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gins, and this is often called the hoist, or hoisting part; and the lowermost part, called the heel, reaches to the lower extremity. There is the same divison of all the three parts; of which the mast is composed; but of the lowermost part of the mast, the heel part of it is hid below the upper deck in the body of the ship.
At the top of the main-mast, on the extremity, is fixed a piece of wood, which has a hole in it; and at the lower part of the head of the main-mast are also fixed some pieces of wood cross each other, on which lies a scaffolding called the top: through these the top-mast is thrust upwards; and when erected at its greatest height, the lower part of the top-mast, called the heel, and the upper part of the main-mast lie close to and against each other, and betwixt the top, or scaffold, and the cap: and so the top-mast and top-top-gallant-mast together: but the head part of the top-gallant-mast, as there is no other above it, is tapered away to a point, whereon is fixed an iron spindle and vane.
As a ship does not at all times carry her sail of the same height, but higher or lower in proportion to the strength of the wind or other circumstances, it is upon the middlemost of the three parts above-mentioned, into which the masts are divided as to length, that the sails are made to slip up and down, and are attached to the mast by several pieces of wood fixed by a rope round it to the yard, that extends the sail, and this slips up and down along with the yard, and is called the parrel.
And as it is necessary to cover these masts with some matter, that may preserve them from the
