SPRING

SPRING is also a rope passed out of one extremity of a ship and attached to a cable proceeding from the other, when the lies at anchor. It is usually performed to bring the ship's broad-side, or battery of cannon, to bear upon some distant object; as another ship, or a fortress on the coast, &c. When a Ship rides by anchors which are only carried out of one end, she will swing upon the surface of the water like a weather-cock, according to the direction of the wind; unless when the wind is opposed by a current. Now, if instead of being fastened at one end, she is attached by ropes, which, proceeding from her head and stern towards the same fource, sustain an equal effort of the wind, it is evident that her side will be presented to the wind; and that, by slackening one of those ropes, and keeping fast the other, her side will lie more or less obliquely to the wind, so as to be .opposed to any distant object to the right or left.

Thus, if a ship rides with her head northerly, and it is required to cannonade a fortress lying on the south, or south-East, a hawser is run out of the stern, and being carried forward, without her side, is attached to the cable, at a competent distance ahead of the ship; the hawser is then tightened by the capstern or tackles, and the cable being slackened, the ship immediately turns her side towards the object intended to be battered.

SPRING is likewise a rope reaching diagonally from the stern of a ship to the head of another which lies along-side or abreast of her, at a short distance. This is generally performed to make one of the ships sheer off, to a greater distance from the other; or to make merchant-ships lie uniformly in the same tier. Springs of this sort are therefore occasionally applied from a ship, to a wharf or key, for the same purposes.

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