DICTIONARY OF

Sailors' Home 291 Salute
Sailors' Home. Establishment or hostel, in a seaport, for the reception, accommodation, and
entertainment of seamen temporarily on leave, or awaiting a ship.
Sail Room. Compartment in which sails are stowed in ship.
Sail Twine. Medium-weight flax twine used for general sewing of sails and canvas by hand.
Saint Elmo's Fire. Discharge of atmospheric electricity sometimes observable on masts and
yards in certain states of stormy weather. Positive discharge gives the appearance of
streamers; negative discharge has the appearance of a luminous coating.
Saint Nicholas. The patron saint of seamen; which accounts for the number of seaports
having churches dedicated to him.
Saker. Olden gun that threw a ball weighing five to seven pounds.
Salamba. Bamboo fishing raft, with mast and sail, used in sea around Manila.
Salinity. Saltness. The amount of dissolved salt in water. Usually expressed as a ratio as
compared with fresh water—fresh water being 1000 and sea water about 1026 but varying,
in ports and harbours, between 1000 and 1031 (Port Said). Also known as the specific
gravity of sea water.
Salinometer. Instrument for indicating the proportion of salt in a given quantity of water.
Salinometer Cock. Small cock, on a marine boiler, by which water may be drawn for test
purposes.
Sallee Man. Old name for the 'Portuguese Man o' War'.
Sallee Rovers. Moroccan pirates, from the port of Sallee, who preyed on Mediterranean
shipping in the 16th, 17 th and 18 th centuries. Their galleys were neither large nor
formidable, and the prowess of the rovers has been greatly exaggerated.
Sallying. Rolling a vessel, that is slightly ice-bound, so as to break the surface ice around
her. May sometimes be done when a vessel is lightly aground, but not ice-bound.
Sally Port. Aperture, in quarter of a fire ship, for escape of crew after she has been ignited.
Salmiel Wind. 'Simoon.'
Saloon. Mess room for deck officers in a merchant ship. 2. Main cabin in a passenger ship.
Salt. Landsman's nickname for a seaman.
Salt Beef Squire. Naval nickname for an officer promoted from the lower deck.
Salt Horse. Salt beef. In R.N. the name is jocularly applied to an officer who has not
specialised in any subject.
Saltings. Low-lying land made marshy by salt water.
Saltire. Diagonal cross, of any colour, in a flag or ensign.
Salt Junk. Salt beef.
Salute. A mutual gesture of respect and greeting. Initiated by the inferior in rank, and
returned by the superior. Made by hand, the firing of guns, the letting fly of sheets, the
veiling of topsails and the dipping of ensigns.