CAPTAIN, NAVAL, is the general designation for the commander of a ship. It is not universal, for some vessels of war are commanded by officers lower in rank than C. ; the chief officer of a merchant-vessel is often called master. The commanders of all rated ships are capts. The capts. rise to the command of larger and larger ships, with increase of pay, according to length of service. The 0. is responsible for every thing on shipboard, in discipline, navigation, equipment—all, in short, that concerns the personnel or the materiel of the ship. If his ship belongs to a particular fleet or naval station, he is responsible to some admiral or commodore; if not, he is directly responsi ble to the admiralty. The C. of that particular ship in a fleet which carries the admiral is called flag 0., and is fel- the moment higher in rank than others. A naval officer is always on half-nay, except when attached to a ship in actual commission; and thus in times of peace there have been always more naval capts. on half than on full pay;
but recent measures have been adopted tv assuage this evil. The number of capts. In the naval service during peace are about 83 in commission on full-pay. About 142 are on half-pay, under the designation of the active list; these arc eligible for re-employment; while on the reserved list and the retired list there are 426 more. They rank in dignity with lieut.cols. in the army, and with cols. after three years' service.
The word C. is used in other ways also in the navy. The C. of the fleet is a temporary officer in large fleets; he promulgates the admiral's orders, and receives all the reports and returns, filling, in short, a post equivalent to that of chief of the staff in an army. Among the seamen on board a ship, the chief of each gang is called C.; such as the C. of the after-guard, of the forecastle, of the hold, of the main-top, of each gun, etc.