or GRAPLING, a sort of small anchor, fitted with four or five flukes or claws, and commonly used to ride a boat or other small vessel.

FIRE-GRAPPLING, an instrument nearly resembling the former, but differing in the construction of its flukes, which are furnished with strong bars on their points. These machines are usually fixed on the yard-arms of a ship, in order to grapple any adversary whom he intends to board. They are, however, more particularly useful in FIRE Ships for the purposes described in that article.