biscuit ship biscuit or hardtack, unleavened bread made in very hard, large wafers.
French leave an unauthorized, unnoticed, or unceremonious departure.
coracle a short, roundish boat of skins or waterproofed canvas stretched over a wood or wicker frame.
hawser a large rope used for towing or mooring a ship.
astern behind a ship.
yaw to swing back and forth across its course, as a ship pushed by waves.
made sure was sure; Jim uses the phrase in this sense, rather than in the more modern sense of "took action to ensure."
contrariety the condition of being contrary (in opposition); here, the wind and current are in the same direction.
jib a triangular sail secured to a stay forward of the foremast.
water-breaker a small water keg.
tiller a bar or handle for turning the rudder of a boat or ship.
forefoot the meeting point of the keel and the stem of a ship.
jib-boom the boom of the jib; the spar extending from its mast or stay to hold the bottom of the jib outstretched.
bulkhead any of the upright partitions separating parts of a ship.
gill a unit of liquid measure equal to ¼ pint or 4 fluid ounces.
a rank Irelander a low Irishman; "rank" may be used as an adjective in several senses, including "offensive-smelling" and "complete; utter;" Hands may be using it in either or both of these senses, to express his dislike of the Irish.
ankecher handkerchief.
Execution Dock a wharf on the north bank of the river Thames at Wapping, in London, the traditional place for execution by hanging of pirates.
dared not beach her Because Jim has cut away the anchor, they must beach the ship (ground it on a beach) in order to keep it stationary, but they must wait to do this until the tide has come in enough so that they can steer close to shore where the ebbing tide will not wash the ship back out to sea.
dirk a long, straight dagger.
Long Tom the "long nine," the ship's gun.
my long home the grave; a euphemism for death.
narrow and shoal narrow and shallow.
subaltern a subordinate officer.
a-blowing like a garding blooming like a garden.
starboard. . . larboard to the right . . . to the left.
luff to turn the bow of a ship toward the wind.
a red ensign a red flag or banner.
priming used here in the sense of the primer, the powder used to set off the pistol's shot.
mizzen shrouds the ropes stretched from the ship's side to the head of the mizzenmast to offset lateral strain on the mast.
crosstrees two short bars across a ship's masthead to spread the rigging that supports the mast.
I'll have to strike I'll have to strike my colors or take down my flag; Hands means he will have to give up and acknowledge that Jim has won.
younker a youngster.
cordage cords and ropes collectively, especially the ropes in a ship's rigging.
halyards ropes for raising or lowering flags, sails, and so on.
the downhaul a rope for hauling down a sail; the sail Jim wants to bring in is in the water, so that Jim is not strong enough to move it.
