board of admiralty.

NAVY AGENTS. Selected mercantile houses, about fourteen, who manage the
affairs of officers' pay, prizes, &c., for which the law authorizes a
certain percentage. They hold powers of attorney to watch the interests
of their clients.

NAVY BILLS. Bills of removal, transfer, &c., are not negotiable, nor can
they be made other use of.

NAVY BOARD. The commissioners of the navy collectively considered, but
long since abolished.

NAVY TRANSPORT. _See_ TRANSPORT.

NAVY-YARD. A royal arsenal for the navy.

NAY-WORD. The old term for the watch-word, parole, or countersign.

NAZE. _See_ NESS.

NEALED. _See_ ARMING.

NEALED-TO. A shore, with deep soundings close in.

NEAPED. The situation of a ship which, within a bar-harbour, is left
aground on the spring-tides so that she cannot go to sea or be floated
off till the return of the next spring-tides.

NEAP-TIDES. A term from the Ang.-Sax. _nepflods_. They are but medium
tides, in respect to their opposites, the springs, being neither so
high, so low, nor so rapid. The phenomenon is owing to the attractions
of the sun and moon then partly counteracting each other.

NEAR, AND NO NEAR. Synonymous terms used as a warning to the helmsman
when too near the wind, not to come closer to it, but to keep the
weather-helm in hand.

NEAT. _See_ NET, as commercial weight.

NEB. This word, the Ang.-Sax. _nebb_, face as well as nose, is sometimes
used for _ness_ (which see). Also, a bird's beak.

NEBULA. An old term for a cluster of stars looking like a cloudy spot
till separated by telescopic power; but the term is also now correctly
applied to masses of nebulous matter only.

NECESSARIES. Minor articles of clothing or equipment, prescribed by
regulation, but provided by the men out of their own pay.

NECESSARY MONEY. An extra allowance formerly allowed to pursers for the
coals, wood, turnery-ware, candles, and other necessaries provided by
them.

NECESSITY. If a ship be compelled by necessity to change the order of
the places to which she is insured, this is not deemed deviation, and
the underwriters are still liable.

NECK. The elbow or part connecting the blade and socket of a bayonet.
_Goose-neck_, at the ends of booms, to connect them with the sides, or
at the yard-arm for the studding-sail boom-iron.

NECK OF A GUN. The narrow part where the chase meets the swell of the
muzzle.

NECKED. Tree-nails are said to be necked where they are cracked,