s; on that iron socket a becket is worked; the staff fits in
loosely. The harpoon line reeves upwards from the socket through this
becket, and through another on the staff, so that on striking the whale
the staff leaps out of the socket and does not interfere with the iron,
which otherwise might be wrenched out.

SPAN OF RIGGING. The length of shrouds from the dead-eyes on one side,
over the mast-head, to the dead-eyes on the other side of the ship.

SPAN-SHACKLE. A large bolt running through the forecastle and spar-deck
beams, and forelocked before each beam, with a large triangular shackle
at the head, formerly used for the purpose of receiving the end of the
davit. Also, a bolt similarly driven through the deck-beam, for securing
the booms, boats, anchors, &c.

SPAR. The general term for any mast, yard, boom, gaff, &c. In
ship-building, the name is applied to small firs used in making staging.

SPAR-DECK. This term is loosely applied, though properly it signifies a
temporary deck laid in any part of a vessel, and the beams whereon it
rests obtain the name of skid-beams in the navy. It also means the
quarter-deck, gangways, and forecastle of a deep-waisted vessel; and,
rather strangely, is applied to the upper entire deck of a double-banked
vessel, without an open waist.

SPARE. An epithet applied to any part of a ship's equipage that lies in
reserve, to supply the place of such as may be lost or rendered
incapable of service; hence we say, spare tiller, spare top-masts, &c.

SPARE ANCHOR. An additional anchor the size of a bower.

SPARE SAILS. An obvious term. They should be pointed before stowing them
away in the sail-room.

SPARLING. A name on the Lancashire coasts for the smelt (_Osmerus
eperlanus_).

SPARTHE. An Anglo-Saxon term for a halbert or battle-axe.

SPAT. The spawn or ova of the oyster.

SPEAK A VESSEL, TO. To pass within hail of her for that purpose.

SPECIFIC GRAVITY. The comparative weights of equal bulks of different
bodies, water being generally represented as unity.

SPECK-BLOCKS. _See_ FLENSE.

SPECK-FALLS, OR PURCHASE. Ropes rove through two large purchase-blocks
at the mast-head of a whaler, and made fast to the _blubber-guy_, for
hoisting the blubber from a whale.

SPECKTIONEER. The chief harpooner in a Greenland ship. He also directs
the cutting operations in clearing the whale of its blubber and bones.

SPECTRUM. The variously coloured image into which a ray of light is
div