white object thrown immediately after it will greatly guide the
creeping.

CREES. _See_ KRIS.

CREMAILLEE. More commonly called _indented_ (which see), with regard to
lines or parapets.

CRENELLE. A loop-hole in a fortress.

CRENG. _See_ KRANG.

CREOLE. This term applies in the West Indies and Spanish America, &c.,
to a person of European and unmixed origin, but colonial born.

CREPUSCULUM. _See_ TWILIGHT.

CRESPIE. A northern term for a small whale or a grampus.

CRESSET. A beacon light set on a watch-tower.

CRESSIT. A small crease or dagger.

CREST. The highest part of a mountain, or range of mountains, and the
summit of a sea-wave.

CREW. Comprehends every officer and man on board ship, borne as
complement on the books. There are in ships of war several particular
crews or gangs, as the gunner's, carpenter's, sail-maker's,
blacksmith's, armourer's, and cooper's crews.

CRIB. A small berth in a packet.

CRICK. A small jack-screw.

CRIMPS. Detested agents who trepan seamen, by treating, advancing money,
&c., by which the dupes become indebted, and when well plied with liquor
are induced to sign articles, and are shipped off, only discovering
their mistake on finding themselves at sea robbed of all they
possessed.

CRINGLE. A short piece of rope worked grommet fashion into the bolt-rope
of a sail, and containing a metal ring or thimble. The use of the
cringle is generally to hold the end of some rope, which is fastened
thereto for the purpose of drawing up the sail to its yard, or extending
the skirts or leech by means of bowline _bridles_, to stand upon a
side-wind. The word seems to be derived from the old English _crencled_,
or circularly formed. Cringles should be made of the strands of new
bolt-rope. Those for the reef and reef-tackle pendant are stuck through
holes made in the tablings.

CRINKYL. The cringle or loop in the leech of a sail.

CRIPPLE, TO. To disable an enemy's ship by wounding his masts, yards,
and steerage gear, thereby placing him _hors de combat_.

CRISS-CROSS. The mark of a man who cannot write his name.

CROAKER. A tropical fish which makes a _cris-cris_ noise.

CROAKY. A term applied to plank when it curves much in short lengths.

CROCHERT. A hagbut or hand cannon, anciently in use.

CROCK [Anglo-Saxon, _croca_]. An earthen mess-vessel, and the usual
vegetables were called crock-herbs. In the _Faerie Queene_ Spenser cites
the utensil:--

"Therefore the vulga