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PACKET or PACKET-BOAT to PARSLING
PARTING to PAYING-OFF
PAYING-OUT, or PAYING-AWAY to PILOT
PIN of a block to PLANKING
PLAT to POLE-MAST
Under bare POLES to PRAM or PRAME
Under bare POLES
POMIGLION
PONTOON
POOP
POOP-ROYAL
POOPING
PORT
PORTS
POWDER-CHESTS
PRAM or PRAME
PRATIC to PROP
PROTEST to PURSER
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POWDER-CHESTS
POWDER-CHESTS, certain small boxes, charged with powder and a quantity of old nails, or splinters of iron, and fastened occasionally on the decks and sides of a ship, in order to be discharged on an enemy who attempts to seize her by boarding. See that article.These cases are usually from 12 to 18 inches in length, and about 8 or 10 in breadth, having their outer or upper-part terminating in an edge. They are nailed to several places of the quarter, the quarter-deck and bulkhead of the waist, having a train of powder which communicates with the inner apartments of the ship, so as to be fired at pleasure to annoy the enemy. They are particularly used in merchant-ships, which are furnished with close-quarters to oppose the boarders. See CLOSE-QUARTERS.
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© Derived from Thomas Cadell's new corrected edition, London: 1780, page 219, 2003
Prepared by Paul Turnbull
http://southseas.nla.gov.au/refs/falc/0982.html