iven,
but by splitting.

SPLITTING THE BOOKS. The making of a new complete-book after payment, in
which the dead, run, or discharged men are omitted; but the numbers
which stood against the men's names in the first list must be continued.

SPOKES. The handles of the wheel, not the radii.--_To put a spoke in a
man's wheel_, is to say something of him to his advantage, or otherwise.

SPOKE-SHAVE. That useful instrument similar to the carpenter's
drawing-knife, for smoothing rounds or hollows.

SPOLIATION OF A SHIP'S PAPERS. An act which, by the maritime law of
every court in Europe, not only excludes further proof, but does, _per
se_, infer condemnation. Our own code has so far relaxed that this
circumstance shall not be damnatory. The suppression of ships' papers,
however, is regarded in the admiralty courts with great suspicion.

SPONSON. The curve of the timbers and planking towards the outer part of
the _wing_, before and abaft each of the paddle-boxes of a steamer.

SPONSON-RIM. The same as _wing-wale_ (which see).

SPONTOON. A light halbert.

SPOOM, TO. An old word frequently found in Dryden, who thus uses it,

"When virtue _spooms_ before a prosp'rous gale,
My heaving wishes help to fill the sail."

SPOON-DRIFT. A showery sprinkling of the water swept from the tops of
the waves in a brisk gale. Driving snow is also sometimes termed
spoon-drift.

SPOONING, OR SPOOMING. Driving under a heavy gale, such as forces a ship
to run before it without any canvas set.

SPOON-WAYS. In slave-ships, stowing the poor wretches so closely locked
together, that it is difficult to move without treading upon them.

SPOTS ON THE SUN. _See_ MACULAE.

SPOUT. A term applied to the blowing or breathing of whales and other
cetaceans. The expired air, highly charged with moisture from the lungs,
has frequently been mistaken for a stream of water. (_See also_
WATER-SPOUT.)

SPOUTER. A whaling term for a South Sea whale.

SPRAT WEATHER. The dark days of November and December, so called from
that being the most favourable season for catching sprats.

SPREAD A FLEET, TO. To keep more open order.

SPREAD EAGLE. A person seized in the rigging; generally a passenger thus
made to pay his entrance forfeit.

SPREE. Uproarious jollity, sport, and merriment.

SPRING. A crack running obliquely through any part of a mast or yard,
which renders it unsafe to carry the usual sail thereon, and the spar is
then said to be sprun