In 1662 at Auldearne Issobell Gowdie confessed 'ther is threttein persones in ilk Coeven; and ilk on of vs has an Spritto wait wpon ws, quhan ve pleas to call wpon him.
She also notes that each member of her Coven 'has an Sprit to wait wpon ws, quhan ve pleas to call wpon him'.
The nam of the fyft Sprit is Robert the Rule, and he still clothed in sadd-dun, and seimis to be a Comander of the rest of the Spritis; and he waittis wpon Margret Brodie, in Aulderne.
The name of the saxt Sprit is called Thieff of Hell, Wait wpon Hir Selfe; and he waitis also on the said Bessie Wilson.
The name of the sevinth Sprit is called The Read Reiver; and he is my owin Spirit, that waittis on my selfe, and is still clothed in blak.
The third Sprit is called The Roring Lyon, who waitis wpon Issobell Nicoll, in Lochlow, and he is still clothed in sea-grein.
The nixt Sprit is called Rorie, who waitis wpon Bessie Wilsone, in Aulderne; he is still clothed in yallow.
In this case the sprit requires little shifting or attention.
These are fore-and-aft sails, which are kept distended by a sprit instead of a yard.
The sprit is a long pole, one end of which is fixed to the lowest innermost corner, near the mast, and the other end extending to the highest outermost corner; thus it lies diagonally across the sail.
The mast revolved in tacking in order to prevent binding of the sprit under the tension of the heel tackle.
Because of the use of the sprit and heel tackle, the conventional method of reefing was not possible.
Trim the upper end of the sprit to fit in the loop at the upper outer corner of the sail, and make a notch in the lower end to fit in the loop of the line called the "snotter.
The Sprit Leg-of-Mutton Sail has this advantage, that the clew of the sail is much higher than the tack, thus avoiding the danger of dipping the clew in the water and tripping the boat.
It will be readily understood that, when the sprit is pushed upward in the direction of C, the sail will stand spread out.
The sheet is attached to the end of the sprit (Figs.
The ends of thesprit in the foresail project at the luff and leach.
This rig has the advantage of keeping the whole sail flatter than any other, for the end of the sprit cannot "kick up," as the phrase goes, and so the sail holds all the wind it receives.
To hold it in place make a cleat like the one in the diagram and bind it firmly with a cord to the sprit; pass the snotter, or line, fastened to the mast through the notch in the sprit up to the cleat and make fast, and the sail is set.
In the chapter on how to build the Rough and Ready, the sprit sail is depicted and fully described.
From spruce or pine make a sprit two inches in diameter.
Trim the upper end of the sprit to fit the loop in the top of the sail and make a simple notch in the other end to hold the line called the "snotter.
This device is in common use and has its advantages, but a simple loop for the foot of the sprit to rest in is more easily made and will do nearly as well.
The great sprit scrooping against the mast spoke of freedom after prison; the wind harped in the rigging; the rudder wriggled and kicked in the following seas, sending a thrill of pleasure through the helmsman.
Both her sprit and her leeboards are Dutch; the vangs controlling the sprit are the vangs of the sixteenth-century Dutch ships; and until 1830 she had still the Dutch overhanging bow, as may be seen in the drawings of E.
Then bearing away with her great sprit right off and a white wave under her fore-foot, our home fled down the river.
She had always been rather afraid of the great fifty-foot sprit which used to sway in a heavy threatening way over our heads when the barge rolled in a cross sea.
Then the Indian hauled the sheet, and presently when the water became smoother, called to his companion, who thrust the sprit up again.
The result of the discussion was that one of them pulled the sprit out, and folding down the peak left only a small three-cornered strip of sail.
Fasten a becket or loop of rope at a suitable position on the mast, to set the heel of the sprit into.
Make a loop at the peak to put the end ofsprit into.
The mate then stepped the mast, and fitted the sprit to the sail, knowing that the latter would be seen fluttering in the wind by those on the wreck, and carry joy to their hearts.
Jack was ready to lay hold of one of the bow-sprit shrouds, and presently the boat was breasted up under the desired port, and secured in that position.
At certain times of the tide, the current between the Sprit Rock and the long Fiddle-Sandbank rushed like a mill-race.
Others might "mitch" off for a private cruise round Sprit Rock in quest of whiting, or other treasures of the deep; but Dick and Georgie would not sully their fair fame with any such breach of Templeton rules.
The view of Templeton from the sea was perfect, and the sharp outline of the Sprit Rock above them was grandeur itself.
But after about a mile had been made, and the Sprit Rock seemed only midway between them and the shore, a peril still more serious overtook them.
Winter has given us leave if we keep inside the Sprit Rock, and I expect he'd let you come if I asked him.
If we keep the breeze on our left, and Dick looks sharp out in front, we are bound to come either on the Sprit or the shore.
But I solemnly say to you that the rebels and traitors are not the counterfeit Indians of Griffin's wharf, not the men who fired the Gaspee aflame from sprit to topmast, not that man who set his back to the fort in New York!
So large was the head that no common sprit could carry the strain of it in an ordinary breeze.
To this had been made fast a sprit guy: thus, the foot of the sail was held by the main-sheet, and the peak by the guy to the sprit.
The sprit was sharpened at each end, and the point at the upper end was inserted in a loop of heavy cord fastened to the peak of the sail, while the lower point of the sprit rested in the loop of a rope on the mast, called a "snotter.
When raising the sail it was first partly hoisted, then the sprit was hooked in the loop and the snotter, after which the throat halyard was drawn taut.
The sprit is tapered towards F and a hole is bored at G for lashings.
Dressing, I saw the jack flying straight in the sea-wind and a schooner in the North River heeled over and scudding south, with a white necklace of foam trailing from her sprit back along half her water-line.
I felt that if I could get that spritdown we were safe; but my wife dared not attempt it, and she would not trust herself at the tiller.
This is thy throwing of dirt in my face again, for I have said it often, that if any man have not the Sprit of Christ he is none of his.
The third Sprit is called The Roring Lyon, who waitis wpon Issobell Nicoll in Locklow; and [he is still clothed] in sea grein; her niknam is Bessie Rule.
The name of the fyft Sprit is Robert the [Rule and he is still clothed in] sadd dun, and seimis to be a Comander of the rest of the Spiritis; and he waittis wpon Margret Brodie, in Aulderne.
The name of the sevinth [Sprit is called] The Read Reiver, and he is my owin Spirit, that waittis on my selfe, and is still clothed in blak.
The nixt Sprit is called Rorie who waitis wpon Bessie Wilsone, in Aulderne; he is still clothed in yallow; and hir nikname is Throw the Corne yaird.
A sprit boom was also carried by some canoes; this was secured to the clew of the sail and to the mast, a snotter lanyard being used at the latter position.
The sail, nearly rectangular and with little or no peak, was laced to the mast, and the sprit was supported by a "snotter" lanyard tied low on the mast.
A quadrangular sail stretched from the mast by the help, not of a gaff along its top, but of a sprit (or yard) extending from the mast diagonally to the upper aftmost corner of the sail, as in the case of a London barge.
Every time she rose the jib let out a hundredweight of sea-water; the sprit buckled and cracked, and I looked at the splice in the forestay to see if it yet held.
