NAUTICAL  DICTIONARY.                              [ICE

islands of Mauritius and Bourbon from the beginning of Novem¬
ber to the end of March and April respectively, and the effect of
these sometimes extends nearly to the coast of New Holland.
Hurricanes likewise happen near the coasts of India, particularly
in the Bay of Bengal, at the changing of the monsoons. Those
which are met with in the Chinese seas are called Typhoons,
(Horsburgh's India Directory.) When a gale comes on to blow
with extreme violence it is said to increase to a hurricane.

HUSBAND (SHIP'S). An agent for the owners of a vessel,
employed to take a general management thereof, in purchasing
stores, &c., seeing that the ship is properly repaired and equipped,
attending to the ship's papers, entering into contracts of affreight¬
ment, receiving payment of freights, recovering losses and
averages, settling with the master for wages and disbursements^
and rendering an account of the whole to his employers. He
may be either a part-owner of the ship or a stranger ; if not a
part-owner his appointment is usually made in writing. He
cannot delegate his authority. (Bell's Principles, p. 449 ; Water¬
ston's Cyclopcedia of Commerce,)

In the treatise on Naval Book-keeping, which forms the subject
of Chapter VIII. of Steel's Shipmaster's Assistant, a system of
keeping and transacting ship's husband's accounts, and those of
ship's consignees or agents, is given.

HYDRAULIC-DOCK.    See Caisson,

HYDRAULIC-PURCHASE.    See Slip (Patent),

HYDROGRAPHY. The art of surveying and describing the
watery part of the terraqueous globe with everything which is of
importance to the mariner, whether out at sea, along the coast,
or in gulfs, bays, channels, or rivers. A person skilled in this
art is called a Hydrographer,

The best modern treatise on marine or nautical surveying is
that by Captain Sir Edward Belcher, R.N. There is also a brief
treatise on this subject in Lieut, Alston's Seamanship and its
Associated Duties in the Royal Navy,

HYGROMETER. An instrument for ascertaining the quan¬
tity of moisture in the atmosphere. Mrs. Taylor in the intro¬
duction to her Lunar and Horary Tables, notices that this forms
a cheap and useful appendage to the marine barometer.

ICE-ANCHOR. An anchor resembling a pickaxe with one
arm: it is used for securing whalers to floes of ice, &c.

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