wall-sided.

REAR-RANK. The last rank of a body of men drawn up in simple line.

REAR-SHIP. The sternmost ship of a fleet.

RE-ASSEMBLE. To gather together a fleet, or convoy, after having been
scattered.

REASTY. Rancid or rusty pork or butter, &c.

REAVEL, OR RAFFLE. To entangle; to knot confusedly together.

REBALLING. The catching of eels with earth-worms attached to a ball of
lead suspended by a string from a pole.

REBATE. _See_ DISCOUNT.

REBATES. The grooves formed on each side of the keel, stem, or
stern-post, to receive the planks. (_See_ RABBET.)

REBELS. Revolters and mutineers; in admiralty law the same as enemies.

RECEIVERS OF DROITS OF ADMIRALTY. Now termed _receivers of wreck_ (which
see).

RECEIVERS OF WRECK. Persons specially charged with wrecked property for
the benefit of the shipping interests.

RECEIVING-SHIP. At any port, to receive supernumerary seamen, or entered
or impressed men for the royal navy.

RECIPROCATE. The alternate motion balancing a steam-engine.

RECIPROCITY. The enlarging or contracting particular admiralty statutes,
to meet the usages of foreign powers.

RECKONING, SHIP'S. The ship's position resulting from the courses
steered, and distances run by log, brought up from the last astronomical
observations. If unaccompanied by corrections for longitude by
chronometer, and for latitude, it is termed only the dead-reckoning.

RECOIL. The running in of a gun when discharged, which backward motion
is caused by the force of the fire.

RECONNAISSANCE. A word adopted from the French, as meaning a military or
nautical examination of a place.

RECONNOITRING. Sailing within gun-shot of an enemy's port to ascertain
his strength and capabilities for offence and defence. Also, a rapid
examination of coasts and countries, for correcting the defects of many
previous maps and charts.

RECREANT. This term was for him who had yielded in single combat.

RECTA PRISA REGIS. In law, the sovereign's right to prisage, or one pipe
of wine before, and another behind the masts, as customary in every
cargo of wine.

RECTIFIER. An instrument used for determining the variation of the
compass, in order to rectify the ship's course, &c. It consists of two
circles, either laid upon or let into one another, and so fastened
together in their centres that they represent two compasses, the one
fixed, the other movable; each is divided into 32 points of the compass,
and 360 deg., and numbere