rant. Fixed domain, public revenue,
and a certain form of government, are exempt from that character,
therefore the Barbary States were not treated by Europe as such. The
Court of Admiralty is empowered to grant warrants to commit any person
for piracy, only on regular information upon oath. By common law, piracy
consists in committing those acts of robbery and depredation upon the
high seas, which, if committed on land, would have amounted to felony,
and the pirate is deemed _hostis humani generis_.

PIRAGUA [Sp. _per agua_]. _See_ PIROGUE.

PIRATE. A sea-robber, yet the word _pirata_ has been formerly taken for
a sea-captain. Also, an armed ship that roams the seas without any legal
commission, and seizes or plunders every vessel she meets; their
colours are said to be a black field with a skull, a battle-axe, and an
hour-glass. (_See_ PRAHU.)

PIRIE. An old term for a sudden gust of wind.

PIRLE. An archaic word signifying a brook or stream.

PIROGUE, OR PIRAGUA. A canoe formed from the trunk of a large tree,
generally cedar or balsa wood. It was the native vessel which the
Spaniards found in the Gulf of Mexico, and on the west coasts of South
America; called also a dug-boat in North America.

PISCARY. A legal term for a fishery. Also, a right of fishing in the
waters belonging to another person.

PISCES. The twelfth sign of the zodiac, which the sun enters about the
21st of February.

PISCIS AUSTRALIS. One of the ancient southern constellations, the lucida
of which is Fomalhaut.

PISTOL. An old word for a swaggering rogue; hence Shakspeare's character
in _Henry V._

PISTOLA. A Papal gold coin of the sterling value of 13_s._ 11_d._

PISTOLE. A Spanish gold coin, value 16_s._ 6_d._ sterling.

PISTOLET. This name was applied both to a small pistol and a Spanish
pistole.

PISTOLIERS. A name for the heavy cavalry, _temp._ Jac. I.

PISTOL-PROOF. A term for the point of courage for which a man was
elected captain by pirates.

PISTON. In the marine steam-engine, a metal disc fitting the bore of the
cylinder, and made to slide up and down within it easily, in order, by
its reciprocating movement, to communicate motion to the engine.

PISTON-ROD. A rod which is firmly fixed in the piston by a key driven
through both.

PIT. In the dockyards. _See_ SAW-PIT.

PITCH. Tar and coarse resin boiled to a fluid yet tenacious consistence.
It is used in a hot state with oakum in caulking the ship to fill the
chink