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THOMPSON'S COAST PILOT. : 187 Cun, to direct.--To cun a ship, is to direct the man at the helm how to steer. To cut and run; to cut the cable, and make sail instantly, without waiting to weigh anchor. Davit, along beam of timber, used as a crane, whereby to hoist the flukes of the anchor to the top of the bow, without injuring the planks of _ the ship's sides as it ascends. There is always a davit, of a smaller kind, fixed to the long-boat to weigh the anchor by the buoy-rope. To deaden a ship's way, to impede her progress through the water. Dead eyes, blocks of wood through which the laniards of the shrouds are reeved. Dead-lights,.a kind of window shutter for the windows in the stern of a ship, used in very bad weather only. Dead-water, the eddy of water, which appears like whirlpools, closing in with the ship's stern as she sails on. : Dead-wind, the wind right against the ship, or blowing from the very point to which she wants to go. Dismasted, the state of a ship that has lost her masts. Dog-vane, a small vane with feathers and cork, and placed on the ship's quarter, for the men at cun and helm to see the course of the wind by. Dog-watch, the watehel from four to six, and from six to eight in the evening. Doubling, the act of sailing round, or passing beyond, a cape or point of land.-- Doubling wpon, the act of inclosing any part of a hostile fleet between two fires, or of cannonading it on both sides. Douse, to lower suddenly, or slacken; to strike or haul down; as, Douse the top-gallant-sails, that is, lower them. Down-haul, the rope by which any sail is hauled down, as. the jib down-haul. Lo drag the anchor, to trail it along the bottom, after it is loosened from the ground. To draw. When a sail is inflated by the wind, so as to advance the vessel in her course, the sail is sad to draw: and so, To keep all drawing, is to inflate all the sails. 2 Drifi, the angle which the line of a ship's motion makes with the nearest meridian, when she drives with her side to the wind and waves, and is not governed by the power of the helm. It also implies the distance which the ship drives on that line. Driver, a large sail set upon the mizzen-yards in light winds.--Drive, The ship drives, that is, her anchor comes through the ground. Drop, used sometimes to denote the depth of a sail; as, Zhe fore-top- sail drops twelve yards. To drop anchor, used synonymously with to anchor. To drop astern, the retrograde motion of a ship. Dunnage, a quantity of loose wood, etc., laid at the bottom of a ship, to keep the goods from being damaged.