Sea

The ocean; the great mass of water which surrounds the land, and which extends from pole to pole, covering nearly three-quarters of the globe. Waters within the ebb and flow of the tide are to be considered the sea. Gilp. Dist. Ct. 526. A large body of salt water communicating with the ocean is also called a sea; as, the Mediterranean sea, etc. Very large inland bodies of salt water are also called seas; as, the Caspian sea, etc. The open sea is public and common property, and any nation or person has ordinarily an equal right to navigate it or to fish therein (1 Kent, Comm. 27; Angell, Tide Waters, 44-49; 1 Bouv. Inst. 170, 174), and to land upon the seashore (1 Bouv. Inst. 173, 174); but it is generally conceded that every nation has jurisdiction to the distance of a cannon shot, or marine league, over the waters adjacent to its shore (2 Cranch [U. S.] 187, 234; Bynkershoek, Qu. Pub. Jur. 61; Vattel, 207).

The ocean; the great mass of water which surrounds the land, covering nearly three-quarters of the globe. Waters within the ebb and flow of the tide are to be considered the sea; Thackarey v. The Farmer of Salem, Gilp. 526, Fed. Cas. No. 13,852. A large body of salt water communicating with the ocean is also called a sea; as, the Mediterranean sea, etc. Very large inland bodies of salt water are also called seas; as, the Caspian sea, etc. “A sea,” in nautical language, may mean a general disturbance of the surface of the water occasioned by a storm, and breaking it up into the roll and lift of waves following or menacing each other; some particular wave or surge, separate from its fellows; Snowden v. Guion, 101 N. Y. 463, 5 N. E. 322. As a boundary in a conveyance, it includes the beach to low water mark; Snow v. Real Estate Co., 84 Me. 14, 24 Atl. 429, 17 L. R. A. 2S0, 30 Am. St Rep. 331. The high seas include the whole of the seas below high water mark and outside the The open sea Is public and common property, and any nation or person has ordinarily an equal right to navigate it or to fish therein; 1 Kent 27; Ang. Tide-Waters 44; and to land upon the sea-shore. Bened. Adm. 224-257. Every nation has jurisdiction over the person of its own subjects in its own public and private vessels when at sea; and so far territorial jurisdiction may be considered as preserved; for the vessels of a nation are in many respects considered as portions of its territory, and persons on board are protected and governed by the laws of the country to which the vessel belongs. The extent of jurisdiction over adjoining seas is often a question of difficulty, and one that is still open to controversy. As far as a nation can conveniently occupy, and that occupation is acquired by prior possession or treaty, the jurisdiction is exclusive; 1 Kent 20. This has been heretofore limited to the distance of a cannon-shot, or marine league, over the waters adjacent to its shore; Church v. Hubbart, 2 Cra. (U. S.) 187, 234, 2 L. Ed. 249; Bynkershoek, Qu. Pub. Juris. 61; 1 Azuni, Marit Law 185, 204; Vattel 207. See League; Seaman: Admiralty; Arm of the Sea; Low Water Mark; Litus Maris; Territorial Waters; Sea-Shore; Legislative Power.

The ocean; the great mass of water which surrounds the land. U. S. v. Rodgers, 150 U. S. 249, 14 Sup. Ct. 109, 37 In Ed. 1071; De Lovio v. Boit, 7 Fed. Cas. 428; Cole v. White, 26 Wend. (N. Y.) 516; Snowdon v. Guion, 50 N. Y. Super. Ct. 143.

— Beyond sea. In England, this phrase means bsyond the limite of the British Isles; in America, outside the limits of the United States or of the particular state, as the case may be.

— High seas. The ocean ; public waters. According to the English doctrine, the high sea begins at the distance of three miles from the coast of any country; according to the American view, at low-water mark, except in the case of small harbors and roadsteads inclosed within the fauces terræ. Ross v. McIntyre, 140 U. S. 453, 11 Sup. Ct. 807, 35 In Ed. 581; U. S. v. Grush, 26 Fed. Cas. 50; U. S. v. Rodgers, 150 U. S. 249, 14 Sup. Ct. 109, 37 L. Ed. 1071; Ex parte Byers (D. Ct) 32 Fed. 405. The open ocean outside of the fauces terræ, as distinguished from arms of the sea; the waters of the ocean without the boundary of any county. Any waters on the sea-coast which are without the boundaries of tow-water mark.

— Main sea. The open, unin-dosed ocean ; or that portion of the sea which is without the fauces terræ on the sea-coast, in contradistinction to that which is surrounded or inclosed between narrow headlands or promontories. People v. Richmond County, 73 N. Y. 396; V. S. v. Grushi 26 Fed. Cas. 48; U. S. v. Rodgers, 150 U. S. 249, 14 Sup. Ct 109, 37 In Ed. 1071; Baker v. Hoag, 7 N. Y. 561, 59 Am. Dec. 43l; 2 East, P. C. c. 17, § 10.

— Sea-batteries. Assaults by masters in the merchant service upon seamen at sea.

— Sea-bed. All that portion of land undet the sea that lies bsyond the sea-shore.

— Sea-brief. See Sea-Letter.

— Sea-greens. In the Scotch law. Grounds overflowed by, the sea in spring tides. Bell.

— Sea-laws. Laws relating to the sea, as the laws of Oleron, etc.

— Sea-letter. A species of manifest, containing a description of the ship's cargo, with the port from which it comes and the port of destination. This is one of the documents necessary to be carried by all nentral vessels, in the merchant service, in time of war, as an evidence of their nationality. 4 Kent, Comm. 157. See Sleght v. Hartshorne, 2 Johns. (N. Y.) 540.

— Sea-reeve. An officer in maritime towns and places wbo took care of the maritime rights of the lord of the manor, and watched the shore, and collected wrecks for the lord. Tomlins.

— Sea rovers. Pirates and robbers at sea.

— Sea-sbore. The margin of the sea in its usual and ordinary state. When the tide is out, low-water mark is the margin of the sea ; and, When the sea is full, the margin is high-water mark. The sea-shore is therefore all the ground between the ordinary high-water mark and low-water mark. It cannot be considered as including any ground always covered by the sea, for then it would have no definite limit on the sea-board. Neither can it include any part of the upland, for the same reason. Storer v. Freeman, 6 Mass. 439, 4 Am. Dec. 155 ; Church v. Meeker, 34 Conn. 424. That space of land over which the waters of the sea are spread in the highest water during the winter season. Civ. Code La. art. 442.

— Seaworthy, Seaworthiness. See those titles.

Waters within the ebb and flow of the tide; a series of waves; a single wava v. High sea. Sea-letter: a document carried by a merchant vessel as an evidence of nationality, — particularly in time of war and as a protection against belligerents; a passport Seashore: the ground between the ordinary high-water and low-water mark; the ground over which the tide ebbs and flows. Seaworthy: in a condition to perform a voyage; competent to resist the ordinary attacks of wind and weather, and competently equipped and manned for the voyaga In Scots law. Sea-greens: grounds overflowed in spring tides.

Prior to the series of decisions which have made the term admiralty juiisdiction independent of the ebb and flow of the tide (see Admiralty), the decisions of American courts were to the effect that the word sea includes not only the high seas (q. v.), but arms of the sea, waters flowing from it into ports and havens, and as high up a river as the tide ebbs and flows. Waring v. Clarke, 5 How. 441, 462. In other words, ail waters within the ebb and flow of the tide are to be considered the sea. Baker v. Hoag, 3 Barb. 203; Hubbard v. Hubbard, 8 N. Y. 196; Gwin's Will, 1 Tuck. 44. We do not understand that the decisions enlarging admiralty jurisdiction to rivers above the ebb and flow of the tide have any effect on the legal meaning of the word sea; that remains limited by the tidal line. But this remark does not apply to " sea " in all its compounds. See Seaman and Sba-