or CAULKING of a Ship, is driving a quantity of oakum, or old ropes untwisted and drawn together, 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 Phæacia, 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.

CAULKING Irons, are iron chisels for that purpose. Some of these irons are broad, some round, and others grooved. After the seams are stopped with oakum, it is done over with a mixture of tallow, pitch, and tar, as low as the ship draws water.