in the wine-trade, the preparing vessels to preserve wines and other liquors, without their growing sour or vapid. The method of doing it, is as follows: Melt brimstone in an iron ladle, and when thoroughly melted, dip into it slips of coarse linen-cloth; take these out, and let them cool: this the wine-coopers call a match. Take one of these matches, set one end of it on fire, and put it into the bung-hole of a cask; flop it loosely, and thus suffer the match to burn nearly out: then drive in the bung tight, and set the cask aside for an hour or two. At the end of this time examine the cask, and you will find that the sulphur has communicated a violent pungent and suffocating scent to the cask, with a considerable degree of acidity, which is the gas and acid spirit of the sulphur. The cask may after this be filled with a small wine which has scarce done its fermentation; and bunging it down tight, it will be kept good, and will soon clarify: this is a common and very useful method; for many poor wines could scarce be kept potable even a few months without it.
MATE of a Ship of War, an officer under the direction of the master, by whose choice he is generally appointed, to assist him in the several branches of his duty. Accordingly, he is to be particularly attentive to the navigation in his watch, &c. to keep the log regularly, and examine the line, and glasses by which the ship's course is measured, and to adjust the sails to the wind in the fore-part of the ship. He is to have a diligent attention to the cables, seeing that they are well coiled and kept clean when laid in the tier, and sufficiently served when employed to ride the ship. Finally he is to superintend, and assist at the stowage of the hold, taking especial care that all the ballast and provisions are properly stowed therein.
MATE of a Merchant Ship, the officer who commands in the absence of the master thereof, and shares the duty with him at sea; being charged with everything that regards the internal management of the ship, the directing her course, and the government of her crew.
The number of mates allowed to ships of war and merchantmen is always in proportion to the size of the vessel. Thus a first-rate man of war has six mates, and an East-Indiaman the same number; a frigate of ten guns, and a small merchant ship, but only one mate in each; and the intermediate ships have a greater or smaller number, according to their several sizes, or to the services on which they are employed.
Dura and Pia Mater, the names given by anatomy to the two membranes which surround the brain. See Anatomy, no. 394, 395.