the movement by which a ship is carried precipitately before a tempest. As a ship flies with amazing rapidity through the water whenever this expedient is put in practice, it is never attempted in a contrary wind, unless when her condition renders her incapable of sustaining the mutual effort of the wind and waves any longer on her side, without being exposed to the most imminent danger of being over-fet.

A ship either scuds with a sail extended on her fore-mast, or, if the storm is excessive, without any sail: which, in the sea-phrase, is called scudding under bare poles. In sloops and schooners, and other small vessels, the sail employed for this purpose is called the square sail. In large ships, it is either the fore-sail at large, reefed, or with its goos-e-wings extended, according to the degree of the tempest; or it is the fore-top sail, close reefed, and lowered on the cap; which last is particularly used when the sea runs so high as to becalm the fore-sail occasionally, a circumstance which exposes the ship to the danger of broaching to. The principal hazards incident to scudding are generally, a pooping sea; the difficulty of steering, which exposes the vessel perpetually to the risk of broaching to; and the want of sufficient sea-room. A sea striking the ship violently on the stern may dash it inwards, by which she must inevitably founder. In broaching to (that is, inclining suddenly to windward), she is threatened with being immediately overturned; and, for want of sea-room, she is endanger