S I G
[72]
S I G
I
times with Drums and Trumpets. At Sea, Signals are given by Canon or Musket Shot, by Lights, Sails, Flags, fifa
Signals have been in Ufe in ail Ages. The Ancients who had no regular Couriers or Pofts, made Ufe thereof to convey Intelligence of what pafs'd at a great Diftance. For which Purpoie they placed Sentinels on the Heights, from Space to Space ; tome Mention whereof, we find made by Homer himtelf. Iliad 0. v. S5h £&• Odyjf. 3. v. 16 u Thole People thus difpofeds lighted Fires, or Flambeaux in the Night-time. In the Agamemnon of OEfchilus, that Prince at his Departure for Troy, promifes Clytemnefira, that the very Day the City ihould be raken, he would ap- ,rize her of his Victory by Fires lighted Expreis. He keeps Word, and Tidings are brought the Princefs, that Troy is taken, and that Agamemnon's Signals are feen. Front inus obferves, they were in Ufe among the Arabs ; and Bonaven- tura Vulcamzis, in his Scholia on Ariftotle's Book de Mundo, adds, That while the Moors were Matters of the greateft Part of Spain, they built on the Tops of the Mountains, an Infinity of Turrets, or Watch-houles,call'd in the Arabic, Atalayas, a Word the Spaniards itill retain $ whence, by Fires, they could immediately alarm the whole Kingdom. Indeed the Cuftom was much more Ancient than the Moors 'in Spain, jp. Curtius obferyes, 'twas very frequent among the Afiaticks, in the Time of Alexander. Lhy and Qefar both mention it as ufed among the Romans. To/ydore Virgil ftiews it of great Antiquity in England ; and Boefhius adds, that in feveral Places in England, there are the Remains of huge Poles that have ferved tor this Purpofe, See Beacon. Signals at Sea, are Signs made at Sea, by the Admiral or Commander in Chief of a Squadron of Ships, either in the Day or by Night, either for Sailing or Fighting, or for the better Security of the Merchant Ships, under the Con- voy of Men of War : Thefe Signals are very Numerous and very Important ^ all appointed and determined by Order of the Lord High Admiral, or Lords of the Admiralty.
Signals by Day,
When the Commander in Chief would have them pre- pare for Sailing, he firft loofes his Fore-top-tail, and then the whole Fleet ate to do the fame. When he would have them Unmoor, he loofes his Main-top fail, and fires a Gun, which in the Royal Navy is to be anfwered by every Flag- ihip, When he would have them Weigh, he loofes his Fore- top-tail, and fires a Gun, and tbmetimes hawls home his Sheets: The Gun is to be anfwered by every Flag-fhip, and every Ship to get to Sail as fbon as it can. If with the Lee- ward-fide, the' Stern-moft Ship is to weigh firft. When he would have the Weather-mot!:, and Hcad-moft Ships to Tack fir ft, he hoifts the Union-Flag at the Fore- top-ma tl- head, and fires a Gun, which each Flag-jfhip antwers ; but if he would have the Stern-moil, and Leeward-moft Ships to Tack firft, he hoifts the Union Flag at the Mizen-top- maft-head, and fires a Gun ; and when he would have all the whole Fleet Tack, he hoifts an Union, both on the Fore, and Mizen-top-maft-heads, and fires a Gun. When in bad Weather, he would have them Wear, and bring to the other Tack, he hoifts a Pendant *>n the Enfign-ftafF, and fires a Gun : And then the Leeward-moft and Stern-moft Ships are io Wear firft, and bring on the other Tack, and He by, or go on with an eafy Sail, rill he comes ahead: Every Flag is to anfwer with the fame Signal. If they are lying by, or Sailing by a Wind, and the Admiral would have them bear up and Sail before the Wind, he hoifts his Enfign, and fires a Gun, which the Flags are to anfwer : And then the Leeward-moft Ships are to bear up firft, and to give Room for the Weather-moft to Wear, and fail before the Wind with an eafy Sail, till the Admiral comes a-head. But if it jhould happen when the Admiral hath Occafion to Wear and Sail before the Wind, that both Jack and Enfign be abroad, he will haul down the Jack, before he fires the Gun to Wear, and keeps it down, till the Fleet is before the Wind. When they are failing before the Wind, and he would have them bring to, with the Star-board Tacks Aboard, he hoifts a Red Flag at the Flag-ftafF, on the Mizen-top-maft-head, and fires a Gun. But if they are to bring to, with the Lar- board Tack, he hoifts a Blue Flag at the fame Place, and fires a Gun, and every Ship to anfwer the Gun. When any Ship difcovers Land, he is to hoift his Jack and Enfign, and keep u abroad, till the Admiral or Commander in Chief anfwer him, by hoifting his ; on Sight of which, he is to hawl down his Enfign. If any difcovers Danger, he is to Tack and bear up from it, and to aw Jack abroad from the Main- top-maft Crofs-trees, and fire two Guns; but if he fhould ftrike or ftick faft, then, betides the fame Signal with his Jack, he is to keep firing, till he fees all the Fleet oblerve him, and endeavour to avoid the Danger. When any fees a Ship or Ships more than rhc Fleet, he is to put abroad his Enfign, and there keep it, till the Admiral's is out, and then to lower it, as often as he fees Ships, and ftand in with them, that fo the Admiral may know which Way they are,
and how many j but if he be at fuch a Diftance, that the Enfign can't well be difcovered, he is then to lay his Head towards the Ship or Ships fo defcry'd, and to brail up his low Sails, and continue hoifting, and lowering his Top-lails, and making a Weft with his Top-gallant Sails, till he is perceived by the Admiral. When the Admiral would have the Vice-Admiral, or he that commands in the Second l'oft of the Fleet, to lend out Ships to Chale, he hoifts a Flag, ftriped White and Red, on the Flag-ftafF, at the Fore-top- maft-head, and fires a Gun. But if he would have the Rear-Admiral do fb, he then hoifts the lame Signal ou the Flag-ftafF, at the Mizen-top-maft-head, and 'fires a Gun. When the Admiral would have any Ship to Chafe to Wind- ward, he makes a Signal for fpeaking with the Captain, and he hoifts a Red Flag in the Mizen-fhrouds, and fires a Gun: But if to Chafe to Leeward, a Blue Flag; and the fame Signal is made by the Flag, in whofe Divifion that Ship is. When he would have them give over Chafe, he hoifts a White Flag on his Flag-ftafF at the Fore-tpp-maft- head, and fires a Gun ; Which Signal is to be made alto, by that Flag-fhip, which is neareft rh'e Ship that gives Chale, till the chafing Ship' fees the Signal, In cafe oftpringinga Leak, or any other Difafter, that difables their Ship from keeping Company, they are to hawl up their Courles, and fire two Guns. When any Ship would ipeak with the Ad- miral, he muft fpread an Englifo Enfign, from the Head of his Main, or Fore, Top-maft, downwards on the Shrowds, lowering his Main, or Fore, Top fail, and firing Guns, till the Admiral obterve him ; and if any Ship perceive this, and, judgeth the Admiral doth not, that Ship muft make the fame Signal, and make the belt of his Way to acquaint the Admiral therewith, who will anfwer by firing one Gun, When the Admiral would have the Fleet to prepare to Anchor, he hoifts an Enfign, ftriped Red, Blue and White on the Enfign-ftaff, and fires a Gun, and every Flag-fhip makes the fame Signal. If he would have the Fleet Moor, he hoifts his Mizen-top-fail, with the Clew-lines hawled up, and fires a Gun. If he would have the Fleet cut oj flip, he loofeth both his Top-faits, and fires two Guns 5 and then the Leeward Ships are to cut or ilip firft, to give Room to the Weathermoft to come to Sail. So if he would have any particular Ship to cut or flip, and ro Chafe to Windward, he makes the Signal for fpeaking with that Ship, hoifts a Red Flag in the Mizen-fhrowds, and fires a Gun : But if the Ship is to Chale to Leeward, he hoifts a Blue Flag as before. If he would have the Fleet excrcife their Small Arms, he hoifts a Red Flag on the Enfign-ftaff, and fires a Gun ; but if the great Guns, then he puts up a Pendant over the Red Flag.
Signals by Night $
To be obferved at an Anchor, weighing Anchor, and Sailing, are as follow. When the Admiral would have the Fleet, to Unmoor, and ride fhorr, he hangs out three Lights, one over another in the Main-top-maft Shrowds, over the conftant Light in the Main-top, and fires two Guns, which are to be anfwered by Flag-Ships 5 and each private Ship hangs out a Light in the Mizen Shrowds. Note, That all Guns, fired for Signals in the Night, muft be fired on the fame Side, that they may make no Altera- tion in the Sound. When he would have them Weigh, he hangs a Light in the Main-top-maft Shrowds, and fires a Gun, which is to be anfwered by all the Flags, and every private Ship muft: hang out a Light in his Mizen-Shrowd. When he would have them Tack, he hoifts two Flags on the Enfign-StafT, one over another, above the conftant Light in his Poop, and fires a Gun, which is to be an- fwered by all the Flags 5 and every private Ship is to hang out a Light extraordinary, which is not to be taken in, till the Admiral takes in his. After the Signal is made, the Leeward-moft, and Stern-moft Ships mutt Tack as faft a* they can, and the Stern-moft Flag-fhip, after he is about on the other Tack, is to lead the Fleet, and him they are to follow, to avoid running through one another in the Dark. When he is upon a Wind, and would have the Fleet Veer, and bring to on the other Tack, he hoifts up one Light at the Mizen-peek, and fires three Guns, which is to be anfwer'd by the Flag fhips, and every private Ship muft anfwer, with one Light ar the Mizen-peek. The Stern-moft, and Leeward-moft Ships, are to bear up (0 foon as the Signal is made. When he would have them, i° blowing Weather, to lie a Try, Short, or a Hull, or with the Head-fails brae'd to the Maft, he will form Lights of equal Height, and fire five Guns, which are to be anfwer'd by the Flag-lhips, and then every private Ship muft fhew four Lights : And after this, if he would have them to make Sail, he then fires ten Guns, which are to be an- fwered by sll the Flags, and then the Head moft, and Wea- thermoft Ships, are to make fail firft. When the Fleer ij failing large, or before the Wind, and the Admir.il would have them bring to, and lie by with their Star-board
