RKS AND DEEPS. Marks are the measured notifications on the hand
lead-line, with white, blue, and red bunting, leather, and knots; deeps
are the estimated fathoms between these marks. They are thus noted: mark
2 leather; mark 3 blue; deep 4; mark 5 white; deep 6; mark 7 red; deep
8; deep 9; mark 10 leather; deep 11; deep 12; mark 13 blue; deep 14;
mark 15 white; deep 16; mark 17 red; deep 18; deep 19; mark 20 two
knots.

MARL, TO. To souse fish in vinegar to be eaten cold. _See_ SOUSE.

MARLE, TO. To wind marline, spun-yarn, twine, &c., about a rope, so that
every turn is secured by a kind of knot, and remains fixed, in case the
rest should be cut through by friction. It is commonly used to fasten
slips of canvas, called parsling, upon the surface of a rope, to prevent
its being galled, or to attach the foot of a sail to its bolt-rope, &c.,
with marling hitches, instead of sewing it.

MARLINE. _See_ LINE.

MARLINE-HOLES. Holes made for marling, or lacing the foot-rope and clues
in courses and top-sails.

MARLINE-SPIKE. An iron pin tapering to a point, and principally used to
separate the strands of a rope, in order to introduce the ends of some
other through the intervals in the act of knotting or splicing; it is
also used as a lever in marling, fixing seizings, &c. (_See_ FID.)

MARLINE-SPIKE HITCH. A peculiar hitch in marling, made by laying the
marline-spike upon the seizing stuff, and then bringing the end of that
seizing over the standing part, so as to form a jamming bight.

MARMIT. A pot fitted with a hook for hanging it to the bars of the
galley-range.

MAROON. A name for a bright light of that colour used for signals; and
also for an explosive ball of prepared paste-board.

MAROONING. A custom among former pirates, of putting an offender on
shore on some desolate cape or island, with a gun, a few shot, a flask
of powder, and a bottle of water.

MARQUE. _See_ LETTERS OF MARQUE.

MARQUEE. An officer's oblong tent; has two poles, and curtains all
round; it is often assigned to various staff purposes.

MARROT. A name for the guillemot.

MARRY, TO, THE ROPES, BRACES, OR FALLS. To hold both together, and by
pressure haul in both equally. Also so to join the ends of two ropes,
that they will pass through a block.

MARS. One of the ancient superior planets, the next to the earth in
order of distance from the sun.

MARSH [Anglo-Saxon _mersc_, a fen]. Low land often under water, and
producing aquatic ve