pax peace, here meant as a call for a truce.
acrid sharp, bitter, stinging, or irritating to the taste or smell.
inimical hostile; unfriendly.
gibber to speak or utter rapidly and incoherently; chatter unintelligibly.
essay to try; attempt.
antiphonal sung or chanted in alternation.
ululate to howl, hoot, or wail.
cordon a line or circle, as of soldiers or ships, stationed around an area to guard it.
diddle [Informal] to move back and forth jerkily or rapidly; juggle.
mold here, loose, soft, easily worked soil.
white drill a coarse linen or cotton cloth with a diagonal weave, used for work clothes, uniforms, etc.
epaulette shoulder ornament as for military uniforms.
cutter a boat carried, esp. formerly, aboard large ships to transport personnel or supplies.
rating an enlisted man in the Navy.
stern sheets the space at the stern of an open boat.
