agent-victualler
Admiralty-appointed port agent for supplying naval victuals
aguardiente
rough Spanish brandy
avast
stop or desist an action
aviso
dispatch vessel
balandra
cutter or sloop-rigged South American privateer or fishing boat
beakhead
the ornamented support and small deck around the bowsprit
becket
piece of rope to secure loose gear
Blaauwberg, battle of
defining battle in 1806 that secured Cape Town for the British
blandengues
South American colonial militia
block
a sea-going pulley
boomkin
spar under the bowsprit to take the block to stretch the foresail to windward
bridle
rope span attached to leech cringles to tauten the sail when close-hauled
caballero
Spanish honorific for gentleman, literally horseman
calesa
two-wheeled carriage for notables
canister
small iron balls in a tin case fired by cannon for anti-personnel effect
carronade
short-barrelled, large-calibre gun for use at close range
catblash
nonsense
coxswain
in charge of a boat; captain’s coxswain is in charge of the captain’s barge
crow
a bar with claws to lever around the great guns in aiming
cruiser
an independent vessel, normally a frigate, sent to annoy the enemy’s trade
cutting out
a daring raid by boats into an enemy harbour to capture or destroy enemy shipping
davit
a boat hoist in place of the usual midship stay tackle
distinction
bringing to notice by exceptional courage or achievement
duck
a fine strong white cloth made from untwilled linen, much favoured by sailors
falucho
decked craft local to the River Plate, used in coastal defence and trade
Felucca
small lateen-rigged cargo carrier, corsair
fo’c’sleman
the division of men stationed on the fore-deck; the most experienced seamen
gasket
rope to secure furled sail to the yard
grape-shot
intermediate between canister and solid shot, tiers of smaller balls separated by discs fired as one shot
gunroom
wardroom of a frigate
half-pistol-shot
twenty-five yards range
hawse
the point where the anchor cable leaves the ship
Indiaman
ship of the East India Company
jabberknowl
gossip, rantings of a fool
jonkheer
Dutch honorific for a person of note or high birth
littoral
that part of the land adjoining the sea
maulstick
a wooden stick with a soft head, used by painters to support the hand that holds the brush
mijnheer
Mr in Dutch
moil
close-in scrimmage
mongseer
sailor slang for a Frenchman
negus
a drink of port mixed with hot water, spiced and sugared
pampero
characteristic storm of wind from the Pampas about the River Plate
Panjandrum
high ruler, from eighteenth-century Samuel Foote play
Partidarios Leales
party of the loyalists
patricio
patrician, high-born person
pinnace
one of the smaller of the ship’s boats
poniard
small dagger
priddy
seventeenth-century term for prettifying
projector
promoter of a scheme
purser
appointed by the Admiralty for the supply of provision and slops; was an independent businessman
quintal
an imperial ‘hundredweight’ or 100 pounds in weight
quoin
a wedge of wood at the breech to cause elevation or depression in a gun
real
eight to the Spanish silver dollar
reis
Portuguese real since 1480
rixdollar rijksdaalder
: main currency of the Cape of Good Hope
sailing master
attends to the navigation and working of a ship under the captain
schildknaap
Dutch honorific – squire
sea fencibles
land-based naval auxiliaries, local to Britain
sea-anchor
device to drag in the sea to orient the ship
sheave
the wheel on which the rope works in a block
supercargo
an agent aboard a merchant ship responsible for cargo and commercial affairs
veduta
highly detailed landscape in the style of Canaletto
Viceroyalty
that province ruled by a viceroy appointed directly by the Spanish king
volunteers of the first class
educated boys intended to be midshipmen but too young
whiffler
slang for glancing blow
wight
a creature, person
yaw
a deviation to right or left of a ship’s proper course