Glossary

Aparejo - A Mexican packsaddle formed of stuffed leather cushions.

Capstan - A drumlike apparatus, formerly turned by bars or levers, but now driven by a motor or engine, for hoisting anchors or other weights.

Corregidor - A person who is in command.

Diamond Hitch - A hitch used in fastening a load to a pack-animal in which the rope is thrown back and forth across the animal in such a way that it forms a diamond pattern on top of the pack.

Draft - The depth of water required for a ship to float, especially when loaded.

Gross weight - Maximum weight of a load that a sternwheeler can carry (one ton = capacity of 100 cubic feet).

NHP - Nominal horsepower of a sternwheeler.

Pack Train - A group of animals (e.g horses, mules) that packs supplies in a train-like fashion.

Registered weight - The net weight that a sternwheeler carries that measures the capacity which in theory can be put to use to earn revenue.

Segundo - A person who is second in command.

Stern - The back or rear part of a ship.

Sternwheeler - A steamboat of small draft propelled by one large paddle wheel at the stern.

Stevedore - A person who packs or loads.

This digital collection was produced under contract to the
   SchoolNet Digital Collections program, Industry Canada. Revised:  02/15/99