Posted by The Murrelets on November 10, 1998 at 20:47:22:
It is rather curious to note that AR uses the term "rope" quite frequently. Current appreciation of nautical tradition would have it that the stuff is "rope" only when it is still on the manufacturer's spool...as soon as it comes aboard, it becomes "line", and as soon as it is given a job, it goes by the specific name applicable to the job it does...sheet, halliard, foreguy, topping lift, cunningham, etc. There are very few "ropes" aboard..."bolt rope" and "bell rope" are two that leap to mind. Was AR "incorrect" in this particular bit of nautical terminology (which would have been unusual for him) or was the terminology different when he was writing? We would be interested to hear opinions.