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162 THOMPSON'S COAST PILOT. Pitching, the movement of a ship, by which she plunges her head and after part alternately into the hollow of the sea. Point-blank, the direction of a gun when leveled horizontally. Points, a number of plaited ropes made fast .to the sails for the purpose of reefing. Poop, the highest and aftermost deck of a ship. Pooping, the shock of a high and heavy sea upon the stern and quarter of a ship, when she scuds before the wind in a tempest. Port, a name given, on some occasions, to the larboard side of the ship; as T he ship heels to port, Top the yards to port, etc.; also, a harbor or haven. Ports, the holes in the ship's sides from which the guns are fired. "Port the helm!" the order to put the helm over to the larboard side. Port-last, the gunwale. | Press of sail, all the sail that a ship can set or carry. Preventer, an additional rope employed at times to support any other, when the latter suffers an unusual strain, particularly when blowing fresh, or in a gale of wind. | Pudding and dolphin, a large and lesser pad made of ropes, and put 'round the mast under the lower yards. Purchase, any sort of mechanical power employed in raising or moving heavy bodies, © QUARTERS, the respective stations of the officers and people in time of action.--Quartering, distributing the men into different places.--Quarter- bill, the list of the ship's company, with théir stations for action noticed. Quarter-wind is when the wind blows in from that part of the horizon situated on the quarter of the ship. See On the quarter. Quoil.--See To coil the cable, etc. | To RAISE, to elevate any distant object at sea by approaching it; thus to rawse the land is used in opposition to lay the land. To rake, to cannonade a ship at the stern or head, so that the balls scour the whole length of the decks. Range of cable, a sufficient length of cable drawn upon deck before the anchor is cast loose, to admit of its sinking to the bottom without any check. Latiines, the small ropes fastened to the shrouds, by which the men go aloft. 2 Reach, the distance between any two points on the banks of a river, wherein the current flows in an uninterrupted course. " Ready about!" a command of the boatswain to the crew, and implies that all hands are to be attentive, and at their stations for taking. fear, the last division of a squadron, or the last squadron of a fleet. It _is applied likewise to the last ship of a line, squadron, or division. \