go the grapnel; the corruption of keel-hook or anchor.

DOWN OARS! The order on shoving off a boat when the men have had them
"tossed up."

DOWNS. An accumulation of drifted sand, which the sea gathers along its
shores. The name is also applied to the anchorage or sea-space between
the eastern coast of Kent and the Goodwin Sands, the well-known
roadstead for ships, stretching from the South to the North Foreland,
where both outward and homeward-bound ships frequently make some stay,
and squadrons of men-of-war rendezvous in time of war. It is defended by
the castles of Sandwich, Deal, and Dover.

DOWN WIND, DOWN SEA. A proverbial expression among seamen between the
tropics, where the sea is soon raised by the wind, and when that abates
is soon smooth again.

DOWN WITH THE HELM! An order to put the helm a-lee.

DOWSING CHOCK. A breast-hook or piece fayed athwart the apron and lapped
on the knight-heads, or inside stuff, above the upper deck; otherwise
termed _hawse-hook_.

DOYLT. Lazy or stupid.

DO YOU HEAR THERE? An inquiry following an order, but very often
needlessly.

DRABLER. A piece of canvas laced on the bonnet of a sail to give it more
drop, or as Captain Boteler says--"As the bonnet is to the course, so in
all respects is the drabler to the bonnet." It is only used when both
course and bonnet are not deep enough to clothe the mast.

DRACHMA. A Greek coin, value sevenpence three farthings sterling; 14
cents. American or Spanish real.

DRAFT, OR DRAUGHT. A small allowance for waste on goods sold by weight.

DRAFT OF HANDS. A certain number of men appointed to serve on board a
particular man-of-war, who are then said to be _drafted_. A transfer of
hands from one ship to complete the complement of another.

DRAG. A machine consisting of a sharp square frame of iron encircled
with a net, and commonly used to rake the mud off from the platform or
bottom of the docks, or to clean rivers, or for dragging on the bottom
for anything lost. Also, a creeper.

DRAG FOR THE ANCHOR, TO. The same as _creep_ or _sweep_.

DRAGGING. An old word for dredging.

DRAGGING ON HER. Said of a vessel in chase, or rounding a point, when
she is obliged to carry more canvas to a fresh wind than she otherwise
would.

DRAG-NET. A trawl or net to draw on the bottom for flat-fish.

DRAGOMAN. The name for a Turkish interpreter; it is corrupted from
_tarij-man_.

DRAGON. An old name for a musketoon.

DRAGON BEAM OR PIECE.