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gardeimperiale1815@fcoy.freeserve.co.uk
Naval Sayings Naval Food Naval pay
Naval Food 
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Daily food issue (as lead down by the navy board)
Bread Beef Pork Peas Oatmeal Butter Cheese Beer
Sunday 1lb - 1lb ½ pt - - - 1gal
Monday 1lb - - - 1pt 2oz 4oz 1gal
Tuesday 1lb 2lb - - - - - 1gal
Wednesday 1lb - - ½ pt 1pt 2oz 4oz 1gal
Thursday 1lb - 1lb ½ pt - - - 1gal
Friday 1lb - - ½ pt 1pt 2oz 4oz 1gal
Saturday 1lb 2lb - - - - - 1 gal
This what was supposed to be the daily issued but it never all ways was (see below)
Substitute food stuff and their typical equivalent values
1pt wine or ½ pt arrack, rum or brandy = 1pt beer
3lbs flour + 8 oz suet = 1 piece of beef (equivalent to 4lbs)
3lbs flour + 8oz raisin + 4oz suet = 1 piece of beef
2lbs potatoes or yams = 1lb of bread
4lbs rice or stockfish or 1gal wheat = 1gal oatmeal
1qt calavances (chick peas or other pulses) = 3pts of oatmeal or 1qt peas
1pt of oil = 1lb of butter
1 piece of pork (equivalent to 2lbs) = 3lbs beef
2lbs of flour + 8oz currents = 1 piece of pork and peas
3lbs of mutton = 1 piece of beef or a piece of pork and peas
4lbs flour = 1 piece of beef
2lbs currents = 1 piece of beef
4lbs raisins = 1 piece of beef
The men ate in messes, usually consisting of eight men, although the number was not fixed. One of the few privileges granted to the men was the right to change mess, which they did at the start of the month. Food was prepared by the mess cook, each member of a mess taking turns. The mess cook would collect the days ration for all the mess from pursers mate or stewards mate and, in the case of the meat tie it into a bag, and put the mess number (a small metal tag) on it. He would then deliver it to the cook who boiled all the food in a large copper pot.
Cheese
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Suffolk cheese
A "flet" cheese which was made from skimmed cow's milk, it was also known as "Suffolk bang" and mentioned by Samuel Pepys who complained that his servants would not eat it. A well-known eighteenth century saying pertained to the hard thin, and virtually inedible consistency of the cheese: "Hunger could brake through any thing except Suffolk cheese" as well as a rhyme that went "mocks the week effort of the bending blade, or in the hog-trough rest imperfect spite, too big to swallow, and to hard to bite".
Cheshire cheese
In response to the number of complaints received about the generally poor quality of Suffolk cheese, in 1758 the Navy decided to change varieties of cheese to Cheshire and Gloucester despite the fact that they did not last as long and were more expensive. The full-cream variety of Cheshire cheese was quite crumbly, and slightly salty, but more fatty and nourishing.
Gloucester - cheese
Most of the Gloucester cheese issued to the Navy was probably single Gloucester cheese. This was a "flet" type of cheese similar to Suffolk, but generally softer and more palatable.
Naval
Toasts Back
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Monday Our ships at sea.
Tuesday Our men.
Wednesday Ourselves (as no-one else is likely to concern themselves with our welfare).
Thursday A bloody war or a sickly season.
Friday A willing foe and sea room.
Saturday Sweethearts and wives (may they never meet).
Sunday Absent friends.
Nautical
origins of common phases and sayings
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Aback- to be taken back
A dangerous situation when the wind veers so that it is the wrong side of the sails, pushing them back against the mast making the ship suddenly slow, which could have drastic consequences.
Back and fill
To alternately fill and empty the sails of wind, which is a type of tacking when the tide is with the ship but the wind is a not, also used when the ship is manoeuvring in a narrow space.
Barrel - over a barrel
When a sailor was to be flogged he would be tied to a grating, mast or over a barrel.
Bear down
Moving downwind rapidly towards another ship or land mark.
Berth (to give a wide berth)
A berth is were a ship is anchored or moored, to make sure that they did not hit each other when swinging with the wind or tide it was important to anchor or moor them far enough apart
Bitter - the bitter end
The Bitts (or riding bits) are large oak posts at the bow of the ship and at the masts. The ones at the bow were for the fastening the ends of the anchor cable (the ones near the masts being for the ends of the rigging ropes). When all the anchor cable is paid out the bitter end is reached.
Board - above board
Board refers to the deck e.g. deck board, so every thing on or above the open deck and in plain view would be above board.
Board - gone by the board
Anything that has gone over board or was seen floating past the ship was considered to be lost at sea.
Buoyed up
Using a buoy to raise the bright (the part of a rope, cable or chain between the ends) of an anchor chain to prevent it from abrasion on the seabed.
By and large
"By" in this context mean to sail in to the wind and sail by the wind means to sail into it as nearly as you can be managed. "Large" means to sail with the wind blowing from the stern. So to say a by and large a ship sails well means it handles well in to the wind and with the wind (the wind blowing from the stern)
Cat - no room to swing a cat
The cat-o-nine-tails (a type of whip) consisted of nine noted ropes each about eighteen inches long being fixed to a handle made of stoat rope. This was used as an implement issue corporal punishment (flogging). Flogging being given for the more serious crimes and for which the death penalty was not appropriate. Hence the saying no room to swing a cat
Cat - to let the cat out of the bag
The cat-o-nine-tails was kept in ether a leather or baize bag. So to let the "cat" out of the bag would mean that the individual would be flogged.
Chock-a-block
When two blocks (a block consists of one or more pulleys held in a wooden housing) of rigging tackle were so hard together that they couldn't be tightened further they were said to be "chock a block".
Copper-bottomed
Royal Navy ships wooden hull bellow the water line were covered with a thin layer of copper which help prevent the wood hull being eaten away. So making the ship far more reliable
Crow - as the crow flies
A crow released at sea will fly towards the nearest land. A ships Captain, if unsure of his closest landfall would therefore order a caged crow to be set lose. Watching the direction of the bird's flight, so providing the vessel with necessary navigational fix.
Cut and run
The possible origins of these comes from the practise of cutting the lashings on all sails to helping quick get away and then running before the wind regardless of direction the ship took or from cut the anchor cable and sailing a way for the same reasons.
Devil - between the devil and the deep blue sea
The devil seam was the seam in the deck planking closest to the side of the ship. I f a sailor slipped on deck, he could find him self between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Devil - the devil to pay
To "pay" the deck seams means to seal them with tar (caulking). The devil seam at the side of the ship was the most difficult to pay because it was curved and intersected with the straight planking. The ships waterline seam was also known as the devil, and was equally as hard to caulk.
Dressing down
"Dressing down" was the process of treating old or worn sails with oil or wax to refurbish them and make them water resistant. An officer or sea man who was severely reprimanded was said to have received a dressing down.
First rate
British navel ship were rated as to the number of heavy cannons (long guns) they carried (carronades and small cannon were not included in the listing of the number of guns carried). First rate mounted 100 or more guns; second rates 90 to 98: third rates 64 to 89; fourth rates 50 to 60 guns: and frigates carrying between 20 to 48 guns were ether fifth or sixth rated. Originally, therefore to call some thing "fifth rate", for example, did not mean that it was inferior, merely smaller or less powerful.
Fly-by-night
A large sail used only for sailing down wind which required little attention.
Footloose
The foot is the bottom part of a sail. If it is not secured it flaps in the wind
Garbled
The prohibited practice of mixing rubbish with the cargo was known as "garbling"
Groggy
In 1740 the British Admiral Edward Vernon (whose nick name was " old Grogram", from the cloak of grogram he wore) wile stationed in the West Indies ordered that instead of brandy being issued to sailors that rum diluted to one part run to four part water then mixed with lemon juice and sugar. The mixture was nick named "grog" and if too much was drunk then it would make men "groggy".
Gun - son of a gun
Occasionally children were born aboard British warships and a convenient place for this was between the guns on the gun deck. If a male child's father was not known, the newborn was entered in the ships log as "son of a gun".
Jib - the cut of (some one or something's) jib
War ships would often have their triangular jib sails (the fore-and-aft sails at the bow of the ship, most of the other sails being horizontal square sails) cut down to make them narrower so that they could "maintain point" (i.e. heading) and not be blown of course. Upon sighting narrow foresails on a distant ship a captain, especially of a merchantman might not like the cut of his jib (for it might signify a warship possibly an enemy one) and would then have an opportunity to escape.
Leeway
The lee is the side of the ship that is sheltered from the wind and the lee shore is a shore that is down wind of the ship. A ship with out enough leeway therefore risked being driven on to the shore.
Line - to toe the line
When called to line up at attention on the deck, the crew would form up with their toe touching a seam in the deck planking.
Logger heads - to be at logger heads
A loggerhead was long handled implement with an iron ball at one end. The ball was heated and then used to seal the pitch in deck seams, and the expression probably originated because it was occasionally used as a weapon by quarrelling crewmen.
Offing - to be in the offing
The offing is the more distant part of the sea seen from land - hence, a good distance from shore and thus barely visible from land. The much loved English folk song "Blow the Wind Southerly" includes the line "They told me last night there was a ship in the offing", in other words a ship approaching the harbour and safety.
Overbearing
To overbear means to sail down wind directly at another (usually enemy) ship, thus, when close enough, diverting the wind from her sails. Hence also the expression "to take the wind from someone's sails".
Overwhelm
In nautical terms, to over whelmed means to be capsized or to sink, often as the result of bring swamped by a heavy sea.
Pipe down
Lights out and silence were signalled by the last call of the bosun's pipe at end of the day.
Pooped
To be pooped oregenally meant to be swamped by a heavy following sea. The poop deck, found only in the larger ships, is a small deck at the aftermost end of the quart deck i.e. at the stern of his boat.
Ropes - to know the ropes
There were miles and miles of cordage in the rigging of a sail ship. It took an experienced seaman to know the position and function of all the ropes, halyards stays, sheets and so on.
Rummage sail
From the French arrumage meaning ships cargo. Damaged cargo was sold off at reduced prices at a rummage sale.
Sails - taking the wind out of someone's sails
To sail close to another ship in such a way and from such a direction as to steal or divert the wind from her sails.
Scuttlebutt
The scuttlebutt was a barrel of drinking water set on the deck for all to use: it tended to be the place where the ships gossip was exchanged.
Service - to press in to service
Impressment, carried out by press gangs, was one of the means by which the navy filled its ships crew quotas - in essence, by kidnapping men and forcing them into service
Shake - no great shakes
Empty casks were taken shaken (taken apart) so the pieces, call shakes, could be stored in a small space as possible. These shakes have very little value.
Skyscraper
The small triangular sail above the skysail used to maximize the benefits of a light wind
Slate to start over with a clean slate
The watch keeper would record the speeds, distance, heading and tacks during the watch on a slate. If there were no problems during the watch, the slate would be wiped clean so that the new watch could start over with a clean slate.
Slush fund
Fat was obtained by boiling or scrapping the empty barrels in which salted meat had been stored. The slush was often sold to the purser or ashore by the ships cook, for him self or the crew. The money that resulted became none as slush fond.
Square meals
Hot meals were served on square platters.
Touch and Go
When, in shallow water or over shoals, the ships keel touches or brushes the bottom but does not become grounded, leaving the vessel able to move off again.
Weather - to be under the weather
A crew man standing watch on the weather 9the windward, (as opposed to the lee) side of the bow will be subject to the constant beating of the sea, and thus "under the weather.
Pay
by Rank per lunar month At 1806 Back
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Admirals as Commander in Chief £154
Admiral £107
Vice Admirals £77
Rear Admiral £53
Captain (1st rate) £32. 4s
" (2nd rate) £26. 10s
" (3rd rate) £23
" (4th rate) £18. 5s
" (5th rate) £16 16s
" (6th Rate & sloops) £16. 16s
Lieutenants £8. 8s
Midshipmen, dependant on rate £2 to £2 15s. 6d.
Masters (1st Rate) £12 12s.
" (2nd Rate) £11 11s
" (3rd Rate) £10 10s
" (4th Rate) £9 9s
" (5th Rate) £8 8s
" (6th Rate & sloops) £6 6s
Warrant Officers, dependant on rate:
Carpenter £3 1s to £5 16s.
Boatswain, Gunner, Purser £3 1s. to £4 16s.
Master's Mate £2 12s to £3 16s
Master at Arms, Armourer £2 6s to £2 15s. 6d.
Petty Officers, dependant on rate: £1 16s 6d. to £2 5s. 6d.
Able Seamen £1 13s. 6d.
Ordinary Seamen £1 5s. 6d.
Landsman £1 2s 6d
FATALATIES IN THE ROYAL NAVY IN 1810
CAUSE
OF
DEATH
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By Disease 2592
By Individual Accident 1630
By Foundering, Wreck, Fire, Explosion 530
By the Enemy, killed in action 281
By the Enemy, died of wounds 150
RANK
SHARE 1808
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CAPTAIN 2/8**
CAPTAINS of Marines,Lieutenants,Master and Physician, = share in 1/8
LIEUTENANTS of Marines,Secretary of Admiral,Principal Warrant Officers, Masters Mates,Chaplain, = shares in 1/8
MIDSHIPMEN, Inferior Warrant Officers, Principal Warrant Officers Mates, Marine Sergeants, the rest = shares in 4/8
**Flag Officers to have one third of Captain's share.