OURT BEETLE. A heavy mallet. There is an old proverb: "A Dover
court; all speakers and no hearers."

"A Dover court beetle, and wedges with steel,
Strong lever to raise up the block from the wheel."--_Tusser._

DOVE-TAIL. The fastening or letting in of one timber into another by a
dove-tailed end and score, so that they hold firmly together, and cannot
come asunder endwise. The operation of cutting the mortise is called
dove-tailing.

DOVE-TAIL PLATES. Metal plates resembling dove-tails in form, let into
the heel of the stern-post and the keel, to bind them together; and also
those used for connecting the stem-foot with the fore end of the keel.

DOWAL. A coak of metal in a sheave.

DOWBREK. A northern term for the fish also called spaerling or smelt.

DOWEL. A cylindrical piece of hard wood about three inches in diameter,
and the same in length, used as an additional security in scarphing two
pieces of timber together. Dowels are also used to secure the joinings
of the felloes, or circumferential parts of wheels; and by coopers in
joining together the contiguous boards forming the heads of
casks.--_Dowel_, or _dowel-bit_, is the tool used to cut the holes for
the dowels.

DOWELLING. The method of uniting the butts of the frame-timbers together
with a cylindrical piece or tenon let in at each end.

DOWN ALL CHESTS! The order to get all the officers' and seamen's chests
down below from off the gun-decks when clearing the ship for an
engagement.

DOWN ALL HAMMOCKS! The order for all the sailors to carry their hammocks
down, and hang them up in their respective berths in readiness to go to
bed, or to lessen top-weight and resistance to wind in chase.

DOWN ALONG. Sailing coastways down Channel.

DOWN EAST. Far away in that bearing. This term, as _down west_, &c., is
an Americanism, recently adopted into our vernacular.

DOWNFALLS. The descending waters of rivers and creeks.

DOWN-HAUL. A rope passing up along a stay, leading through cringles of
the staysails or jib, and made fast to the upper corner of the sail to
pull it down when shortening sail. Also, through blocks on the outer
clues to the outer yard-arms of studding-sails, to take them in
securely. Also, the cockpit term for a great-coat.

DOWN-HAUL TACKLES. Employed when lower yards are struck in bad weather
to prevent them from swaying about after the trusses are unrove.

DOWN IN THE MOUTH. Low-spirited or disheartened.

DOWN KILLOCK! Let