The Sailor's Word-Book
Chapter 138 : JEER-BITTS. Those to which the jeers are fastened and belayed.JEER-BLOCKS. Are twofold

JEER-BITTS. Those to which the jeers are fastened and belayed.

JEER-BLOCKS. Are twofold or threefold blocks, through which the jeer-falls are rove, and applied to hoist, suspend, or lower the main and fore yards.

JEER-CAPSTAN. One placed between the fore and main masts, serving to stretch a rope, heave upon the jeers, and take the viol to. Very seldom used. It is indeed deemed the spare capstan, and is frequently housed in by sheep-pens and fowl-racks.

JEERS. Answer the same purpose to the main-sail, fore-sail, and mizen, as halliards do to all inferior sails. The tye, a sort of runner, or thick rope, is the upper part of the jeers. Also, an a.s.semblage of strong tackles by which the lower yards are hoisted up along the mast, or lowered down, as occasion requires; the former of which operations is called _swaying_, and the latter _striking_ (both of which see).

JEFFERY'S GLUE. _See_ MARINE GLUE.

JELBA. A large coasting-boat of the Red Sea.

JELLY-FISH. A common name for the _Medusae_, soft gelatinous marine animals, belonging to the cla.s.s _Acalephae_.

JEMMY. A finical fellow in the usual sense, but adopted as a nautical term by the mutineers of '97, to express the _n.o.bs_, or _heads_ of officers. Also, a handy crow-bar or lever.

JEMMY DUCKS. The s.h.i.+p's poulterer. A sobriquet which has universally obtained in a man-of-war.

JERBE. _See_ JELBA.

JERGADO, OR GINGADO. An early term for a light skiff (_circa_ 1550).

JERK. A sudden s.n.a.t.c.h or drawing pull; particularly applied to that given to the trigger of a lock. (_See_ SACCADE.)

JERKED BEEF. Charqui. Meat cured by drying in the open air, with or without salt. Also, the name of an American coin.

JERKIN. An old name for a coatee, or skirted jacket.

JERKING. A quick break in a heavy roll of the sea.

JERME. A trading vessel of Egypt.

JERQUER. A customs officer, whose duty is to examine the land-waiters'

books, and check them.

JERQUING A VESSEL. A search performed by the jerquer of the customs, after a vessel is unloaded, to see that no unentered goods have been concealed.

JERSEY. Fine wool, formerly called gearnsey, ganzee, or guernsey.--_Jersey frocks_, woollen frocks supplied to seamen.

JETSAM, OR JETSON. In legal parlance, is the place where goods thrown overboard sink, and remain under water. Also, the goods cast into the sea.

JETTISON, OR JETSEN. The act of throwing goods overboard to lighten a s.h.i.+p in stress of weather. The loss forms a subject for general average.

JETTY, JETTEE, OR JUTTY. A name given in the royal dockyards to that part of a wharf which projects beyond the rest, but more particularly the front of a wharf, the side of which forms one of the cheeks of a dry or wet dock. Such a projection, whether of wood or stone, from the outer end of a wharf, is called a _jetty-head_.

JEW-BALANCE. A Mediterranean name of the _Zygaena malleus_, or hammer-headed shark.

JEWEL. The starting of a wooden bridge. Also, the pivot of a watch-wheel.

JEWEL-BLOCKS. Are attached to eye-bolts on those yards where studding-sails are hoisted, and carry these sails to the extreme ends of the yards. When these jewel-blocks are removed, it is understood that there is no intention to proceed to sea, and _vice versa_. The halliards, by which the studding-sails are hoisted, are pa.s.sed through the jewel-block, whence, communicating with a block on the several mast-heads, they lead downwards to the top or decks, where they may be conveniently hoisted. (_See_ SAIL.)

JEWELS. _See_ JOCALIA.

JEW'S-HARP. The shackle for joining a chain-cable to the anchor-ring.

JIB. A large triangular sail, set on a stay, forward. It extends from the outer end of the jib-boom towards the fore top-mast head; in cutters and sloops it is on the bowsprit, and extends towards the lower mast-head. (_See_ SAIL.) The jib is a sail of great command with any side wind, in turning her head to leeward. There are other jibs, as inner jib, standing-jib, flying-jib, spindle-jib, jib of jibs, jib-topsails, &c.--_Jib_ is also used for the expression of the face, as the _cut of his jib_. Also, the arm of a crane.--_To jib_, is when, before the wind, the sail takes over to the opposite quarter; dangerous in strong breezes. (_See_ GYBING.)--_Clear away the jib!_ The order to loose it, preparatory to its being set.--_Flying-jib._ A sail set upon the flying jib-boom.--_Middle or inner jib._ A sail sometimes set on a stay secured to the middle of the jib-boom.

JIB AND STAYSAIL JACK. A designation of inexperienced officers, who are troublesome to the watch by constantly calling it unnecessarily to trim, make, or shorten sail.

JIBBER THE KIBBER. A cant term for a diabolical trick for decoying vessels on sh.o.r.e for plunder, by tying a lantern to a horse's neck, one of whose legs is checked; so that at night the motion has somewhat the appearance of a s.h.i.+p's light.--_Jib_ or _jibber_ means a horse that starts or shrinks; and Shakspeare uses it in the sense of a worn-out horse.

JIB-BOOM. A continuation of the bowsprit forward, being a spar run out from the extremity in a similar manner to a top-mast on a lower-mast, and serving to extend the foot of the jib and the stay of the foretop-gallant-mast, the tack of the jib being lashed to it. It is usually attached to the bowsprit by means of the cap and the saddle, where a strong las.h.i.+ng confines it.--_Flying jib-boom._ A boom extended beyond the preceding, to which it is secured by a boom-iron and heel-las.h.i.+ng; to the outer end of this boom the tack of the flying-jib is hauled out, and the fore-royal-stay pa.s.ses through it.

JIB-FORESAIL. In cutters, schooners, &c., it is the stay-foresail.

JIB-GUYS. Stout ropes which act as backstays do to a mast, by supporting the jib-boom against the pressure of its sail and the s.h.i.+p's motion.

JIBING, OR GYBING. A corruption of _jibbing_. The act of s.h.i.+fting over the boom of a fore-and-aft sail from one side of the vessel to the other. By a boom-sail is meant any sail the bottom of which is extended by a boom, which has its fore-end jawed or hooked to its respective mast, so as to swing occasionally on either side of the vessel, describing an arc, of which the mast will be the centre. As the wind or the course changes, the boom and its sail are jibed to the other side of the vessel, as a door turns on its hinges.

JIB OF JIBS. A sixth jib on the bowsprit, only known to flying-kite-men: the sequence being--storm, inner, outer, flying, spindle, jib of jibs.

JIB-STAY. The stay on which the jib is set.

JIB-TOPSAIL. A light sail set on the topmost stay of a fore-and-aft rigged vessel.

JIB-TRAVELLER. An iron ring fitted to run out and in on the jib-boom, for the purpose of bringing outwards or inwards the tack, or the outer corner of the sail; to this traveller the jib-guys are lashed.

JIB-TYE. A rope rove through a sheave or block on the fore-topmast head, for hoisting the jib.

JIFFY. A short s.p.a.ce of time, a moment. "In a jiffy," in an instant; equivalent with crack, trice, &c.

JIG. The weight furnished with hooks, used in _jigging_ (which see).

JIGGAMAREE. A mongrel makes.h.i.+ft manuvre. Any absurd attempt to subst.i.tute a bad contrivance for what the custom of the sea may be.

JIGGER. A light tackle used to hold on the cable when it is heaved into the s.h.i.+p. (_See_ HOLDING-ON.) Also, a small sail rigged out on a mast and boom from the stern of a cutter, boat, &c.--_Fleet-jigger._ A term used by the man who holds on the jigger, when by its distance from the windla.s.s it becomes necessary to _fleet_, or replace it in a proper state for action. When the man gives the above notice, another at the windla.s.s immediately fixes his handspike between the deck and the cable, so as to jam the latter to the windla.s.s, and prevent it from running out till the jigger is replaced on the cable near the windla.s.s.

JIGGER, CHIGRE. A very teazing sand-flea, which penetrates and breeds under the skin of the feet, but particularly at the toes. It must be removed, or it occasions dreadful sores. The operation is effected by a needle; but the sac which contains the brood must not be broken, or the whole foot would be infected, if any remained in it.

JIGGERED-UP. Done up; tired out.

JIGGER-MAST. In large vessels it is an additional aftermost mast; thus any sail set on the ensign-staff would be a jigger.

JIGGER-TACKLE. A small tackle consisting of a double and a single block, and used by seamen on sundry occasions about the decks or aloft.

JIGGING. A mode of catching fish by dropping a weighted line with several hooks set back to back amongst them, and jerking it suddenly upwards; the weight is frequently cast in the form of a small fish.

Also, short pulls at a tackle fall.

JILALO. A large pa.s.sage-boat of Manilla, fitted with out-riggers.