CAUKING, or CAULKING, of a Ship, is driving a quantity of oakum, or old ropes untwisted and drawn asunder, into the seams of the planks, or into the intervals where the planks are joined together in the ship's decks or sides, in order to prevent the entrance of water. After the oakum is driven very hard into these seams, it is covered with hot melted pitch or rosin, to keep the water from rotting it.
Among the ancients, the first who made use of pitch in caulking, were the inhabitants of Phœnicia, afterwards called Corfica. Wax and rosin appear to have been commonly used previous to that period; and the Poles at this time use a sort of unctuous clay for the same purpose, on their navigable rivers.