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WAKE
WAKE, (houaiche, fillage, Fr.) the print or track impressed by the course of a ship on the surface of the water. It is formed by the re-union of the body of water, which was separated by the ship's bottom whilst moving through it; and may be seen to a considerable distance behind the stern, as smoother than the rest of the sea. Hence it is usually observed by the compass, to discover the angle of LEE-WAY.A ship is said to be in the wake, (dans l'eau, Fr.) of another, when the follows her on the same track, or on a line supposed to be formed on the continuation of her keel. Thus the ships a b, fig. II. and a b, fig. 7. plate V. are all in the wake of the foremost b. See the article LINE.
Two distant objects observed at sea are called in the wake of each other, when the view of the furthest is intercepted by the nearest; so that the observer's eye and the two objects are all placed upon the same right line.
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© Derived from Thomas Cadell's new corrected edition, London: 1780, page 310, 2003
Prepared by Paul Turnbull
http://southseas.nla.gov.au/refs/falc/1458.html