COMPASS, TO. To curve; also to obtain one's object.
COMPASSIONATE ALLOWANCES. Grants are made on the compassionate fund to the legitimate children of deceased officers, on its being shown to the Admiralty that they deserve them.
COMPASS-SAW. A narrow saw, which, inserted in a hole bored by a centre-bit, follows out required curves.
COMPASS-TIMBERS. Such as are curved, crooked, or arched, for ship-building.
COMPENSATION. If a detained vessel is lost by the negligence and misconduct of the prize-master, compensation must be rendered, and the actual captors are responsible. The principal being answerable in law for the agent's acts.
COMPENSATOR OF THE COMPASS. _See_ MAGNETIC COMPENSATOR.
COMPLAIN, TO. The creaking of masts, or timbers, when over-pressed, without any apparent external defect. One man threatening to complain of another, is saying that he will report misconduct to the officer in charge of the quarter-deck.
COMPLEMENT. The proper number of men employed in any ship, either for navigation or battle. In navigation the complement of the course is what it wants of eight points; of latitude, what it is short of 90°. (_See_ CO-LATITUDE.)
COMPLEMENT OF LONGITUDE. _See_ SUPPLEMENT OF LONGITUDE.
COMPLETE BOOK. A book which contains the names and particulars of every person borne for wages on board, as age, place of birth, rating, times of entry and discharge, &c.
COMPLIMENT, TO. To render naval or military honour where due.
COMPO. The monthly portion of wages paid to the ship's company.
COMPOSITION NAILS. Those which are made of mixed metal, and which, being largely used for nailing on copper sheathing, are erroneously called _copper nails_.
COMPOUND. A term used in India for a lawn garden, or inclosed ground round a house.
COMPRADOR [Sp]. A Chinese contractor in shipping concerns, or in purchasing present supplies.
COMPRESS. A pad of soft linen used by the surgeon for the dressing of a wound.
COMPRESSION OF THE POLES. The amount of flattening at the polar regions of a planet, by which the polar diameter is less than the equatorial.
COMPRESSOR. A mechanism generally adopted afloat for facilitating the working of the large guns recently introduced; the gun-carriage is thus compressed to its slide or platform during the recoil, and set free again by the turn of a handle for running up. It is of various forms; one of the simpler kind used to be always applied to carronade slides.