The specialty mark indicating to which department he belongs is just below in the angle formed by the chevrons.

The chevrons indicate the class.
Three chevrons, first class; two, second class, and so on.

The chief petty officers have an arch of the same cloth connecting the two ends of the top chevron.
The specialty marks are as follows: [Illustration: MASTER-AT-ARMS.] [Illustration: GUNNER'S MATES.] [Illustration: SEAMAN GUNNER.] [Illustration: CHIEF YEOMAN.] [Illustration: APOTHECARY.] [Illustration: YEOMAN--1ST, 2D, AND 3D CLASS.] [Illustration: SHIP'S PRINTER OR SCHOOLMASTER.] [Illustration: BANDMASTER.] [Illustration: MACHINISTS, BOILER-MAKERS, WATER-TENDERS, COPPERSMITHS, AND OILERS.] [Illustration: CARPENTER'S MATES, PLUMBERS, AND PAINTERS.] [Illustration: BLACKSMITH.] [Illustration: BOATSWAIN'S MATES AND COXSWAINS.] The seaman class is indicated by the rows of braid on the cuffs.
Seamen, first class or able-bodied seamen, have three rows of braid.
Seamen, second class or ordinary seamen, have two rows of braid.
Seamen, third class or landsmen, have one row of braid.
The watch mark for the enlisted men not petty officers consists of a stripe of braid on the sleeve close to the shoulder.

For the seaman, white on blue clothes, blue on white clothes.
For the engineer force, red on both white and blue clothes.
The watch mark indicates the watch of which the wearer is a member.

The starboard men wear it on the right arm, and the port men on the left.
TAKING SOUNDINGS.
HEAVING THE LEAD.
The man using the "lead line" (as the sounding-line weighted with lead is called) stands on a grating that projects over the side.