WHE]                            NAUTICAL  DICTIONARY.

also implies the thing wrecked, whether the ship or goods or any
part of them be spoken of.

WRECK INTELLIGENCER, or SMITH'S PATENT
BUOY. A contrivance the object of which is to preserve ships'
papers in case of shipwreck, he, ' It consists of a hollow
copper sphere, the buoyancy of which is further increased by
cork floats; the upper part is closed by a lid fixed with screws
and made water-tight by an india-rubber washer. It is weighted
at bottom, so that it floats always mouth uppermost. To attract
attention and be visible at a great distance, the lid is surmounted
by a rod carrying a sphere of glass silvered in its interior, or by
a piece of glass cut into a series of planes, and the upper part of
the buoy is painted in stripes of variously-contrasted colours.'

WRECKERS. A term reproachfully applied to men who
feloniously seek to enrich themselves with plunder from wrecks.
It is sometimes also applied to salvors.

WRING a mast. To bend it by putting an undue strain upon
the shrouds.

WRIST of an anckor. The continuation of the arm in a
square or rounded form towards the palm or fluke. See
description oi Anchor, 1.

WRUNG-STAFF.    A name commonly given to the Wrain-
 

XEBEC (Fr, Chebec). A small vessel of the Mediterranean,
very sharp built, having a great projection of bow and stern. It
is navigated with sails and oars. Some of them are rigged with
square sails set on pole-masts; others carry lateen sails. The
foremast is usually stayed forward.    (Diet, de marine a voiles.)

YACHT. A vessel of pleasure or state, whether propelled by
sails or by steam power. In the latter case it is termed a steam
yacht.

Hunt's Yachthig Magazine contains a description of the
building, masting, rigging, sailing, and general management of
yachts.

YARD. A long cylindrical piece of timber having a rounded
taper towards each end, slung by its centre to a mast. The
yards are used for spreading square sails upon ; they have sheave-
holes near their extremities for the sheets reeving through.
(Plates III. IV. and V.)
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