_Tirunculus nauticus_."--La real academia
Espanola.
"GRUMETE.--Grumete he o moco que serve como de criado
aos marinheiros, sobindo pellos mastros ate a gavea,
etc."--Raphael Bluteau.
We have a statement of the rank and ratings of the officers and men
of a ship of war in the _Sea grammar_ of captain Smith, 1627. 4to. The
word in question, as a _rating_, had then become obsolete. The duties
of the seamen are thus described:
"The _sailers_ are the ancient men for hoising the sailes,
getting the tacks aboord, haling the bowlings, and steering
the ship.
"The _younkers_ are the young men called fore-mast men, to
take in the top-sailes, or top and yard, for furling the
sailes, or slinging the yards, bousing or trising, and take
their turnes at helme."
Now, a comparison of the definitions of the Spanish and Portuguese
_gromete_, and the English _younker_, leads me to infer that the
latter term had been substituted for _grummett_ or _gromet_, and
that the duties of both classes were nearly the same.
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