portion to
hold courts-martial. Formerly all officers composing the court,
attendants, witnesses, &c., were compelled to appear in their full-dress
uniforms; but by recent orders, the undress uniform, with cocked hat and
sword, is to be worn.

COUTEL. A military implement which served both for a knife and a dagger.

COUTERE. A piece of armour which covered the elbow.

COVE. An inlet in a coast, sometimes extensive, as the Cove of Cork. In
naval architecture, the arched moulding sunk in at the foot or lower
part of the taffrail.--_My cove_, a familiar friendly term.

COVER. Security from attack or interruption, as under cover of the
ship's guns, under cover of the parapet. In the field exercise and drill
of troops, one body is said to cover another exactly in rear of it.
Covers for sails when furled (to protect them from the weather when
loosing and airing them is precluded), are made of strong canvas
painted.

COVERED WAY. In fortification, a space running along the outside of the
ditch for the convenient passage of troops and guns, covered from the
country by a palisading and the parapet of the glacis. It is of
importance to an active defence, as besides enabling a powerful musketry
fire to be poured on the near approaches of the besieger, it affords to
the garrison a secure base from which to sally in force at any hour of
the day or night.

COVERING-BOARD. _See_ PLANK-SHEER.

COVERING-PARTY. A force detached to protect a party sent on especial
duty.

COVERT-WAY. _See_ COVERED WAY.

COW. Applied by whalers to the female whale.--_To cow._ To depress with
fear.

COWARDICE, AND DESERTION OF DUTY IN FIGHT. Are criminal by law, even in
the crew of a merchant-ship. Such poltroonery is very rare.

COWD. To float slowly. A Scotch term, as "the boat cowds braely awa."

COW-HITCH. A slippery or lubberly hitch.

COWHORN. The seaman's appellation of the coehorn.

COWIE. A name among Scotch fishermen for the porpoise.

COWL. The cover of a funnel.

COWRIE. Small shells, _Cypraea moneta_, used for money or barter in
Africa and the East Indies.

COXSON, OR COXON. _See_ COCKSWAIN.

COX'S TRAVERSE. Up one hatchway and down another, to elude duty. (_See_
TOM COX.)

C.P. Mark for men sent by civil power.

CRAB. A wooden pillar, the lower end of which being let down through a
ship's decks, rests upon a socket like the capstan, and having in its
upper end three or four holes at different heights, long oars are th