by Dean King
Mahommedan A follower of Mohammed, the founder of Islam.
main A much-used adjective on board ship, meaning “principal,” as in the MAINMAST. The “main top” is the platform at the head of the lower portion of the mainmast. The “main YARD” is the yard on which the MAINSAIL (or main COURSE, as it is also called) is bent (see BEND). Also, short for mainland.
Main, the See SPANISH MAIN.
main deck In a MAN-OF-WAR, the deck below the SPAR DECK. The principal deck in a ship with several decks.
main forte Assistance in executing something, generally in difficult or dangerous circumstances (French).
mainmast A ship’s principal MAST; in a three-masted ship, the center mast.
mainsail (pronounced mains’l) A vessel’s principal sail. On a SQUARE-RIGGED ship, the lowest and largest sail on the MAINMAST, the main COURSE.
maintack The lower WEATHER corner of a square MAINSAIL and, on a FORE-AND-AFT MAINSAIL, the forward lower coiner.
main works The principal fortifications of a place.
Mais qu’est-ce qui se passe? What’s going on here? (French)
make a leg To bow in a gesture of obeisance by drawing back one leg and bending the other.
make and mend A time designated for seamen to repair their clothes, a period of relative leisure.
make sail To spread a sail or sails; to begin a voyage.
Malaga A seaport and province on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. The only fleet action of the War of Spanish Succession was fought off Malaga in 1704 between an Anglo-Dutch fleet, commanded by Admiral Sir George Rooke, and a Franco-Spanish fleet. While tactically indecisive, it prevented the French from retaking GIBRALTAR. Malaga was sacked by the French under General Sebastiani in 1811.
Malay A peninsula and archipelago in Southeast Asia, the location of the Straits (of Malacca) Settlements of Penang (Prince of Wales Island), Malacca, and Singapore, and such islands as Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes, Moluccas, and Timor. The sea surrounding the archipelago. A person or language from the region.
malleolus Either of the two bony protrusions at the ankle, the internal belonging to the tibia, the external to the fibula.
malmsey A strong, sweet wine, originally from the area around the Greek city of Monemvasia (Napoli di Malvasia) in the Morea and later also from Spain, the AZORES, MADEIRA, and the CANARY ISLANDS, as well as Greece.
Malta A small, strategically placed island south of Sicily in the central Mediterranean, with a very fine and well-defended deep-water port at Valletta. Because of its prime position in a relatively narrow channel between Europe and Africa, the island has been a trading center and a naval base and has a long history of war and capture, including by Napoleon in 1798. In 1800, after two years of blockades and sieges, the island was surrendered to the British. Britain’s refusal to evacuate the island in accordance with the Treaty of Amiens was the immediate spark that led to renewed hostilities with France in 1803.
malt-horse A heavy kind of workhorse used by makers of malt. The term is sometimes used derogatorily.
malversation Corruption committed while in office or a position of trust; the corrupt use of public money.
Mamelukes Originally a military body of non-Arab slaves who served various Muslim rulers in the Middle East. The Mamelukes seized Egypt’s throne in 1254 and formed the ruling class there into the 19th century. Reigning from 1254 to 1517, the Mameluke sultans used powerful cavalry forces to defend themselves against invasions by the Mongols and the Crusaders, but in 1517 they were conquered by the Ottoman Sultan Selim I. Under Ottoman sovereignty, Egypt was governed, via a Turkish viceroy, by 24 Mameluke beys, and the Mamelukes, now the long-established ruling class, continued to thrive. Following the French invasion (1798) and occupation, however, the Mamelukes were massacred in 1811 by Mohammed Ali, PASHA of Egypt.
mammothrept A nursling or pampered child.
Mandeville, Sir John A pseudonym for a French physician, usually identified as Jehan de Bourgogne (died 1372). In 1371 he published a famous book of travels, partly invented and partly compiled from true accounts of adventures and encounters with strange natural phenomena by other writers. Published in England in 1499, Mandeville’s book received great praise, and he was proclaimed the “father of English prose”—a status that changed when the French origin of the manuscript was established in 1725.
mandragora also mandragore The root of the Mediterranean herb mandrake, of the nightshade family, which was reported to be a powerful sedative and aphrodisiac in medieval lore. However, it has little, if any, discernible effect. The forked root, believed by some to resemble the human form, was said throughout the Middle Ages to utter a deadly shriek when plucked from the ground.
mandrill The largest and most ferocious of the baboons; native to western Africa.
mangabey A monkey, native to Africa, of the genus Cercocebus, especially the sooty mangabey.
manger A small triangular area in the BOW of a ship-of-war set off by a movable BULKHEAD and used to prevent water that enters through the HAWSE-HOLES from flooding the deck. Also, the same space used for keeping a ship’s animals.
angonel An apparatus for catapulting stones and other missiles at an enemy.
mangosteen An East Indian fruit with a hard, reddish-brown rind and a sweet, juicy flesh.
mangrove A tropical tree or shrub that grows on the seashore and issues masses of interlacing above-ground roots that catch and retain mud and weeds and cause the land to build toward the sea.
Manichaean A believer of a religious system popular from the third to the fifth century A.D. that mixed Gnostic Christian, Mazdean, and pagan elements. The system is best known for its acceptance of dualistic theology, whereby Satan is held to be coeternal with God.
Manila In the Philippine Islands, the capital and main port, which was established as a Spanish base in 1571 and belonged to the Spanish empire for over three centuries. From Manila, Spanish ships known as Manila (or Acapulco) galleons carried great treasure across the Pacific to Acapulco, Mexico, en route to Spain. Manila was captured by the British in 1762 during the Seven Years’ War but was returned to Spain following a peace treaty the next year.
man-of-war or man-o’-war A vessel armed for war and carrying between 20 and 120 guns. An armed ship of a national navy.
man-of-war bird See FRIGATE BIRD.
manropes The ropes on each side of a GANGWAY or ladder, used like a bannister.
Mansion House The official residence of the Lord Mayor of London.
mantilla A veil worn over a woman’s head and shoulders, especially in Spain. A small, light cape.
Manton, Joe (1766-1835) A noted gunsmith and the maker of the Manton, his signature FOWLING-PIECE.
man-trap A trap for catching trespassers on private grounds.
mantua A loose gown, or manteau, worn by women in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Manx shearwater Any of several large migratory sea birds, related to the PETREL and the FULMAR, that have long, narrow wings and fly very close to the water when feeding.
maravedi A Spanish copper coin valued at a fraction of a penny sterling.
marchpane or marzipan A confectionery of almond paste and sugar, often molded into small decorative forms.
marelle An English game nearly identical to hopscotch.
Maremma A low marshy region near the sea in the southwest of Tuscany, Italy.
Maremma sheepdog Common in central Italy, an ancient breed of sheepdog used by Tuscan farmers for herding livestock.
Margaux A Bordeaux wine (or claret in England) manufactured in the commune of Margaux, in the department of Gironde, France.
Mariae duodecies sacrum Dedicated 12 times over to Mary (Latin).
Mariae lembi nostri duci et magistrae do dedico I present and dedicate this to Mary, the master and commander of our yacht (Latin).
mariage blanc An unconsummated marriage (French).
Marial Pertaining to the Virgin Mary or showing special devotion to her.
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br /> Maria Theresa dollar Austrian silver coin. A thaler.
mari complaisant Obliging husband (French).
marine or Royal Marine A specialized soldier who serves on a MAN-OF-WAR and at dockyards, or on shore in certain cases. In Britain, a radical reorganization of the marines brought them under the control of the ADMIRALTY in 1755. During the Napoleonic War, the COMPLEMENT of a large ship of the line often consisted of over 20 percent marines, who served in gun crews and boarding parties and as sharpshooters and sentries. They became known as the Royal Marines in 1802.
marine glue Glue used in ship carpentry.
Marine Society Founded by Jonas Hanway (1712-1786) to raise recruits, mostly the poor and orphaned, for the Royal Navy. It was the first secular and imperial charity in the English-speaking world. By 1805 it had raised 55,000 recruits.
mark The intervals of a LEAD-LINE, indicated by attachments that could be seen easily or felt by the LEADSMAN. TWO FATHOMS was marked by 2 strips of leather, 3 fathoms by 3 strips of leather, 5 fathoms by a strip of white DUCK, 7 fathoms by a piece of red bunting, 10 by a leather square with a hole, 13 by a piece of blue serge, 15 by a piece of white duck, 17 by a piece of red bunting, and 20 fathoms by a piece of cord with two knots. All other depths were unmarked and were known as “deeps.” The leadsman estimated these by looking at the nearest visible mark. The calls “by the mark” or “by the deep” indicated to the navigator the degree of accuracy of the depth the leadsman was calling out.
Markham’s sick-berth Admiral Markham, when captain of H.M.S. Centaur in 1801, set apart a space 19 feet to accommodate 22 swinging cradles for the sick; attached to it was a dispensary, where drugs were prepared and dispensed to sick patients and where men came to have their wounds dressed. The area, designed for maximum efficiency, was situated between two forward guns on the starboard side; it had access to the heads, but also had its own “necessary house.” This arrangement was copied in other ships in the Home Fleet, under prompting by Dr. Thomas Trotter, as PHYSICIAN OF THE FLEET. Further implementing Markham’s recommendations, in 1801 Admiral JERVIS ordered that the sick not be kept below the upper deck of any line-of-battle ship, and that all sick-berths were to be on the starboard side, under the forecastle.
mark twain On a LEAD-LINE, the two-FATHOM mark.
Marlbrouk s’en va-t-en guerre, mironton mironton mirontaine ... Marlbrouk ne revient plus Marlbrouk is going away to war, rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat tat tat ... Marlbrouk is never coming back. From a famous French song about John, Duke of Marlborough, one of England’s most victorious warriors.
marline Small line of two strands, sometimes tarred, used for SEIZINGS.
marline-spike A pointed iron tool used to part strands of rope so they can be spliced. Also, a nickname for the BOSUN-BIRD.
marmoset Any of a variety of tropical American monkeys with claws instead of nails, except on the big toe. In general, they have bushy tails, long eartufts, and soft, dense fur. They were considered playful pets.
Maronite A sect of Syrian Christians loyal to the Pope, found chiefly in Lebanon.
maroon A firework making the sound of a cannon, used as a warning, as in foggy weather.
Marrano A christianized Jew or MOOR of medieval Spain, especially one who converted in order to avoid persecution.
Marrano. Herético pálido Swine. Pale-skinned brute (Spanish).
Mars, H.M.S. A second-rate 74-gun ship, built in 1794, that fought at TRAFALGAR in 1805 under Captain George Duff. Her 98 casualties included Captain Duff. The French commander-in-chief and his staff were received on board Mars at their surrender. She was at COPENHAGEN in 1807, in the Channel from 1808 to 1813, and was broken up in 1823.
Marsala A fortified white wine that resembles a light sherry and is exported from Marsala, Sicily.
Marseilles A southeastern French city and the largest seaport on the Mediterranean. The battle hymn of the French Revolution, “La Marseillaise,” was written by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle at Strasbourg in 1792, and it was named for the volunteers from Marseilles who entered Paris singing it on July 30, 1792.
Marshalsea In London’s Southwark section, a debtor’s prison notorious for its squalid conditions.
marthambles No such diagnosis was used in regular 18th-century medical practice. O’Brian discovered the colorful term in a quack’s pamphlet of the late 17th or early 18th century advertising a curative product for a variety of diseases. Thus, marthambles was a nonexistent disease invented to help advertise the virtues of a probably useless medicine. Maturin uses the term in the sense of a contagious affliction that causes gripping abdominal pain.
martingale In a SQUARE-RIGGED ship, a lower STAY for securing the JIB-BOOM or FLYING JIB against the upward pull of the fore-TOPGALLANT stays. Sometimes applied to the DOLPHIN-STRIKER itself.
Martinique A volcanic island in the Windward Islands of the WEST INDIES. Like many Caribbean islands, Martinique passed back and forth from British to French hands several times during the Seven Years’ War, the French Revolution, and the Napoleonic War. It was finally returned to France in 1814.
Marwari An inhabitant of Marwar, an area in the Indian state Rajasthan. The dialect of Hindi used there.
marzipane See MARCHPANE.
mast A vertical pole to carry a vessel’s sails that descends to the KEELSON, where its squared HEEL is stepped. Originally the mast was built from the trunk of a single fir tree. As ships grew in size during the 17th and 18th centuries, masts had to be extended and broadened to carry more sail. To add girth and strength, the lower mast was fashioned from more than one timber (known as a made mast), while TOPMASTS and TOPGALLANT masts (usually single-trunk or -pole masts) were added above.
master An officer with the same rank as a LIEUTENANT but subordinate to him in command. He was responsible for the navigation and sailing of a ship of war and was appointed by the NAVY BOARD. Also, the captain of a merchant vessel, who qualified for the position by passing an examination to earn his “master’s ticket.”
master and commander Before 1794, the title of an officer in the Royal Navy who had the same rank as a LIEUTENANT but was treated like an intermediate between a Captain and a Lieutenant. From 1794, this position was filled by the newly created rank of COMMANDER. An officer of this rank usually commanded a ship-of-war smaller than a post-ship (under 20 guns), such as a SLOOP-of-war or BOMB-vessel, but larger than the little vessels commanded by a Lieutenant. As with post-rank, an officer could obtain the rank of Commander only by receiving such a command. It was not until 1827 that an officer could have the rank of Commander without commanding such a vessel. At that time, the position of FIRST LIEUTENANT in a SHIP OF THE LINE was made a Commander’s job.
master’s mate A PETTY OFFICER subordinate to but working with the MASTER of a ship-of-war. More highly paid than other petty officers, Master’s Mates were the only ratings allowed to command any sort of vessel.
masthead The highest reach of a MAST. More specifically, the head of the lower mast frequently used for observation or as a place of solitary confinement for serving a punishment. Also, the top of the whole mast where flags were flown.
mastic See LENTISK.
match-board A board with a tongue cut along one edge and a groove in the opposite that was joined with similar boards to form one larger piece.
match-tub A tub with a perforated cover, where SLOW-MATCHes, lit end down, were hung to be ready for use.
mate A mildy stimulating drink made of the leaves of the South American evergreen bush Ilex paraguayensis, a member of the holly family; the active ingredient is caffeine. It is drunk like tea or coffee all over South America.
Matthew Walker knot An end knot on a multistranded rope to prevent it from slipping through an EYE. Probably named for its inventor.
Mauritius Called Île de France by the French, an island in the Indian Ocean about 500 miles east of Madagascar originally colonized by the Dutch in the 17th century. It later became a key base for the French in their r
ivalry with the English EAST INDIA COMPANY, especially during the FRENCH REVOLUTION and the NAPOLEONIC WAR, when French PRIVATEERS captured and destroyed many EAST INDIAMEN. A British blockade of the island failed, but in 1810 the British finally captured the island, albeit with heavy ship losses, and made it a British Crown Colony. This campaign served as the historical basis for Patrick O’Brian’s The Mauritius Command.
maxilla The upper jaw.
mazed Dazed, cowed, and confused; terrified.
meal Finely ground gunpowder. To meal is to grind into fine powder.
medico A medical practitioner or student.
Medusa, H.M.S. A 50-gun fifth rate wrecked near Lisbon in 1798. Another fifth rate built in 1801 and broken up in 1816.
Medway A river in Kent on whose banks lies the Naval dockyard at CHATHAM and at whose mouth lies the refitting port SHEERNESS.
megrim A severe headache usually on one side of the head. A headache resulting from nervousness or sickness.
Melampus, H.M.S. A fifth rate of 36 guns built in 1785 that fought in battles at Donegal in 1798 and Guadeloupe in 1810. The name is taken from a celebrated prophet and physician in Greek mythology. She was sold to the Dutch in 1815.
melancholia A mental illness characterized by paranoia, depression, physical pains, and sometimes hallucinations and delusion.
Melbury Lodge The dwelling that Aubrey and Maturin lease on the South Downs in Sussex, within a day’s ride of London.
menage Household, domestic arrangement (from French).
menarche The onset of menstruation.
Mennonites A sect of Christians founded in Friesland, a region in Holland, by Menno Simons (1492-1559), that opposed infant baptism, oath taking, and civil and military service.
mens rea Literally, guilty mind (Latin). Criminal intent.
menus plaisirs Small pleasures (French).
mephitis A release of noxious or pestilential gases, especially from the earth. A foul smell.
Mercator projection A map that represents the world with MERIDIANS of longitude and parallels of latitude that cross each other at right angles, such that a constant compass bearing is represented by a straight line, known as a rhumb-line. A major breakthrough in map-making, it was developed by the Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerhardus Kremer (1512-1594), who used the Latinized form of his name, Mercator. First published in 1569, Mercator’s projection came into standard use in the mid-17th century.