Naut. Obs. [f. FORE- pref. + STAFF.] = CROSS-STAFF 2 (see quot. 1867).
1669. Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., II. 82. Thus I have shewed you how to take an Observation by the Fore-Staff.
1719. Halley, in Phil. Trans., XXX. 993. The Moon was not too high to be well observed with a Forestaff.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1789), Arbalette, a cross-staff or fore-staff.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Fore-staff. An instrument formerly used at sea for taking the altitudes of heavenly bodies. The fore-staff, called also cross-staff, takes its name hence, that the observer in using it turns his face towards the object, in contradistinction to the back-staff, where he turns his back to the object.
