, is when you ride at Anchor.

"ouer set" in the sense of "to let out cable" is not found in the OED.



End for end. 
And end for end is 
when the Cable runneth cleere out of the Hawse, or any 
Rope out of his shiuer.

A Bight. 
A Bight is to hold by any part of 
a coile, that is, the vpmost fake.

A Bitter. 
A Bitter is but the turne 
of a Cable about the Bits, and veare it out by little and little.

A Bitters end. 
And the Bitters end is that part of the Cable doth stay 
within boord.

Gert. 
Gert, is when the Cable is so taught that vp­
on the turning of a tide, a Ship cannot goe ouer it.

To bend. 
To bend the Cable to the Anchor, is to make it fast to 
the Ring;

Vnbend. 
vnbend the Cable, is but to take it away, which 
we vsually doe when we are at Sea,

Bending. 
and to tie two ropes or 
Cables together is called bending.

Hitch. 
Hitch, is to catch hold 
of any thing with a rope to hold it fast, or with a hooke, as 
hitch the fish-hooke to the Anchors flooke, or the Tackles 
into the Garnets of the Slings.

Fenders.
Iunkes. 
Fenders are peeces of old 
Hawsers called Iunkes hung ouer the ship sides to keepe 
them from brusing. In boats they vse poles or boat­
hooks to fend off the boat from brusing.

Brestfast, 
A Brest-fast is a



rope which is fastened to some part of the Ship forward on, 
to hold her head to a wharfe or any thing,

Sternfast. 
and a Sterne-fast 
is the same in the Sterne. The vse for the Hawser is to warp 
the Ship by, which is laying out an Anchor, and winde her 
vp to it by a Capsterne.

Rousing. 
Rousing is but pulling the slack­
nesse of any Cables with mens hands into the Ship.

Shank-panter. 
The 
Shank-painter is a short chaine fastend vnder the fore masts 
shrouds with a bolt to the ships sides, and at the other end 
a rope to make fast the Anchor to the Bow.

Stop. 
To stop is 
when you come to an Anchor, and veares out your Cable, 
but by degrees till the Ship ride well, then they say stop the 
Ship.

Boyes. 
To those Cables and Anchors belongs short peeces 
of wood called Boyes, or close hooped barrels like Tan­
kards as is said, but much shorter, to shew you the Anchor 
and helpe to waigh it,

Can Boyes. 
there is another sort of Cans called 
Can Boyes much greater, mored vpon shoules to giue Mar­
riners warning of the dangers.

Sailes.
Maine Saile.
Fore Saile.
Maine course.
Fore course. 
The maine saile and the fore saile is called the fore course, 
and the maine course or a paire of courses.

Bonits.
Drablers. 
Bonits and Dra­
blers are commonly one third part a peece to the saile they 
belong vnto in depth, but their proportion is vncertaine; 
for some will make the maine saile so deepe, that with a 
shallow bonet they will cloath all the Mast without a Dra­
bler, but without bonets we call them but courses; we say, 
lash on the bonets to the course, because it is made fast with 
Latchets into the eylot holes of the saile, as the Drabler is to 
it, and vsed as the wind permits.

Maine top Saile.
Fore top Saile.
Top gallant
Sailes.
Studding Sailes. 
There is also your maine 
top-saile, and fore top-saile, with their top-gallant sailes, 
and in a faire gaile your studding sailes, which are bolts of 
Canuasse, or any cloth that will hold wind, wee extend 
alongst the side of the maine saile, and boomes it out with a 
boome or long pole, which we vse also sometimes to the 
clew of the maine saile, fore saile, and spret saile, when you 
goe before the wind or quartering, else not.

Misen.
Misen top Saile.
Spret saile.
Spretsaile top.
Saile. 
Your Miszen, 
and Miszen top-saile, your Spret and Spret top-saile, as the 
rest, take all their names of their yards.

For an explanation of "Spretsaile top.Saile", see OED "jackstaff," n. 1" (1890).



Drift Saile. 
A Drift saile is 
onely vsed vnder water, veered out right a head by sheats,



to keepe the Ships head right vpon the Sea in a storme, or 
when a ship driues too fast in a current.

Netting Saile.
Nettings. 
A Netting saile is 
onely a saile laid ouer the Netting, which is small ropes 
from the top of the fore castle to the Poope, stretched vpon 
the ledges from

Waist-trees.
Rouse-trees. 
Stantions.
Gratings. 
the Waist-trees to the Rouse-trees, which 
are onely small Timbers to beare vp the Gratings from the 
halfe Decke to the fore-castle, supported by Stantions that 
rest vpon the halfe Decke; and this Netting or Grating, 
which is but the like made of wood, you may set vp or take 
downe when you please, and is called the close fights fore 
and aft.

Head Sailes. 
Now the vse of those sailes is thus, all head Sailes 
which are those belonging to the fore Mast and Boltspret, 
doe keepe the Ship from the wind or to fall off.

After Sailes. 
All after 
sailes, that is, all the sailes belonging to the maine Mast 
and Miszen keepes her to wind ward, therefore few ships 
will steare vpon quarter winds with one saile, but must 
haue one after saile, and one head saile. The sailes are cut 
in proportion as the Masts and Yards are in bredth and 
length, but the Spret-saile is 3/4 parts the depth of the fore 
saile, and the Miszen by the Leech twise so deepe as the Mast 
is long from the Decke to the Hounds.

Leech. 
The Leech of a 
saile is the outward side or skirt of the saile from the earing 
to the clew, the middle betwixt which wee account the 
Leech.

The Clew. 
The Clew is the lower corner of a Saile, to which 
you make fast your Sheats and Tacks, or that which comes 
goring out from the square of the saile, for a square saile 
hath no Clew,

Goring. 
but the maine saile must bee cut goring, be­
cause the Tacks will come closer aboord, and so cause the 
saile to hold more wind; now when the Saile is large and 
hath a good Clew, we say she spreds a large Clew, or spreds 
much Canuas.

A Monke seame.
A Round seame. 
In making those sailes they vse two sorts of 
seames downe the Sailes, which doth sow the bredth of 
the Canuas together, the one we call a Munke seame, which 
is flat, the other a round seame, which is so called because it 
is round.

"Monke seame" antedates the earliest OED citation (1644).



The Ship being thus prouided, there wants yet her 
Ordnances, which should be in greatnesse according to her



building in strength and burthen, but the greatest com­
monly lieth lowest, which we call the lower tier, if she bee 
furnished fore and aft.

A Tier.
Third.
Second.
Halfe a Tier. 
Likewise the second Tier, and the 
third, which are the smallest. The fore-Castle and the 
halfe Decke being also furnished, wee account halfe a 
Tier.

Stowage.
To Stow. 
Stowage or to stow, is to put the goods in Howle in 
order.

Ballast. 
The most ponderous next the Ballast, which is next 
the Keelson to keepe her stiffe in the Sea. Balast is either 
Grauell, Stones, or Lead, but that which is driest, heauiest, 
and lies closest is best.

Trench the Bal­
last. 
To finde a leake, they trench the 
Ballast, that is, to diuide it.

Shout. 
The Ballast wil sometimes shoot, 
that is, run from one side to another, and so will Corne and 
Salt, if you make not Pouches or Bulk-heads, which when 
the Ship doth heeld is very dangerous to ouerset or turne 
the Keele vpwards. For Caske that is so stowed, tier aboue 
tier with Ballast,

Canting Coines. 
and canting Coines, which are little short 
peeces of wood or Billets cut with a sharpe ridge or edge to 
lye betwixt the Caske;

Standing Coines. 
and standing Coines are Billets or 
Pipe-staues, to make them they cannot giue way nor stirre.

To beare. 
The ship will beare much, that is, carry much Ordnance 
or goods, or beare much saile; and when you let any thing 
downe into the Howle, lowering it by degrees, they say, 
Amaine; and being downe, Strike.





CHAP. VIII.
 
The charge and duty of the Captaine of a ship, and 
euery Office and Officer in a man of 
Warre. 
 


The Captaines
charge. 
THe Captaines charge is to command 
all, and tell the Master to what Port 
hee will goe, or to what Height; In a 
fight he is to giue direction for the 
managing thereof, and the Master is 
to see the cunning of the ship, and 
trimming of the sailes.

The Master and
his Mates. 
The Master and his Mates are to di­
rect the course, command all the Sailers, for steering, trim­
ming, and sailing the ship; his Mates are only his seconds, 
allowed sometimes for the two mid ships men, that ought 
to take charge of the first prise.

The Pilot. 
The Pilot when they make land doth take the charge of 
the ship till he bring her to harbour.

The Chirurgion
and his Mate. 
The Chirurgion is to be exempted from all duty, but to 
attend the sicke, and cure the wounded: and good care 
would be had he haue a certificate from Barber Chirurgions 
Hall of his sufficiency, and also that his chest be well fur­
nished both for Physicke and Chirurgery, and so neare as 
may be proper for that clime you goe for, which neglect 
hath beene the losse of many a mans life.

The Cape-mer­
chant or Purser. 
The Cape-merchant or Purser hath the charge of all the 
Carragasoune or merchandize, and doth keepe an account 
of all that is receiued, or deliuered, but a man of Warre 
hath onely a Purser.

The Gunner
with his Mate,
and quarter
Gunners. 
The Master Gunner hath the charge of the ordnance, 
and shot, powder, match, ladles, spurges, wormes, car­



trages, armes and fire-workes; and the rest of the Gunners, 
or quarter Gunners to receiue their charge from him accor­
ding to directions, and to giue an account of their store.

The Carpenter 
and his Mate. 
The Carpenter and his Mate, is to haue the nailes, clin­
ches, rooue and clinch nailes, spikes, plates, rudder irons, 
pumpe nailes, skupper nailes and leather, sawes, files, hat­
chets and such like, and euer ready for calking, breaming, 
stopping leakes, fishing, or splicing the masts or yards as 
occasion requireth, and to giue an account of his store.

The Boatswaine
and his Mate. 
The Boatswaine is to haue the charge of all the cordage, 
tackling, sailes, fids and marling spikes, needles, twine, 
saile-cloth, and rigging the ship, his Mate the command 
of the long boat, for the setting forth of anchors, weigh­
ing or fetching home an anchor, warping, towing, or mo­
ring, and to giue an account of his store.

The Trumpeter. 
The Trumpeter is alwayes to attend the Captaines com­
mand, and to sound either at his going a shore, or com­
ming aboord, at the entertainment of strangers, also when 
you hale a ship, when you charge, boord, or enter; and the 
poope is his place to stand or sit vpon, if there bee a noise, 
they are to attend him, if there be not, euery one hee doth 
teach to beare a part, the Captaine is to incourage him, by 
increasing his shares, or pay, and giue the master Trumpe­
ter a reward.

The Marshall. 
The Marshall is to punish offenders, and to see iustice ex­
ecuted according to directions; as ducking at the yards 
arme, haling vnder the keele, bound to the capsterne, or 
maine mast with a basket of shot about his necke, setting 
in the bilbowes, and to pay the Cobtie or the Morioune; 
but the boyes the Boatswaine is to see euery Munday at the 
chest, to say their compasse, and receiue their punishment 
for all their weekes offenses, which done, they are to haue 
a quarter can of beere, and a basket of bread, but if the 
Boatswaine eat or drinke before hee catch them, they are 
free.

The Corporall. 
The Corporall is to see the setting and releeuing the 
watch, and see all the souldiers and sailers keepe their armes



cleane, neat, and yare and teach them their vse.

The Steward &
his Mate. 
The Steward is to deliuer out the victuals according to 
the Captaines directions, and messe them foure, five, or six, 
as there is occasion.

The quarter
Masters. 
The quarter Masters haue the charge of the howle, for 
stowing, romaging, and trimming the ship in the hold, 
and of their squadrons for the watch, and for fishing to 
haue a Sayne, a fisgig, a harpin yron, and fish hookes, for 
Porgos, Bonetos, Dolphins, or Dorados, and rayling lines 
for Mackrels.

The Cooper and
his Mate. 
The Cooper is to looke to the caske, hoopes and twigs, 
to staue or repaire the buckets, baricos, cans, steepe tubs, 
runlets, hogsheads, pipes, buts, &c. for wine, beare, sider, 
beuerage, fresh water, or any liquor.

The Coxswaine
and his Mate. 
The Coxswaine is to haue a choise Gang to attend the 
skiffe to goe to and againe as occasion commandeth.

The Cooke and
his Mate. 
The Cooke is to dresse and deliuer out the victuall, hee 
hath his store of quarter cans, small cans, platters, spoones, 
lanthornes, &c. and is to giue his account of the remain­
der.

The Swabber. 
The Swabber is to wash and keepe cleane the ship and 
maps.

The Lyar. 
The Liar is to hold his place but for a weeke, and hee 
that is first taken with a lie, euery Munday is so proclaimed 
at the maine mast by a generall cry, a Liar, a Liar, a Liar, 
hee is vnder the Swabber, and onely to keepe cleane the 
beake head, and chaines.

The Sailers. 
The Sailers are the ancient men for hoising the sailes, get­
ting the tacks aboard, haling the bowlings, and stearing 
the ship.

The Younkers. 
The Younkers are the young men called fore-mast 
men, to take in the top-sailes, or top and yard, for furling 
the sailes, or slinging the yards, bousing or trising, and 
take their turnes at helme.

The Lieutenant
his place. 
The Lieutenant is to associate the Captaine, and in his 
absence to execute his place, hee is to see the Marshall and 
Corporall doe their duties, and assist them in instructing



the souldiers, and in a fight the fore-castle is his place to 
make good, as the Captaine doth the halfe decke, and the 
quarter Masters, or Masters Mate the mid ships, and in a 
States man of Warre, he is allowed as necessary as a Lieute­
nant on shore.

 

CHAP. IX. 
 
Proper Sea tearmes for diuiding the company at 
Sea, and stearing, sayling, or moring a 
Ship in faire weather, or in a storme. 



Steep Tubs. 
IT is to bee supposed by this the Ship is 
victualled and manned, the voiage de­
termined, the steepe Tubs in the chains 
to shift their Beefe, Porke, or Fish in salt 
water, till the salt be out though not the 
saltnesse, and all things else ready to set 
saile; but before wee goe any further, 
for the better vnderstanding the rest, a few words for stear­
ing and cunning the Ship would not bee amisse.

Starboord.
Larboord.
Cunning.
Stearing.
Mid-ships.
Port. 
Then 
know, Star-boord is the right hand, Lar-boord the left; 
Starboord the Helme, is to put the Helme a Starboord, 
then the ship will goe to the Larboord. Right your Helme, 
that is, to keepe it in the mid ships, or right vp. Port, that 
is, to put the Helme to Larboord, and the Ship will goe to 
the Starboord, for the Ship will euer goe contrary to the 
Helme.

A loofe.
Keep your loofe. 
Now by a quarter wind, they will say aloofe, or 
keepe your loofe, keepe her to it, haue a care of your 
Lee-latch.

"Lee-latch" antedates the earliest OED citation (1721).



War no more. 
Touch the wind, and warre no more, is no 
more but to bid him at the Helme to keepe her so neere 
the wind as may be;

No neare.
Ease. 
no Neere, ease the Helme, or beare 
Vp, is to let her fall to Lee-ward.

Steady. 
Steady, that is, to keepe



her right vpon that point you steare by;

Yare. 
be yare at the 
Helme, or a fresh man to the Helme. But he that keepes the 
Ship most from yawing doth commonly vse the lest moti­
on with the Helme, and those steare the best.

Geare. 
The Master and company being aboord, he commands 
them to get the sailes to the yards, and about your geare or 
worke on all hands, stretch forward your maine Halliards, 
hoise your Sailes halfe mast high.

"about your geare" is not included in the OED's list of expressions associated with "gear(n)" in the the sense of "ready for work."



Predy. 
Predy, or make ready to 
set saile, crosse your yards, bring your Cable to the Cap­
sterne, Boatswaine fetch an Anchor aboord, breake ground 
or weigh Anchor. Heaue a head, men into the Tops, men 
vpon the yards;

A Pike. 
come, is the Anchor a pike, that is, to heaue the 
Hawse of the ship right ouer the Anchor, what is the 
Anchor away? Yea, yea. Let fall your fore-saile.

Tally. 
Tally, that 
is, hale off the Sheats; who is at the Helme there, coile your 
Cables in small fakes, hale the Cat, a Bitter, belay, loose fast 
your Anchor with your shank-painter, stow the Boat, set the 
land, how it beares by the Compasse that we may the better 
know thereby to keep our account and direct our course, let 
fall your maine saile, euery man say his private prayer for a 
boone voyage, out with your spret saile, on with your bonits 
& Drablers, steare steady & keep your course, so, you go wel.

"set the land" antedates the earliest OED citation (1669).



How they diuide
the company at 
sea, and set, and
rule the watch. 
When this is done, the Captaine or Master commands 
the Boat-swaine to call vp the company; the Master being 
chiefe of the Starboord watch doth call one, and his right 
hand Mate on the Larboord doth call another, and so for­
ward till they be diuided in two parts, then each man is to 
chuse his Mate, Consort, or Comrade, and then deuide 
them into squadrons according to your number and bur­
then of your ship as you see occasion; these are to take their 
turnes at the Helme, trim sailes, pumpe, and doe all duties 
each halfe, or each squadron for eight Glasses or foure 
houres which is a watch, but care would bee had that there 
be not two Comrades vpon one watch because they may 
haue the more roome in their Cabbins to rest. And as the 
Captaine and masters Mates, Gunners, Carpenters, Quar­
termasters, Trumpeters, &c. are to be abaft the Mast, so the



Boatswaine, and all the Yonkers or common Sailers vnder 
his command is to be before the Mast. The next is, to messe 
them foure to a messe, and then giue euery messe a quarter 
Can of beere and a basket of bread to stay their stomacks 
till the Kettle be boiled, that they may first goe to prayer, 
then to supper, and at six a clocke sing a Psalme, say a Prayer, 
and the Master with his side begins the watch, then all 
the rest may doe what they will till midnight; and then his 
Mate with his Larboord men with a Psalme and a Prayer re­
leeues them till foure in the morning, and so from eight to 
twelve each other, except some flaw of winde come, some 
storme or gust, or some accident that requires the helpe of 
all hands, which commonly after such good cheere in most 
voyages doth happen.

The wind veeres. 
For now the wind veeres, that is, it doth shift from point 
to point, get your Starboord tacks aboard, 

Tally. 
and tally or 
hale off your Lee-Sheats. The Ship will not wayer, settle 
your maine Topsaile, veere a fadome of your sheat. The 
wind comes faire againe and a fresh gale, hale vp the 
slatch of the Lee-boling. By Slatch is meant the middle part 
of any rope hangs ouer board.

"Lee-Sheats" antedates the earliest OED citation (1823).
"Lee-boling" antedates the earliest OED citation ("lee," n. 1, C1.a; 1669).



Flowne. 
Veere more sheat, or a flowne 
sheat, that is, when they are not haled home to the blocke.

Fly. 
But when we say, let fly the sheets, then they let go amaine, 
which commonly is in some gust, lest they spend their top­
sailes, or if her quicke side lie in the water, ouerset the ship.

A paire of cour­
ses. 
A flowne sheat is when shee goes before the wind, or be­
twixt a paire of sheats, or all sailes drawing. But the 
wind shrinkes, that is, when you must take in the Spretsaile, 
and get the tacks aboord, hale close the maine Boling, 
that is, when your Tacks are close aboord. If you would 
saile against the wind or keepe your owne, that is, not to 
fall to lee-ward or goe backe againe, by halling off close 
your Bolings, you set your sailes so sharp as you can to lie 
close by a wind, thwarting it a league or two, or more or 
lesse, as you see cause, first on the one boord then on the 
other; this we call boording or beating it vp vpon a tacke 
in the winds eye, or bolting to and againe; but the longer



your boords are, the more you worke or gather into the 
wind. If a sudden flaw of wind should surprise you, when 
you would lower a yard so fast as you can, they call A maine; 
but a crosse saile cannot come neerer the wind than six 
points, but a Caruell whose sailes stand like a paire of Tai­
lers sheeres, will goe much neerer.

"beating" in the sense of sailing against the wind antedates the earliest OED citation ("beat," v., 19.a; 1677).



How to handle a
ship in a storme. 
It ouer-casts we shall haue wind, fowle weather, settell 
your top sailes, take in the spret-saile, in with your top­
sailes, lower the fore-saile, tallow vnder the parrels, brade 
vp close all them sailes, lash sure the ordnance, strike your 
top-masts to the cap, make it sure with your sheeps feet.

Try. 
A 
storme, let vs lie at Trie with our maine course, that is, to 
hale the tacke aboord, the sheat close aft, the boring set vp, 
and the helme tied close aboord. When that will not serue 
then Try the mizen, if that split, or the storme grow so 
great she cannot beare it;

"boring" in this nautical sense is not found in the OED.



Hull. 
then hull, which is to beare no 
saile, but to strike a hull is when they would lie obscurely 
in the Sea, or stay for some consort,

Vnder the Sea. 
lash sure the helme a 
lee, and so a good ship will lie at ease vnder the Sea as wee 
terme it.

Weather coile. 
If shee will weather coile, and lay her head the 
other way without loosing a saile, that must bee done by 
bearing vp the Helme, and then she will driue nothing so 
farre to Leeward. They call it hulling also in a calme swel­
ling Sea, which is commonly before a storme, when they 
strike their sailes lest she should beat them in peeces against 
the mast by Rowling.

Rowling.
Labour. 
We say a ship doth Labour much 
when she doth rowle much any way;

Spoone. 
but if she will neither 
Try nor Hull, Then Spoone, that is, put her right before the 
wind, this way although shee will rowle more than the o­
ther, yet if she be weake it will not straine her any thing so 
much in

Trough. 
the Trough of the Sea, which is the distance be­
twixt two waues or Billowes. If none of this will doe well, 
then she is in danger to founder, if not sinke.

Founder. 
Foundering 
is when she will neither veere nor steare, the Sea will so ouer 
rake her, except you free out the water, she will lie like a log, 
and so consequently sinke.

To spend a mast. 
To spend a mast or yard, is when 
they are broke by fowle weather,

Spring a mast. 
and to spring a mast is 
when it is cracked in any place.



In this extremity he that doth cun the ship cannot haue 
too much iudgement, nor experience to try her drift, or 
how she capes, which are two tearmes also vsed in the trials 
of the running or setting of currants.

A Yoke. 
A yoke is when the Sea 
is so rough as that men cannot gouern the Helme with their 
hands, & then they sease a block to the Helme on each side at 
the end, & reeuing two fals thorow them like Gunners Tac­
kles brings them to the ships side, and so some being at the 
one side of the Tackle, some at the other, they steare her 
with much more ease than they can with a single rope with 
a double Turne about the Helme.

"Gunners Tackles" is not found in the OED.

  

A head Sea. 
When the storme is past, though the wind may alter 
three or foure points of the compasse, or more, yet the Sea 
for a good time will goe the same way; then if your course 
be right against it, you shall meet it right a head, so we call 
it a head Sea. Sometimes when there is but little wind, there 
will come a contrary Sea, and presently the winde after it, 
wherby we may iudge that from whence it came was much 
winde, for commonly before any great storme the Sea will 
come that way. Now if the ship may runne on shore in ose 
or mud she may escape, or Billage on a rocke, or Ancors 
flooke, repaire her leake, but if she split or sinke, shee is 
a wracke.

Hullocke. 
But seeing the storme decreaseth, let vs trie if she 
will endure the Hullocke of a Saile, which sometimes is a 
peece of the mizen saile or some other little saile, part opned 
to keepe her head to the sea, but if yet shee would weather 
coile, wee will loose a Hullocke of her fore-saile, and put 
the Helme a weather, and it will bring her head where her 
sterne is; courage my hearts. 

Lardge.
Laske. 
It cleares vp, set your fore-saile; Now it is faire weather,
out with all your sailes, goe lardge or laske, that is, when 
we haue a fresh gale, or faire wind, and all sailes drawing. 

Goosewing. 
But for more haste vnparrell the mizen yard and lanch 
it, and the saile ouer her Lee quarter, and fit Giues at the 
further end to keepe the yard steady, and with a Boome 
boome it out; this we call a Goose-wing. Who is at Helme 
there? Sirra you must be amongst the Points; Well Master 



the Channell is broad enough; Yet you cannot steare be­
twixt a paire of sheats; Those are words of mockery betwixt 
the Cunner and the Stearesman.

"Lee quarter" antedates the earliest OED citation ("quarter," n. 1; 1748).
"Cunner" in the sense of "a position on a ship's crew" is not found in the OED.

 

But to proceed, 
Get your Larboord Tackes aboord, hale off your star­
boord sheets, keepe your course vpon the point you are di­
rected, Port, he will lay her by the lee; the staies, or backe 
staies, that is, when all the sailes flutter in the wince, and 
are not kept full, that is full of wind, they fall vpon the 
masts and shrowds, so that the ship goes a drift vpon her 
broad side, fill the sailes, keepe full, full and by. 

Make ready 
to Tacke about, is but for euery man to stand to handle the 
sailes and ropes they must hale;

Tacke about  is to beare vp 
the helme, and that brings her to stay all her sailes lying 
flat against the shrowds, then as she turnes wee say shee is 
payed, then let rise your Lee tacks and hale off your sheats, 
and trim all your sailes as they were before, which is cast 
of that Boling which was the weather boling, and hale vp 
taught the other. So all your Sheats, Brases, and Tackes 
are trimmed by a winde as before.

"cast of" antedates the earliest OED citation (1669).
"weather bowling" antedates the earliest OED citation (1669).



To belay, is to make fast 
the ropes in their proper places.

Round in. Rounding aft. 
rounding aft the saile; the sheats being there they hale them 
downe to keepe them firme from flying vp with

Pasarado. 
a Pasarado, 
which is any rope wherewith wee hale downe the sheats, 
blockes of the maine or fore saile, when they are haled aft 
the clew of the maine saile to the Cubbridge head of the 
maine mast, and the clew of the fore saile to the Cat head; 
Doe this when the ships goes large.

Obserue. 
Obserue the height, that is, at twelue a clocke to take 
the height of the Sunne, or in the night the North star, 
or in the forenoone and afternoone, if you misse these by 
finding the Azimuth and Alnicanter.

Dead water. 
Dead water is the 
Eddie water followes the sterne of the ship, not passing a­
way so quickly as that slides by her sides.

The Wake. 
The wake of a 
ship is the smooth water a sterne strewing the way shee hath 



gone in the sea, by this we iudge what way she doth make, 
for if the wake be right a sterne, we know she makes good 
her way forwards; but if to Lee-ward a point or two, wee 
then thinke to the Lee-ward of her course, but shee is a 
nimble ship that in turning or tacking about will not fall to 
thee Lee-ward of her wake when shee hath weathered it.

Disimbogue. 
Disimbogue is to passe some narrow strait or currant into 
the maine Ocean, out of some great Gulfe or Bay.

A Drift. lang="(en)"> 
A Drift is 
any thing floating in the sea that is of wood.

Rockweed. 
Rockweed 
doth grow by the shore, and is a signe of land, yet it is 
oft found farre in the Sea. 

Dipsie line. 
Lay the ship by the Lee to trie
the Dipsie line, which is a small line some hundred and fif­
ty fadome long, with

Plummet. 
a long plummet at the end, made hol­
low, wherein is put tallow, that will bring vp any grauell; 
which is first marked at twenty fadome, and after increased by 
tens to the end; and those distinguished by so many small 
knots vpon each little string that is fixed at the marke 
thorow the strouds or middest of the line, shewing it is so 
many times ten fadome deepe, where the plummet doth 
rest from drawing the line out of your hand; this is onely 
vsed in deepe water when we thinke we approach the shore, 
for in the maine sea at 300. fadomes we finde no bottome.

Log line. 
Bring the ship to rights, that is, againe vnder saile as she was, 
some vse a Log line, and a minute glasse to know what way 
shee makes, but that is so vncertaine, it is not worth the la­
bour to trie it.

Land to.
Kenning. 
One to the top to looke out for land, the man cries out 
Land to; which is iust so farre as a kenning, or a man may 
discouer, descrie, or see the land.

To lay a land. 
And to lay a land is to saile 
from it iust so farre as you can see it.

Good land fall.
Bad land fall. 
A good Land fall is 
when we fall iust with our reckoning, if otherwise a bad 
Land fall; but howeuer how it beares, set it by the com­
passe, and bend your Cables to the Anchors.

A head land.
A Point. 
A Head land, 
or a Point of land doth lie further out at sea than the rest.

Land marke. 
To raise a land.
To make land. 
A 
Land marke, is any Mountaine, Rocke, Church, Wind­
mill or the like, that the Pilot can know by comparing 
one by another how they beare by the compasse.

A Reach. 
A Reach



is the distance of two points so farre as you can see them in 
a right line, as White Hall and London Bride, or White 
Hall and the end of Lambeth towards Chelsey. 

Sounding line. 
Fetch the
Sounding line, this is bigger than the Dipsie line, and is 
marked at two fadome next the lead with a peece of blacke 
leather, at three fadome the like, but slit; at 5. fadome with a 
peece of white cloth, at 7. fadome with a peece of red in a 
peece of white leather, at 15. with a white cloth, &c.

The Lead. 
The 
sounding lead is six or seuen pound weight, and neere a 
foot long, he that doth heaue this lead stands by the horse, 
or in the chaines, and doth sing fadome by the marke 5. 0.
and a shaftment lesse, 4. 0. this is to finde where the ship 
may saile by the depth of the water.

Fowle water. 
Fowle water is when 
she comes into shallow water where shee raises the sand or 
ose with her way yet not touch the ground, but shee can­
not feele her helme so well as in deepe water.

Beare in. 
When a ship sailes with a large wind towards the land, 
or a faire wind into a harbour, we say she beares in with the 
land or harbour.

Beare off. 
And when she would not come neere the 
land, but goeth more Roome-way than her course, wee say 
she beares off;

Beare off. 
but a ship boord, beare off is vsed to euery 
thing you would thrust from you.

Beare vp. 
Beare vp is to bring the 
ship to goe large or before the wind.

Hold off. 
To Hold off is when 
we heaue the Cable at the Capsterne,

"Hold off" in this nautical sense of "to hold back the cable with nippers" is not found in the OED.



Surges. 
if it be great and stiffe, 
or slimie with ose,it surges or slips backe vnlesse they 
keep it close to the whelps, and then they either hold it fast 
with nippers, or brings it to the Ieare Capsterne, and this 
is called Holding off. As you approach the shore, shorten 
your sailes, when you are in harbour take in your sailes, and 
come to an anchor, wherein much iudgement is required.

Neale to. 
To know well the soundings, if it be Nealed to, that is, 
deepe water close aboord the shore, or shallow, or if the 
Lee vnder the weather shore, or the lee shore be sandy, clay, 
osie, or fowle and rockie ground, but the Lee shore all men 
would shun that can auoid it.

A Roade. 
Or a Roade which is an open 
place neere the shore.

Offing. 
Or the Offing which is the open Sea 
from the shore, or the middest of any great streame is cal­



led the Offing.

Land locked. 
Land locke, is when the land is round 
about you.

To Ride. 
Now the ship is said to Ride, so long as the Anchors doe 
hold and comes not home.

Ride a great
Roade. 
To Ride a great roade is when 
the winde hath much power. They will strike their top 
masts, and the yards alongst ships, and the deeper the water 
is, it requires more Cable;

The phrase "Ride a great Roade" is not found in the OED.



Ride a stresse. 
when wee haue rid in any di­
stresse wee say wee haue rid hawse full, because the water 
broke into the hawses.

"stresse" and "ride a stresse" antedate the earliest OED citation (1633).
"hawse full(a)" antedates the earliest OED citation (1692).



Ride betwixt.
Wind and tide. 
To ride betwixt wind and tide, is 
when the wind & tide are contrary & of equall power, which
will make her rowle extremely, yet not straine much the ca­
ble.

Ride thwart tide. 
To Ride thwart is to ride with her side to the tide, and 
then she neuer straines it.

Neither "Ride thwart" nor "Ride thwart tide" are in the OED.

 

Ride a pike. 
To ride apike is to pike your yards 
when you ride amongst many ships.

How to begin a
fight.
Master how stands the chase? Right on head I say; Well 
we shall reatch him by and by; What's all ready, Yea, yea, 
euery man to his charge, dowse your top-saile to salute him 
for the Sea, hale him with a noise of trumpets; Whence is 
your ship? Of Spaine; Whence is yours? Of England; Are you 
a Merchant, or a man of War? We are of the Sea; He waues 
vs to lee-ward with his drawne sword, cals amaine for the 
King of Spaine, and springs his loufe, giue him a chase peece 
with your broad side, and run a good berth ahead of him; 
Done, done, We haue the wind of him, and he tackes about, 
tacke you about also and keepe your loufe, be yare at the 
helme, edge in with him, giue him a volley of small shot, 
also your prow and broad side as before, and keepe your 
loufe; Hee payes vs shot for shot; Well, wee shall requite 
him; What are you ready againe, Yea, yea. Try him once 
more as before, Done, done; Keepe your loufe and loge 
your ordnance againe; Is all ready? Yea, yea; edge in 
with him againe, begin with your bow peeces, proceed 
with your broad side, & let her fall off with the wind, to giue 
her also your full chase, your weather broad side, and bring 
her round that the sterne may also discharge, and your 
tackes close aboord againe; Done, done, the wind veeres, the 
Sea goes too high to boord her, and wee are shot thorow 
and thorow, and betweene wind and water. Try the pump, 
beare vp the helme, Master let vs breathe and refresh a lit­
tle,

How to sling a
man ouer boord.
and sling a man ouer board to stop the leakes; that is, to 
trusse him vp about the middle in a peece of canuas, and a 
rope to keepe him from sinking, and his armes at liberty, 
with a malet in the one hand, & a plug lapped in Okum, and



well tarred in a tarpawling clout in the other, which he will 
quickly beat into the hole or holes the bullets made; 
What cheere mates, is all well? All well, all well, all well; 
Then make ready to beare vp with him againe, and with­
all your great and small shot charge him, and in the smoke 
board him thwart the hawse, on the bow, mid ships, or 
rather then saile, on his quarter, or make fast your grap­
lings if you can to his close fights and sheare off. Captaine 
we are fowle on each other, and the ship is on fire, cut any 
thing to get cleare, and smother the fire with wet cloathes. 
In such a case they will presently be such friends, as to help 
one the other all they can to get cleare, lest they both should 
burne together and sinke; and if they be generous, the fire 
quenched, drinke kindely one to another; heaue their cans 
ouer boord, and then begin againe as before.

A consulation &
direction in a sea
fight, & how they
bury their dead.
Well Master, the day is spent, the night drawes on, let 
vs consult. Chirurgion looke to the wounded, and winde 
vp the slaine, with each a weight or bullet at their heads 
and feet to make them sinke, and giue them three gunnes 
for their funerals, Swabber make cleane the ship, Purser 
record their Names, Watch be vigilant to keepe your berth 
to wind ward that we lose him not in the night, Gunners 
spunge your Ordnance, Souldiers scowre your peeces, Car­
penters about your leakes, Boatswaine and the rest repaire 
the sailes and shrouds, and Cooke see you obserue your di­
rections against the morning watch, Boy, Holla Master 
Holla, is the kettle boiled, yea, yea, Boatswaine call vp 
the men to prayer and breake fast.

A preparation
for a fresh charge.
Boy fetch my cellar of bottels, a health to you all fore 
and aft, courage my hearts for a fresh charge, Gunners beat 
open the ports, and out with your lower tire, and bring me 
from the weather side to the lee, so many peeces as we haue 
ports to beare vpon him, Master lay him aboord loufe for 
loufe, mid ships men see the tops and yards well manned, 
with stones, fire pots, and brasse bailes, to throw amongst 
them before we enter, or if we be put off, charge them 
with all your great and small shot, in the smoke let vs enter



them in the shrouds, and euery squadron at his best aduan­
tage, so sound Drums and Trumpets, and Saint George for 
England.

How a prise doth
yeeld, and how to
entertaine him
Sea-man like.
They hang out a flag of truce, hale him a maine, abase, 
or take in his flag, strike their sailes and come aboord with 
their Captaine, Purser and Gunner, with their commission, 
cocket, or bils of loading. Out goes the boat, they are 
lanched from the ship side, entertaine them with a generall 
cry, God saue the Captaine and all the company with the 
Trumpets sounding, examine them in particular, and then 
conclude your conditions, with feasting, freedome, or pu­
nishment, as you finde occasion; but alwayes haue as much 
care to their wounded as your owne, and if there be either 
young women or aged men, vse them nobly, which is e­
uer the nature of a generous disposition. To conclude, if 
you surprize him, or enter perforce, you may stow the 
men, rifle, pillage, or sacke, and cry a prise.

How to call a
Counsell of War,
and order a Nauy
at Sea.
To call a Councell of Warre in a Fleet; There is your 
Councell of Warre to manage all businesses of import, 
and the common Councell for matters of small moment, 
when they would haue a meeting, where the Admirall doth 
appoint it; if in the Admirall, they hang out a flag in the 
maine shrouds; if in the Vice Admirall, in the fore shrouds; 
if in the Reare Admirall, in the mizen; If there bee many 
squadrons, the Admirall of each squadron vpon sundry 
occasions doth carry in their maine tops, flags of sundry 
colours, or else they are distinguished by seuerall pen­
dants from the yards armes; euery night or morning they 
are to come vnder the Lee of the Admirall to salute him 
and know his pleasure, but no Admirall of any squadron is 
to beare his flag in the maine top, in the presence of the 
Admirall generall, except the Admirall come aboord of 
him to Councell, to dinner, or collation, and so any ship 
else where he so resideth during that time, is to weare his 
flag in the maine top. They use to martiall or order those 
squadrons in rankes like Manaples, which is foure square, 
if the wind and Sea permits, a good berth or I distance from



each other, that they becalme not one another, nor come 
not fowle of each other; the Generall commonly in the 
middest, his Vice Admirall in the front, and his Reare 
Admirall in the Rearer or otherwise like a halfe Moone, 
which is two squadrons like two triangles for the two 
hornes, and so the rest of the squadrons behinde each other 
a good distance, and the Generall in the middest of the 
halfe circle, from whence he seeth all his fleet, and sendeth 
his directions, as he findes occasion to whom he pleaseth.

Stratagems for
Sea-men.
Now betweene two Nauies they vse often, especially 
in a harbour or road where they are at anchor, to fill old 
Barkes with pitch, tar, traine oile, lincet oile, brim­
stone, rosen, reeds, with dry wood, and such combustible 
things, sometimes they linke three or foure together in the 
night, and puts them adrift as they finde occasion. To 
passe a fort some will make both ship and sailes all black, 
but if the fort keepe but a fire on the other side, and all the 
peeces point blanke with the fire, if they discharge what is 
bewixt them and the fire, the shot will hit if the rule bee 
truly obserued; for when a ship is betwixt the fire and you, 
shee doth keepe you from seeing it till shee bee past it. 
To conclude, there is as many stratagems, aduantages, and 
inuentions to be vsed as you finde occasions, and therefore 
experience must be the best Tutor.




 
CHAP. XIV.
 
The names of all sorts of great Ordnance, 
and their appurtenances, with their pro­
per tearmes and expositions, also diuers 
obseruations concerning their shooting, 
with a Table of proportion for their 
weight of metall, weight of powder, weight 
of shot, and there best at randome and point 
blanke inlarged.
 


The Names of 
great Ordnance. 
A Canon royal, or double Canon, a Canon, 
a Canon Serpentine, a bastard Canon, a 
demy Canon, a Canon Petro, a Culue­
ring, a Basilisco, a demy culuering, a 
bastard Culuering, a Sacar, a Minion, 
a Falcon, a Falconet, a Serpentine, a Rab­
binet.

For "double Canon", see "Pedrero," n. (1598).



Carriages. 
To all those doe belong carriages 
whereon peeces doe lie supported by an axeltree betwixt 
two wheeles, whereon doth lie the peece vpon her trunni­
ons,

Trunnions. 
which are two knobs cast with the peece on each of 
her sides, which doth lie in two halfe holes vpon the two 
cheekes of the carriages, to raise her vp or downe as you 
will, ouer them are the capsquares,

Capsquares. 
which are two broad 
peeces of iron doth couer them, made fast by a pin with 
a fore locke to keepe the peece from falling out. That the 
peece and carriages is drawne along vpon wheeles euery 
one doth know,

Wheeles. 
if shee bee for land seruice, they haue 
wheeles made with spokes like coach wheeles, and accor­
ding to their proportion strongly shod with iron, and



the pins at the ends of the Axeltree is called Linch pins.

"coach wheeles" antedates the earliest OED citation (1647).



Trucks. 
If for Sea she haue Trucks, which are round intier peeces 
of wood like wheeles.

To mount a
Peece.
To dismount a
Peece. 
To mount a peece is to lay her vpon 
her carriages; to dismount her to take her downe.

Beds. 
Her 
Bed is a planke doth lie next the peece, or the peece vpon 
it vpon the carriage, and betwixt the Peece and it they put
their quoines,

Quoines. 
which are great wedges of wood with a little 
handle at the end to put them forward or backward for le­
uelling the Peece as you please.

Trauas. 
To trauas a Peece is to turne 
her which way you will vpon her Platforme.

"Trauas" in the sense of "to alter the position of a gun" antedates the earliest OED citation ("traverse," n. 8.a; a1665).



Dispert. 
To dispert a 
Peece is to finde a difference betwixt the thicknesse of the 
metall at her mouth and britch or carnouse,

Britch.
Carnouse. 
which is the 
greatest circle about her britch,

Musell. 
and her mussell Ring is the 
greatest circle about her mouth thereby to make a iust shot, 
there are diuers waies to dispert her, but the most easiest is as 
good as the best: and that is but by putting a little sticke or 
a straw that is strait into the toutch hole to the lower part 
of the Sillinder or Concaue,

Sillender.
Concaue.
Bore. 
which is the bore of the Peece 
and cut it off close by the metall, and then apply it in the 
same manner to the mouth, and it will exactly shew you 
the difference,

How to dispert a
Peece. 
which being set vpon the mussell of the 
Peece with a little Clay, Pitch, or Wax, it will bee as the 
pin of any Peece is to the sight, leuell to the carnouse or 
britch of the Peece, otherwaies you may giue her allowance 
according to your iudgement.

Taper boared. 
Taper boared, is when a Peece is wider at the mouth 
then towards the britch, which is dangerous (if the Bullet 
goe not home) to burst her.

Hony-combe. 
Honicombed, is when shee is 
ill cast or ouermuch worne shee will bee rugged within, 
which is dangerous for a crosse barre shot to catch hold by, 
or any ragge of her wadding being a fire and sticking there 
may fire the next charge you put in her;

How to finde it. 
and you may finde 
if she be Taper boared, either with a crooked wyer at the 
end of a long staff, by scratching vp and downe to see 
where you can catch any hold, or a lights candle at the end 
of a staff thrust vp and down to see if you can see any fault.

Britchings. 
Britchings are the ropes by which you lash your Ordnance



fast to the Ships side in foule weather.

Chambers. 
Chambers is a charge 
made of brasse or iron which we vse to put in at the britch of 
a sling or Murtherer, containing iust so much powder as 
will driue away the case of stones or shot, or any thing in her. 
In a great Peece we call that her Chamber so far as the pow­
der doth reach when she is laded.

"shot," in the sense of "a charge for discharge from a gun," antedates the earliest OED citation (1708).



Cartrages. 
A Cartrage is a bagge of Canuasse made vpon a frame or 
a round peece of wood somewhat lesse than the bore of the 
Peece, they make them also of paper, they haue also Car­
trages or rather cases for Cartrages made of Lattin to keepe 
the Cartrages in, which is to haue no more powder in 
them than iust the charge of your Peece, and they are close­
ly couered in

Cases. 
those cases of Latten, to keepe them dry, and 
from any mischances by fire, and are farre more ready and 
safer than your Ladles or Budgbarrels.

A Budgbarell. 
A Budgbarrell is 
a little Barrell made of Latten, filled with powder to carry 
from place to place for feare of fire; in the couer it hath a 
long necke to fill the Ladles withall without opening.

A Ladle. 
A 
Ladle is a long staffe with a peece of thin Copper at the 
end like halfe a Cartrage, in bredth and length so much as 
will hold no more powder than the due charge for the 
Peece it belongs to.

A Spunge. 
A Spunge is such another staffe, with 
a peece of a Lambe skin at the end about it to thrust vp and 
downe the Peece, to take off the dust, moisture, or sparkes 
of fire if any remaine in her.

A Rammer. 
And a Rammer is a bob of 
wood at the other end to ramme home the Powder and 
the Waddings.

Waddings. 
Waddings is Okum, old clouts, or straw, 
put after the powder and the Bullet.

Wood cases. 
A Case is made of two 
peeces of hollow wood ioyned together like two halfe Car­
trages fit to put into the bore of a Peece, 

Case shot. 
& a case shot is any 
kinde of small Bullets, Nailes, old iron, or the like to put 
into the case to shoot out of the Ordnances or Murderers, 
these will doe much mischiefe when wee lie boord and 
boord: but for Spunges and Rammers they vse now a stiffe 
Rope a little more than the length of the Peece, which you 
may turne and wind within boord as you will, with much 
more ease and safety than the other.



Round shot. 
Round Shot is a round Bullet for any Peece:

Crosse bar shot. 
Crosbar­
shot is also a round shot, but it hath a long spike of Iron cast 
with it as if it did goe thorow the middest of it, the ends 
whereof are commonly

To Arme a shot. 
armed for feare of bursting the 
Peece, which is to binde a little Okum in a little Canuasse 
at the end of each Pike. 

Trundle shot. 
Trundle shot is onely a bolt of iron 
sixteene or eighteene inches in length; at both ends sharpe 
pointed, and about a handfull from each end a round 
broad bowle of lead according to the bore of the Peece 
cast vpon it.

Langrill shot. 
Langrell shot runnes loose with a shackell, to 
be shortened when you put it into the Peece, and when it 
flies out it doth spred it selfe, it hath at the end of either 
barre a halfe Bullet either of lead or iron.

Chaine shot. 
Chaine shot is 
two bullets with a chaine betwixt them, and some are con­
triued round as in a ball, yet will spred in flying their full 
length in bredth; all these are vsed when you are neere a 
ship to shoot downe Masts, Yards, Shrouds, teare the sailes, 
spoile the men, or any thing that is aboue the decks.

Fire workes. 
Fire­
workes are diuers, and of many compositions, as

Arrowes of wild
fire. 
Arrowes 
trimmed with wild fire to sticke in the sailes or ships side 
shot burning.

"Arrowes of wild fire" antedates the earliest OED citation ("wildfire arrow," 1706).



Pikes of wild
fire. 
Pikes of wild fire to strike burning into a 
ship side to fire her.

"Pikes of wild fire" is not found in the OED.



Granados of di­
uers sorts. 
There is also diuers sorts of Granados, 
some to breake and fly in abundance of peeces euery way, as 
will your

Brasse Balles. 
brasse balls & earthen pots which when they are 
couered with quartered bullets stucke in pitch, and the pots 
filled with good powder, in a crowd of people will make 
an incredible slaughter; some will burne vnder water, and 
neuer extinguish till the stuffe bee consumed; some onely 
will burne and fume out a most stinking poison smoke; 
some, being but onely an Oile, being nointed on any thing 
made of dry wood, will take fire by the heat of the Sunne 
when the Sunne shines hot. There is also a Powder, which 
being laid in like manner vpon any thing subiect to burne, 
will take fire if either any raine or water light vpon it; but 
those inuentions are bad on shore, but much worse at Sea, 
and are naught because so dangerous, and not easie to bee 
quenched, and their practice worse, because they may doe



as much mischiefe to a friend as to an enemy, therefore I 
will leaue them as they are.

Powder.
Serpentine pow­
der. 
There are also diuers sorts of Powder, the Serpentine is 
like dust and weake, and will not keepe at Sea but be moist.

Grosse corned
Powder. 
The common sort is great corned powder but grosse, and 
onely vsed in great Ordnance.

Fine corned
Powder. 
Your fine corned Powder 
for hand Guns is in goodnesse as your Salt-Peter is oft re­
fined, and from ten pence a pound to eighteene pence a 
pound.

A Tomkin. 
A Tomkin is a round peece of wood put into the Peeces 
mouth and couered with Tallow,

A Fid 
and a fid a little Okum 
made like a naile put in at the toutch hole, and couered with 
a thin lead bound aboue it to keepe the Powder dry in the 
Peece.

Shackels. 
Shackels are a kinde of Rings but not round, made 
like them at the hatches cornes (by which we take them vp 
and lay them downe) but bigger, fixed to the middest of 
the ports within boord, through which wee put a billet to 
keepe fast the port for flying open in foule weather, which 
may easily indanger, if not sinke the Ship.

To cloy a Peece
or poyson her. 
To cloy or poi­
son a Peece, is to driue a naile into her toutch hole, then 
you cannot giue fire.

To vncloy. 
And to vncloy her, is to put as much 
oile as you can about the naile to make it glib, and by a 
traine giue fire to her by her mouth, and so blow it out.

Compasse Calli­
pers. 
Compasse Callipers belongs to the Gunner, and is like 
two halfe Circles that hath a handle and ioint like a paire 
of Compasses, but they are blunt at the points to open as 
you please for to dispert a Peece.

Horne. 
A Horne is his touch box,

Priming Iron. 
his Primer is a small long peece of iron, sharpe at the small 
end to pierce the Cartrage thorow the toutch hole.

"Primer" in the sense of "that which ignites the charge in a cartridge" antedates the earliest OED citation (1819).



Lint stocke. 
His 
Lint stock is a handsome carued stick, more than halfe a yard 
long, with a Cocke at the one end to hold fast his Match, 
and a sharpe pike in the other to sticke it fast vpon the Deck 
or platforme vpright.

Gunners qua­
drant. 
The Gunners quadrant is to leuell 
a Peece or mount her to any random.

Darke Lanthorn. 
A darke Lanthorne 
is as well to be vsed by any body as he.

"darke Lanthorne" antedates the earliest OED citation (1650).



Morters. 
For Morters, or such 
chambers as are only vsed for triumphs, there is no vse for 
them in this seruice;

The names of 
small Peeces, and
their implements
Bandilers,
Bullet bags.
Wormes.
Scowrers.
Melting Ladles.
Lead Molds.
Quartered shot. 
but for Curriours, Hargabusacrocks,



Muskets, Bastard-muskets, Coliuers, Crabuts, Carbins, 
long Pistols or short Pistols, there belongs to them Bandi­ 
liers, bullet Bags, Wormes, Scowrers, melting Ladles, Lead, 
Molds of al sorts to cast their shot. Quarter Bullets is but any 
bullet quartered in foure or eight parts, and all those are as 
vsefull a ship-boord as on shore.

"Quartered shot" is not found in the OED.
"Bastard-muskets" is not found in the OED.




For the soule, trunke, bore, 
fortification, the diuersity of their metals, and diuers other 
curious Theoremes or tearmes vsed about great Ordnance, 
there are so many vncertainties as well in her mounting, 
leuelling vpon her platforme, as also the accidents that may 
happen in the powder, the ground, the aire, and differences 
in proportion, I will not vndertake to prescribe any certaine 
artificiall rule. These proportions following are neere the 
matter, but for your better satisfaction reade Master Digs 
Pantrimetria, Master Smith, or Master Burnes art of Gun­
nery, or Master Robert Nortons Exposition vpon Master 
Digs Stratiaticos, any of those will shew the Theoricke at 
large. But to bee a good Gunner you must learne it by 
practice. 





A Table of proportion for the weight and shooting of great Ordnance.


		The name of the	The	The	The	The	The	The	2400. li.	Shot	Shot
		great Peeces		height	weight	weight	weight	bredth	length	of powder	point	randome
					of the	of the 	of the 	of the	of the 	of the 	makes of	blanke	
					peeces.	peeces.	shot.	powder.	Ladle.	Ladle.	shot in a 	in	in
					Inches.	Pound.	Pound.	Pound.	Inches.	Inches.	Peece.	Paces.	Paces.
These Peeces be most seruiceable
for battery being within 80. paces
to their marke, which is the chiefe
of their forces.
	1	A Canon Royall.	8 1/3	8000	66	30	13 1/4	24 1/2	80	16	1930
	2	A Canon.		8	6000	60	27	12	24	85	17	2000
	3	A Canon Sarpentine.	7 1/2	5500	53 1/3	25	10 1/2	23 1/3	96	20	2000
	4	A Bastard Canon.	7	4500	41 1/4	20	10	23 1/3	120	18	1800
	5	A demy Canon.	6 1/2	4000	30 1/4	18	9 1/3	23 1/4	133	17	1700
	6	A Canon Petro.	6	3000	24 1/4	14	9	23	171	16	1600
These Peeces be good and also ser­
uiceable to be mixt with the aboue
Ordnance for battery to peeces
being crost with the rest, as also
fit for Castles, Forts, and Walls
to be planted, and for defence.
	7	A Culuering.	5 1/2	4500	17 1/3	12	8 1/2	22 1/3	00	20	2500
	8	A Basilico.	5	4000	15 1/4	10	7 1/2	22	240	25	3000
	9	A demy Culuering.	4 1/2	3400	9 1/3	8	6 1/5	21	300	20	2500
	10	A bastard Culuering	4	3000	7	6 1/4	6	20	388	18	1800
	11	A Sacre.	3 1/2	1400	5 1/3	5 1/3	5 1/2	18	490	17	1700
	12	A Minion.	3 1/4	1000	4	4	4 1/2	17	600	16	1600
	13	A Faulcon.	2 1/2	660	2 1/4	2 1/4	4 1/4	15	1087	15	1500
	14	A Faulcon.	2 1/3	800	3	3	4 1/4	15	800	15	1500
These Peeces are good and seruice­
able for the field, and most ready
for defence.
	15	A Faulconer.	2	500	1 1/4	1 1/4	3 1/4	11 1/4	1950	14	1400
	16	A Sarpentine.	1 1/2	400	1/3	1/3	2 1/2	10	7200	13	1200
	17	A Raboner.	1	300	1/2	1/2	1 1/2	6	4800	12	1000

	

Note that seldome in Ships they vse any Ordnance 
greater than Demy Canons, nor haue they any certainty ei­
ther at point blanke or any random. 
Note your Serpentine powder in old time was in meale, 
but now corned and made stronger, and called Canon 
corne powder. 
But that for small Ordnance is called come Powder fine, 
and ought to haue in strength a quarter more, because those 
small Peeces are better fortified than the greater. 
Now if you haue but one sort of Powder for all, abate 
l /4 part, and cut off 1/4 of the bredth and length of your 
Ladle. 
But Cartrages are now found the best and most readiest. 
Prouided alwaies, that all Shot must be a quarter lesse than 
the height of the Peece. 


 
CHAP. XV. 
 
How they diuide their shares in a man of Warre, 
what Bookes and Instruments are fit for a 
Sea-man, with diuers aduertisements for 
Sea men, and the vse of the petty Tally. 


THe ship hath one third part, the victuallar the other 
third, the other third part is for the Company, and 
this is subdiuided thus in shares. 
 
The Captaine hath	10	In some but 9.
The Lieutenant	9	or as he agreeth with the Captaine.
The Master	8	In some but 7.
The Mates	7	5.
The Chirurgion	6	3.
The Gunner	6	5.
The Boatswaine	6 	5.
The Carpenter	6	5.
The Trumpeter	6	5.
The 4. quarter Mast.	5 apeece, or 	4.	
The Cooper	5	4.
The Chirurg. Mate	5	4.
The Gunners Mate	5	4.
The Carpent. Mate	5	4.
The Corporall	4	3.
The quarter Gunners	4	3.
The Trump. Mate	3	3 1/2.
The Steward	4	3.
The Cooke	4	3.
The Coxswaine	4	3.
The Swabber	4	3.



In English ships they seldome vse any Marshall, whose 
shares amongst the French is equall with the Boatswaines, 
all the rest of the Younkers, or fore-mast-men according to 
their deserts, some 3. some 2. and 1/2. some 1. and l/2. and the 
boyes 1. which is a single share, or 1. and 1/2. or as they doe 
deserue. 
Now the Master, or his right hand Mate, the Gunner, 
Boatswaine, and foure quarter Masters doe make the shares, 
not the Captaine, who hath onely this priuilege, to take 
away halfe a share, or a whole share at most, to giue from 
one to another as he best pleaseth. 

For to learne to obserue the Altitude, Latitude, Longi­
tude, Amplitude, the variation of the Compasse, the Suns 
Azimuth and Almicanter, to shift the Sunne and Moone, 
and know the tides, your Roomes, pricke your Card, say 
your Compasse, and get some of these bookes, but practice 
is the best. 

Master Wrights errours of Nauigation. 
Master Tapps Sea-mans Kalender. 
The Art of Nauigation. 
The Sea Regiment. 
The Sea-mans secret. 
Waggoner. 
Master Gunters workes. 
The Sea-mans glasse for the Scale. 
The New Attracter for variation. 
Master Wright for vse of the Globe. 
Master Hewes for the same. 


Instruments fitting for a Sea-man.
 
 
Compasses so many paire and sorts as you will, an A­
strolobe Quadrant, a Crosse staffe, a Backe staffe, an A­
strolobe, a Nocturnall. 




Aduertisements
for young Com­
manders, Cap­
taines, and other
Officers.


The Young Gentlemen that desires command at Sea, ought 
well to consider the condition of his ship, victuall, and 
company, for if there be more learners than sailers how
slightly soeuer many esteeme sailers, all the worke to saue, 
ship, goods, and liues must lie vpon them, especially in 
fowle weather, then their labour, hazzard, wet, and cold, is 
so incredible I cannot expresse it. It is not then the number 
of them that here can say at home what I cannot doe I can 
quickly learne, and what a great matter is it to saile a ship, 
or goe to Sea; surely those for a good time will doe more 
trouble than good, I confesse it is most necessary such should 
goe, but not too many in one ship; for if the labour of 
threescore should lie vpon thirty, (as many times it doth) 
they are so ouer-charged with labour, bruises, and ouer­
straining themselues they fall sick of one disease or other, for 
there is no dallying nor excuses with stormes, gusts, ouer­
growne Seas, and lee-shores, and when their victuall is pu­
trified it endangers all: Men of all other professions in 
lightning, thunder, stormes, and tempests with raine and 
snow may shelter themselues in dry houses by good fires, 
but those are the chiefe times Sea-men must stand to their 
tackling, and attend with all diligence their greatest la­
bour vpon the deckes. Many suppose any thing is good e­
nough to serue men at sea, and yet nothing sufficient for 
them ashore, either for their healthes, for their ease, or e­
states, or state; A Commander at Sea should doe well to 
thinke the contrary, and prouide for himselfe and compa­
ny in like manner; also seriously to consider what will bee 
his charge to furnish himselfe at Sea with bedding, linnen, 
armes, and apparrell, how to keepe his table aboord, and 
his expences on shore, and prouide his petty Tally, which 
is a competent proportion according to your number of 
these particulars following. 
 


The petty Tally. 

Fine wheat flower close and well packed, Rice, Cur­
rands, Sugar, Prunes, Cynamon, Ginger, Pepper, 
Cloues, greene Ginger, Oyle, Butter, Holland cheese, or



old Cheese, Wine vineger, Canarie sacke, Aqua vita, 
the best Wines, the best waters, the iuyce of Limons for 
the scuruy, white Bisket, Oatmeale, gammons of Bacon, 
dried Neats tongues, Beefe packed vp in vineger, Legs of 
Mutton minced and stewed, and close packed vp, with 
tried sewet or butter in earthen pots. To entertaine stran­
gers Marmalad, Suckets, Almonds, Comfits and such 
like. 


The vse of the
petty Tally.

Some it may be will say I would haue men rather to feast 
than fight; But I say the want of those necessaries occa­
sions the losse of more men than in any English fleet hath 
beene slaine since 88. For when a man is ill, or at the point 
of death, I would know whether a dish of buttered Rice 
with a little Cynamon, Ginger, and Sugar, a little minced 
meat, or rost Beefe, a few stewed Prunes, a race of greene 
Ginger, a Flapjacke, a can of fresh Water brewed with a 
little Cinamon, Ginger, and Sugar bee not better than a 
little poore Iohn, or salt fish with oile and mustard, or bis­
ket, butter, cheese, or oatmeale pottage on fish dayes, or 
on flesh dayes salt Beefe, Porke, and Pease with six shillings 
beere, this is your ordinary ships allowance, and good for 
them are well if well conditioned, which is not alwayes 
as Sea-men can (too well) witnesse. And after a storme, when 
poore men are all wet, and some haue not so much as a cloth 
to shift him, shaking with cold, few of those but wil tell you 
a little Sacke or Aqua vita is much better to keepe them in 
health, than a little small beere, or cold water although it 
be sweet. Now that euery one should prouide those things 
for himselfe, few of them haue either that prouidence or 
meanes, and there is neither Ale-house, Tauerne, nor 
Inne to burne a faggot in, neither Grocer, Poulterer, Apo­
thecary, nor Butchers shop, and therefore the vse of this 
petty Tally is necessary, and thus to be imploied as there is 
occasion. To entertaine strangers as they are in quality e­
uery Commander should shew himselfe as like himselfe as he 
can, as well for the credit of the ship, and his setters forth,



as himselfe; but in that herein euery one may moderate 
themselues according to their owne pleasures, therefore 
leave it to their owne discretions, and this briefe 
discourse, and my selfe to their friendly 
construction and good opinion. 
 
FINIS.