the marine, a certain banner or standard, by which an admiral is distinguished at sea from the inferior ships of his squadron; also the colours by which one nation is distinguished from another. See Plate CIX.
In the British navy, flags are either red, white, or blue; and are displayed from the top of the main-mast, fore-mast, or mizen-mast, according to the rank of the admiral. When a flag is displayed from the flag-staff on the main-mast, the officer distinguished thereby is known to be an admiral; when from the fore-mast, a vice-admiral; and when from the mizen-mast, a rear-admiral.
The first flag in Great Britain is the royal standard, which is only to be hoisted when the king or queen are on board the vessel; the second is that of the anchor of hope, which characterizes the lord high admiral, or lords commissioners of the admiralty; and the third is the union-flag, in which the crofes of St George and St Andrew are blended. This last is appropriated to the admiral of the fleet, who is the first military officer under the lord high admiral.
The next flag after the union is that of the white squadron, at the main-mast head; and the last, which characterizes an admiral, is the blue, at the same mast-head.
For a vice-admiral, the first flag is the red, the second the white, the third the blue, at the flag-staff on the fore-mast.
The same order proceeds with regard to the rear-admirals, whose flags are hoisted on the top of the mizen-mast: the lowest flag in our navy is accordingly the blue on the mizen-mast.
To Lower or Strike the Flag, in the marine, is to pull it down upon the cap, or to take it in, out of the the respect, or submission, due from all ships or fleets inferior to those any way justly their superiors. To lower or strike the flag in an engagement is a sign of yielding.
The way of leading a ship in triumph is to tie the flags to the shrouds, or the gallery, in the hind-part of the ship, and let them hang down towards the water, and to tow the vessels by the stern. Livy relates, that this was the way the Romans used those of Carthage.
To Heave out the Flag, is to put out or put abroad the flag.
To Hang out the White Flag, is to ask quarter; or it shews, when a vessel is arrived on a coast, that it has no hostile intention, but comes to trade, or the like. The red flag is a sign of defiance, and battle.
Corn-Flag. See Gladiolus.
Sweet-scented Flag. See Acorus.
Flag-Officers, those who command the several squadrons of a fleet; such are the admirals, vice-admirals, and rear-admirals.
The flag-officers in our pay, are the admiral, vice-admiral, and rear-admiral, of the white, red, and blue. See Admiral, Flag, and Fleet.
Flag-Ship, a ship commanded by a general or flag-officer, who has a right to carry a flag, in contradiction to the secondary vessels under the command thereof.