by Alaric Bond
“And will you become Mrs P?” Manning asked, with a faint glint in his eye. “You will forgive the question, but it is what most suspect.”
“Lordy, no!” Judy said quickly, and seemed to follow her words with wink at King. “There have already been three men who've let me down, so I have vowed not to trust any further until they have truly earned the privilege.”
“That is indeed a worthy undertaking,” the surgeon replied seriously. “And if your cooking enjoys the same success in Galmpton as it has aboard this ship, I see a rosy future for all.”
He removed the small patch of gauze and was finally able to examine King's wound. The edges were slightly blackened, as was to be expected, and his entire chest area remained discoloured in the deep and varied colours of bruising. But there were also positive signs that all would be well and, as he relaxed, Manning realised quite how concerned he had been.
“So, who shall look after you when she is gone?” the question was now very definitely directed at his friend, and King grinned back from his pillow.
“Whoever it be, they could not do a better job,” he said, and Manning nodded in silent agreement as he ran his fingers over the chest area. It was perhaps, a trifle hot; again, not to be surprised at, but he would have preferred a cooler skin. And then, quite suddenly he stopped.
“Whatever is the matter? King asked, instantly alerted. Manning realised he had leaned nearer to the wound and his change of expression appeared to have betrayed him.
“It is of no consequence,” the surgeon replied automatically while forcing a smile, although he already knew the statement to be a lie.
For what he had discovered was substantial indeed: to most medical men it sounded an alarm as significant as 'deck there!' called from the masthead, or 'fire!' shouted below. Manning studied the wound more closely while being careful not to show any further emotion. No proper examination should be confined to merely sight and touch, and in this case it was the scent of King's wound that had signalled the warning. And sadly he was not wrong, the sign was undoubtedly there – not visibly obvious perhaps but, to one in the know, unmistakeable.
“Is there something amiss?” Judy asked with her customary lack of tact, and Manning gloomily conceded his professionally neutral countenance was not as convincing as he had thought. He shook his head, but did not trust himself to reply. The girl was clearly fond of King, and he knew his friend well enough to guess there might be more between them. But as his surgeon, he hoped not. As his surgeon he could only wish her gone; her presence could not improve matters, and may well cause Thomas even greater distress.
And gone she would be in two days: it was a short enough period and likely one in which both would remain convinced King was to make a full recovery. Manning reached for a fresh patch of gauze and began to replace the bandage as he thought. If she knew different Judy might decide to stay, but there would be little point in that; not when a new life and future awaited her in England.
He might apply to the hospital for a second opinion; maybe even consult with one of their physicians. But there could be no doubting what he had discovered – Manning had encountered it far too often in the past and knew, only too well, the probable consequences. It was the scent of corruption; a faint yet distinct deviation from that of a healthy lesion and even such a subtle hint told him his friend was likely to remain healthy for no longer than a week. After that, he could hold out very little hope.
Glossary
Able Seaman One who can hand, reef and steer and is well-acquainted with the duties of a seaman.
Back Wind change; anticlockwise.
Backed sail One set in the direction for the opposite tack to slow a ship.
Backstays Similar to shrouds in function, except that they run from the hounds of the topmast, or topgallant, all the way to the deck. (Also a useful/spectacular way to return to deck for a topman.)
Backstays, Running A less permanent backstay, rigged with a tackle to allow it to be slacked to clear a gaff or boom.
Banyan Day Monday, Wednesday and Fridays were normally considered such, when no meat would be issued.
Barky (Slang) Seamen's affectionate name for their vessel.
Barrel Fever Slang) Illness brought about from excessive alcohol consumption.
Belaying Pins Wooden pins set into racks at the side of a ship. Lines are secured about these, allowing instant release by their removal.
Bilboes Iron restraints placed about an offender's ankles, allowing him to be of some use, picking oakum, etc.
Binnacle Cabinet on the quarterdeck that houses compasses, the deck log, traverse board, lead lines, telescope, speaking trumpet, etc.
Bitts Stout horizontal pieces of timber, supported by strong verticals, that extend deep into the ship. These hold the anchor cable when the ship is at anchor.
Block Article of rigging that allows pressure to be diverted or, when used with others, increased. Consists of a pulley wheel, made of lignum vitae, encased in a wooden shell. Blocks can be single, double (fiddle block), triple or quadruple. The main suppliers were Taylors, of Southampton.
Board Before being promoted to lieutenant, midshipmen would be tested for competence by a board of post captains. Should they prove able they will be known as passed midshipmen, but could not assume the rank of lieutenant until they were appointed as such.
Boatswain (Pronounced Bosun) The warrant officer superintending sails, rigging, canvas, colours, anchors, cables and cordage etc., committed to his charge.
Bob (Slang) A trick.
Booby Slang) A lout, clodhopper or country fellow.
Boom Lower spar to which the bottom of a gaff sail is attached.
Bootneck (Slang) Term for a marine.
Braces Lines used to adjust the angle between the yards, and the fore and aft line of the ship. Mizzen braces, and braces of a brig lead forward.
Brig Two-masted vessel, square-rigged on both masts.
Bulkhead A partition within the hull of a ship.
Burgoo Meal made from oats, usually served cold, and occasionally sweetened with molasses.
Bulwark The planking or wood-work about a vessel above her deck.
Canister Type of shot, also known as case. Small iron balls packed into a cylindrical case.
Careening The act of beaching a vessel and laying her over so that repairs and maintenance to the hull can be carried out.
Carronade Short cannon firing a heavy shot. Invented by Melville, Gascoigne and Miller in late 1770's and adopted from 1779. Often used on the upper deck of larger ships, or as the main armament of smaller.
Cascabel Part of the breech of a cannon.
Caulk (Slang) To sleep. Also caulking, a process to seal the seams between strakes.
Channel (When part of a ship) Projecting ledge that holds deadeyes from shrouds and backstays, originally chain-whales.
Channel Gropers (Slang) The Channel Fleet.
Chink (Slang) Money.
Chips /Chippy (Slang) Traditional name for the carpenter. Originally from the ship builders who were allowed to carry out small lumps of wood, or chips, at the end of their shift.
Close Hauled Sailing as near as possible into the wind.
Coaming A ridged frame about hatches to prevent water on deck from getting below.
Come-up Glass A device using prisms and lenses that can detect the speed at which another vessel is gaining or falling back.
Companionway A staircase or passageway.
Counter The lower part of a vessel's stern.
Course A large square lower sail, hung from a yard, with sheets controlling and securing it.
Cove (Slang) A man, occasionally a rogue.
Crapaud (Johnny) (Slang) Popular derogatory name for an Englishman to call a Frenchman.
Crows of Iron Crow bars used to move a gun or heavy object.
Cull (Slang) A man.
Cutter Fast, small, single-masted vessel with a sloop rig. Also a seaworthy ship's boat.
Dale Drain abo
ard ship, larger than a scupper.
David's Sow (Slang) Describes a high degree of drunkenness (from a popular story of the time).
Dead Donkey Parlour game in which the winning participant is the one who stays still for the longest time.
Deadeyes A round, flattish wooden block with three holes, through which a lanyard is reeved. Used to tension shrouds and backstays.
Ditty Bag (Slang) A seaman's bag. Derives its name from the dittis or 'Manchester stuff' of which it was once made.
Driver Large sail set on the mizzen. The foot is extended by means of a boom.
Dunnage Officially the packaging around cargo. Also (Slang) baggage or possessions.
Fall The free end of a lifting tackle on which the men haul.
Fetch To arrive at, or reach a destination. Also the distance the wind blows across the water. The longer the fetch the bigger the waves.
Forereach To gain upon, or pass by another ship when sailing in a similar direction.
Forestay Stay supporting the masts running forward, serving the opposite function of the backstay. Runs from each mast at an angle of about 45 degrees to meet another mast, the deck or the bowsprit.
Frizzen The striking plate that encourages the spark in a flintlock mechanism. Also known as a steel.
Futtock A lower frame in the hull of a ship (similar to a rib). Futtock shrouds run down from the edge of a top to the mast.
Glass Telescope. Also, hourglass: an instrument for measuring time (and hence, as slang, a period of time). Also a barometer.
Gobbler (Slang) Derisory term for a revenue officer.
Gingerbread Common term for the ornate carvings common on larger ship's sterns.
Gun Room In a third rate and above, a mess for junior officers. For lower rates the gun room is the equivalent of the wardroom.
Go About To alter course, changing from one tack to the other.
Halyards Lines which raise yards, sails, signals etc.
Hammock Man A seaman or marine unofficially employed to tend the hammock of a junior officer.
Hanger A fighting sword, similar to a cutlass.
Hard Tack Ship's biscuit.
Hawse Area in the bows where holes are cut to allow the anchor cables to pass through. Also used as general term for bows.
Hawser Heavy cable used for hauling, towing or mooring.
Headway The amount a vessel is moved forward (rather than leeway: the amount a vessel is moved sideways) when the wind is not directly behind.
Heave To Keeping a ship relatively stationary by backing certain sails in a seaway.
HEIC Honourable East India Company.
Holder One aboard ship who spends much of his time moving stores in the hold.
Idler A man who, through his duty or position, does not stand a watch, but (usually) works during the day and can sleep throughout the night.
Interest Backing from a superior officer or one in authority, useful when looking for promotion.
Jemmy Ducks A traditional name for the hand who looks after poultry aboard ship.
Jib-Boom Boom run out from the extremity of the bowsprit, braced by means of a Martingale stay, which passes through the dolphin striker
Jimmy Leggs (Slang) The master at arms.
John Company (Slang) The East India Company.
Junk Old line used to make wads, etc.
Jury Mast/Rig Temporary measure used to restore a vessel's sailing ability.
Landsman The rating of one who has no experience at sea.
Landshark (Slang) Popular smuggler's euphemism for land-based revenue officers.
Lanthorn Large lantern.
Larboard Left side of the ship when facing forward. Later replaced by 'port', which had previously been used for helm orders.
Leaguer A long cask with a capacity of 127 imperial gallons, normally used to hold water.
Leeward The downwind side of a vessel.
Leeway The amount a vessel is moved sideways by the wind (as opposed to headway, the forward movement, when the wind is directly behind).
Liner (Slang) Ship of the line (of battle). A third rate or above.
Linstock A forked staff to hold a lighted slowmatch. Using a linstock enables a gun captain to fire his weapon from a distance, without the aid of a gunlock.
Lobster (Slang) Soldier.
Lubber/Lubberly (Slang) Unseamanlike behaviour; as a landsman.
Luff Intentionally sail closer to the wind, perhaps to allow work aloft. Also the flapping of sails when brought too close to the wind. The side of a fore and aft sail laced to the mast.
Manger Area aboard ship where livestock are kept.
Martingale Stay Line that braces the jib-boom, passing from the end through the dolphin striker to the ship.
Nanny House (Slang) A brothel.
Orlop The lowest deck in a ship.
Pariah (Mess) A mess made up of those rejected by others.
Packet / Packet Service The HEIC maintained a number of fast sailing vessels to maintain communications and carry light cargo.
Peter (Blue) Introduced in the 1750's as a blue flag with six white balls. The later version, which replaced the balls with a white square, became the signal to recall everyone to the ship.
Phyz (Slang) face.
Pipeclay Compound used to polish and whiten leatherwork.
Point Blank The range of a cannon when fired flat. (For a 32 pounder this would be roughly 1000 feet.)
Portable Soup A boiled down mixture of beef and offal that could be reconstituted with water.
Preventive Service The customs (or excise) service; at the time both acted independently.
Pushing School (Slang) A brothel.
Pusser (Slang) Purser.
Pusser's Pound Before the Great Mutinies, meat was issued at 14 ounces to the pound, allowing an eighth for wastage. This was later reduced to a tenth.
Quarterdeck In larger ships the deck forward of the poop, but at a lower level. The preserve of officers.
Queue A pigtail. Often tied by a seaman's best friend (his tie mate).
Quoin Triangular wooden block placed under the cascabel of a long gun to adjust the elevation.
Ratlines Lighter lines, untarred and tied horizontally across the shrouds at regular intervals, to act as rungs and allow men to climb aloft.
Reef A portion of sail that can be taken in to reduce the size of the whole.
Reefing points Light line on large sails, which can be tied up to reduce the sail area in heavy weather.
Reefing Tackle Line that leads from the end of the yard to the reefing cringles set in the edges of the sail. It is used to haul up the upper part of the sail when reefing.
Rigging Tophamper; made up of standing (static) and running (moveable) rigging, blocks etc. Also (slang) Clothes.
Rondy (Slang) Rendezvous. A recruitment point and base for the press for men joining a ship.
Rummer Large drinking glass originating in Holland.
Running Sailing before the wind.
Salt Horse (Slang) Salt beef.
Scarph A joint in wood where the edges are sloped off to maintain a constant thickness.
Schooner Small craft with two or three masts.
Scran (Slang) Food.
Scupper Waterway that allows deck drainage.
Sheet A line that controls the foot of a sail.
Shrouds Lines supporting the masts athwart ship (from side to side) which run from the hounds (just below the top) to the channels on the side of the hull.
Six an' Eight-Pence (Slang) A lawyer or attorney (from a commonly charged fee).
Smoke (Slang) to discover, or reveal something hidden.
Soft Tack Bread.
Spirketting The interior lining or panelling of a ship.
Spring Hawser attached to a fixed object that can be tensioned to move the position of a ship fore and aft along a dock, often when setting out to sea. Breast lines control position perpendicular to the dock.
Sprit Sail A square sail hung fr
om the bowsprit yards, less used by 1793 as the function had been taken over by the jibs although the rigging of their yards helps to brace the bowsprit against sideways pressure.
Stay Sail A quadrilateral or triangular sail with parallel lines hung from under a stay. Usually pronounced stays'l.
Stern Sheets Part of a ship's boat between the stern and the first rowing thwart and used for passengers.
Stingo (Slang) Beer.
Strake A plank.
Suds (in the) (Slang) To be in trouble.
Tack To turn a ship, moving her bows through the wind. Also a leg of a journey relating to the direction of the wind. If from starboard, a ship is on the starboard tack. Also the part of a fore and aft loose-footed sail where the sheet is attached, or a line leading forward on a square course to hold the lower part of the sail forward.
Taffrail Rail around the stern of a vessel.
Thumper (Slang) A third rate or above.
Ticket Men Hands employed aboard a pressing tender to replace those crew seized, and see the vessel safely to harbour.
Timoneer One who steers a ship.
Tophamper Literally any weight either on a ship’s decks or about her tops and rigging, but often used loosely to refer to spars and rigging.
Tow Cotton waste.
Trick (Slang) A period of duty.
Veer Wind change, clockwise.
Waist Area of main deck between the quarterdeck and forecastle.
Watch Period of four (or in case of dog watch, two) hour duty. Also describes the two or three divisions of a crew.
Watch List List of men and stations, usually carried by lieutenants and divisional officers.
Wearing To change the direction of a square rigged ship across the wind by putting its stern through the eye of the wind. Also jibe – more common in a fore and aft rig.
Wedding Garland An actual garland that would be raised when a ship was expected to remain at anchor for some while. It signified that the ship was not on active duty and women were allowed aboard. This was considered a preferable alternative to granting shore leave, a concession that was bound to be abused.
Windward The side of a ship exposed to the wind..
Yellow (Admiral) The rank of Admiral was achieved solely through seniority. Following a man being made post (captain) he gradually rose on the captains' list as those above him died, retired, or were promoted. On attaining flag rank he would normally be appointed Rear Admiral of the Blue Squadron, the lowest level of flag officer other than Commodore. But should the officer be considered unsuitable for such a position, he would be appointed to an unspecified squadron; what was popularly known as being yellowed, and a disgrace to him so honoured.