between the
city and the mainland is 3 to 6 feet in general; they are occasioned by
the quantities of sand carried down by the rivers which descend from the
Alps, and fall into the Adriatic along its north-western shores.

LAG-WOOD. The larger sticks from the head of an oak-tree when felled.

LAID. A fisherman's name for the pollack. Also, a term in rope-making,
the twist being the lay; single-laid, is one strand; hawser-laid, three
strands twisted into a rope; cablet-laid, three ropes laid together;
this is also termed water-laid.

LAID ABACK. _See_ ABACK.

LAID TO. A term used sometimes for _hove to_, but when a vessel lays to
the sails are kept full. As in a gale of wind, under staysails, or close
reefs, &c.

LAID UP. A vessel dismantled and moored in a harbour, either for want of
employment, or as unfit for further service.

LAKE. A large inland expanse of water, with or without communication
with the sea. A lake, strictly considered, has no visible affluent or
effluent; but many of the loughs of Ireland, and lochs of Scotland,
partake of the nature of havens or gulfs. Moreover, some lakes have
affluents without outlets, and others have an outlet without any visible
affluent; therein differing from lagoons and ponds. The water of lakes
entirely encompassed by land is sometimes _salt_; that communicating
with the sea by means of rivers is fresh.

LAKE-LAWYER. A voracious fish in the lakes of America, called also the
_mud-fish_.

LAMANTIN. A name used by the early voyagers for the manatee.

LAMB'S-WOOL SKY. A collection of white orbicular masses of cloud.

LAMBUSTING. A starting with a rope's-end.

LAMPER-EEL. A common corruption of _lamprey_.

LAMPREY. An eel-like cyclostomous fish, belonging to the genus
_Petromyzon_. There are several species, some marine, others fluviatile.

LAMPRON. The old name for the lamprey.

LAMP-SHELLS. A name applied to the _Terebratulae_ of zoologists.

LANCE-KNIGHT. A foot-soldier of old.

LANCEPESADO. From Ital. _lancia spezzata_, or broken lance; originally a
soldier who, having broken his lance on the enemy, and lost his horse in
fight, was entertained as a volunteer till he could remount himself;
hence _lance-corporal_, one doing corporal's duty, on the pay of a
private.

LANCHANG. A Malay proa, carrying twenty-five or thirty men.

LAND. In a general sense denotes _terra firma_, as distinguished from
sea; but, also, _land-laid_, or to _lay the land_, is just to