Bulwark

A bulwark refers to a defensive wall, or the side of a ship that separates the deck from the open sea. "Every soul aboard stood at the bulwarks or on the seats of the steamer" (The War of the Worlds, Chapter 17, The Thunder Child).

Fishing-smacks

A smack (fishing-smack) is a traditional fishing boat used off the coast of Britain and the Atlantic coast of North America for the most of the 1800s; and in smaller numbers up to the Second World War. Fleets operated off the coast of Lowestoft, Brixham and Grimsby.

Chaffering

Chaffering means haggling about the terms of an agreement or the price of something. Example: "a dense swarm of boats chaffering with the people on the beach"(The War of the Worlds, Chapter 17, The Thunder Child).

Panegyric

A panegyric is a public speech or published text in praise of something (example use: "panegyric of the Roman Empire").

The Sword of Damocles and its Appearance in Literature

Both Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales, and Horace in The Third Book of Odes, alluded to the Sword of Damocles.

It was popularized by the Roman orator Cicero who may have read it in texts of the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus.

The Sword of Damocles alludes to the ever-present peril to those in positions of power.

Quinine and the Quecha People

Quinine was used as a muscle relaxant by the Quecha people of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, to halt shivering.  It was brought to Europe by Spanish Jesuit missionaries.

The Capital of Canada

The capital of Canada is Ottawa which was chosen by Queen Victoria as Canada's capital due to its remote, defensible inland location.

It boasts an established Aviation and Space Museum, Gothic revival Parliament buildings and the Rideau Canal - the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America