1778 – D. Diderot – Marine nuit

Title:                      “Marine, Signaux de Corespondance Maritime Signaux pour la nuit.”​
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Description:
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​Beautiful and very detailed engraving displaying the ship’s correspondence signals for the night:

Fig. 1. To set sail When the general wants to set sail for all the ships in his fleet, he gives the signal agreed upon in order; the one I give here is two lanterns or beacons attached, one in the shrouds of the main topsail, and the other to the bowsprit. It does not Don’t count the large rear lantern, which burns at all times of night.

2. To distinguish the ships at night. The general can distinguish all the ships of his fleet during the night by a signal of correspondence, following the order given to each one in particular, which warns the officers who are on it, to do such and such things, or to come and speak to him on board.
The attached signal, which I give, is a lantern fixed to the rear stick.

3. To turn. To turn is to turn a ship by maneuvering the sails and by moving the rudder. This order is given here by a lantern placed on the stern stick like the previous one, and by another on one of the shrouds of the bowsprit mast, with a shot from a gunpowder cannon.

4. To put the starboard tack to the helm. To put to the helm or to the head is to turn a ship by means of the rudder, on the rumb or air of wind that one wishes to follow; and to put the starboard tack is to maintain the direction of the course towards the right of the ship. The signal that I give here is a lantern attached to the stern stick, with a cannon shot.

5. To heave the tack to the lower sail. This maneuver is the same as the one I have just described, except that the course must be directed to the left of the ship. The signal I give here is a lantern which is attached to the shrouds of the main topmast; this is the second part of the mainmast, and the third part which follows is called the topgallant mast , and each part which is also called a mast has rope ladders, which sailors call shrouds , which are used to climb up to the staff of the topgallant mast.

6. To set sail after the cape. The cape signifies the head, the prow, the bow, and the spur of the ship: to set sail after the cape is to place the prow or spur of a ship on a wind rumb of the compass or compass which is parallel to the keel of the ship: which is done by the arrangement and the maneuver of the rudder, and by that of the sails, to make way for some objects which one wishes to follow and catch, which one does not lose sight of, and which the cape or the head of the ship always looks at. The signal, which is attached here, is a white flag, placed on the staff of the main topgallant mast, with two cannon shots.

7. For a ship in distress. A ship in distress is a ship which, during a battle, has lost one of its masts, or which is in danger of perishing due to the quantity of water it makes through the holes of the cannonballs. To request help, it uses a signal agreed upon by order of the general. The one I give here are six lanterns or beacons, the first is attached to one of the shrouds of the mainmast, the second to one of the shrouds of the maintopsail, the third to one of the shrouds of the foremast, the fourth to one of the shrouds of the topsail or the third foremast, the fifth to one of the mizzenmast, as well as the sixth to its topmast.

8. For the discovery of land or of some dangers. The captain of a vessel who first sights land that is sought, either to make a landing there, or because some dangers are feared on the coast, or because he himself is in danger there, does not delay in giving notice of it, by a signal made according to the order. The one I give here is of four beacons or lanterns, the first is attached to one of the shrouds of the mainmast, the second to one of the shrouds of the main topsail, the third to one of the shrouds of the foremast, and the fourth to the mizzen topsail.

 

The engraving comes from Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alembert, based on a work by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, book “Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers…”, drawn by Goussier, engraved by Benard Direx, published in Geneve, 1778.

Engraver:           Denis Diderot (1713 – 1784)
Sheet size:           36,9 x 25,5 cm
Year:                     1778
Technique:         copper engraving

Condition:
Good, original condition. Watermarked paper. Folds as published.
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This is a genuine antique engraving published in 1778 and NOT a modern copy or reprint

 

On your request I will provide a Certificate of Authenticity