term for the sand-eel, a capital bait
for mackerel.

LAUNCE-GAY. An offensive weapon used of old, but prohibited by statute
so far back as 7 Richard II. c. 13.

LAUNCH. The largest or long boat of a ship of war. Others of greater
size for gunboats are used by the French, Spaniards, Italians, &c., in
the Mediterranean. A launch being proportionably longer, lower, and more
flat-bottomed than the merchantman's long-boat, is in consequence less
fit for sailing, but better calculated for rowing and approaching a flat
shore. Its principal superiority consists in being much fitter to
under-run the cable, lay out anchors, &c., which is a very necessary
employment in the harbours of the Levant, where the cables of different
ships are fastened across each other, and frequently render such
operations necessary.

LAUNCH, TO. To send a ship, craft, or boat off the slip on shore into
the water, "her native element," as newspapers say. Also, to move
things; as, _launch forward_, or _launch aft_. _Launch_ is also the
movement by which the ship or boat descends into the water.

LAUNCH-HO! The order to let go the top-rope after the top-mast has been
swayed up and fidded. It is literally "high enough." So in pumping, when
the spear sucks, this term is "Cease."

LAUNCHING-WAYS. In ship-building, the bed of timber placed on the
incline under the bottom of a ship; otherwise called _bilge-ways_. On
this the cradles, which are movable vertical shores, to keep the ship
upright, slide. Sometimes also termed _bilge-ways_.

LAVEER, TO. An old sea-term for beating a ship to windward; to tack.

LAVER. An edible sea-weed--the _Ulva lactuca_, anciently _lhavan_. From
this a food is made, called _laver-bread_, on the shores of S. Wales.

LAVY. A sea-bird nearly as large as a duck, held by the people of the
Hebrides as a prognosticator of weather.

LAW OF NATIONS. It was originally merely the necessary law of nature
applied to nations, as in the instance of receiving distressed ships
with humanity. By various conventional compacts, the Law of Nations
became positive; thus flags of truce are respected, and prisoners are
not put to death. One independent state is declared incompetent to
prescribe to another, so long as that state is innoxious to its
neighbours. The Law of Nations consists of those principles and
regulations, founded in reason and general convenience, by which the
mutual intercourse between independent states is everywhere condu