No. IV. .
A f t e r the'Trial cutter had been inspected-at Woolwich Yard, she
left that place,, and-was proceeding tiçùljçr station a tj Plymouth, when
James,Templer, jEsq. of Stove, ,ia the county ôf Devon, 3, Gentleman
who has given much of his attention to the study of mechanics, , and the
improvement of naval architecture, and who had viewed the Gutter in
Woolwich Yard, was desirous of seeing the operation and effect&.pf the
Keels in the working of the ship ; he accordingly-went on board the
Trial, and sailed' in her to the Coast of Devon. Upon his landing, "he
wrote as follows to Captain Schank :—“ We were weather-hound a day
“ or two, and made a good harbour •ofi.D,ungehhess. The win'd was
“ foul,all the way afterwards, and a t times little or none. Wp had a fine
“ breeze the morning we arrived : I was happv in the opportunity of
“ seeing all the effefts and operaticms'of the Sliding^Keels, and am how
“ more than ever convinced of their great utility. The vessel steers, and
“ goes about with great certainty, never losing her stay, hut^hjàôts
“ round her course, and continues, it while filling the sails, an advantage
“ that removes the chance of accidents, when .a vessel enthelyX,(j^ is
“ often the case) loses, her stay, and is in clanger of going-, upon her
“ beam ends before she gets under way again, especially in a-4arge sea.
& I observe the stowage of the vessel is as complete as in the old \raiy,
“ and I think more so, as the cargo (particularly -if corn'.or any thing
“ that is liable to shift,) is so fixed, that such a cargo, although the^ship
“ may not be half full, is rendered stationary and safe. Another thing •
“ various sorts of grain may be put in the same vessel without- chanee of
“ mixing. A very great advantage also is, that o f the ship being ableto
“ get into shallow harbours, or run oyer rocks, sands, &c. as was the
“ case with us coming down. We came over the Flats at less than half
“ an hour’s flood, and to try the effeét we let the aftermost Keel be down,
“ and running into shallow water upon, the taiLof the Spaniard, it roser
‘‘ and fell without the aid of the winch ; a clear proof that nothing is
“ to be apprehended from the fixing of the Keel at the time she may
“ strike the ground. These considerations, when once known, must
“ render the invention acceptable to the Public ; but people are so un-
V' ■ fortunately
“ forfhnathl^iiprejiidiccd of pld.Vf^h.fe®?*.. that it is difficult to
turn, thorn. I'or my own: ps^|l'';im;^|wHicoiiv^®d? that the system
“ adopted*'in d^rriaHs'eojfie'ct. that-w henbver my work is done, I will
“ immediatvly^(loj)jt-it Harbour, as they will
''even up the Ganal
u at pxy iijipie in
spite o f t'heu5af;,^liicli>‘ at Graft Of,any
“ buithenyuu diavuiig un^lepthfe® water1. I am persuaded if you
an(oppoiLtunitj of b y ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Wj^ Mi^ttd/n6't\he’'hOntrouled
“ in the^piah;, you, would-exhibit a* 'specimen ohlna u fe al1 improyeMhnt,
‘ft'equal, if not excu ding every otlici. Tlie Public, fy£e&Tj4:de not yet
“ know-how -nitreWis duetto you foi,' the pains ’Von lu x e ’taken tosaccom-
*f’ fncraaje them. ^ J ^ r!;« ^ , | ^ e g i ^ t u r n you my 'th^SSjror tjtejnfor-
S mation Acju'have fuinishcd me with,‘and which I am slf e will prove
“ v ery advantageous to me ; especially, if I c&r|y ffcoue fro™ Babioomb
“ Bay upithB'panal, and Bhy^r ,cq$^ln war-time, to- the )FOgK: in that
“ Bay!. I'wish ^^raaymn^m^^enWMl^^ipd 'opinion ..prevail, and that
fh § ^® m ten a® f of the Public m a ^ ^® |ie wanting to make you the
“ gitalcst return } ou’are.undouhtbdly entitled,to. 1 forgot to observe;
“ "that we^afieui some leagues without the rnsei; o f the redder, steering the
“ .vessel with particular accuracy by the 'keels,fro n l)i^ ^ ^ ^w is ta n c e
'“ ■'all^pst - incredible to those who do nbl&jsoe itjf»bu t the reasohVis so
“ s^ t p i^ahj.that it accords with true mechanical principles, and the
“ effect is' certain.”
T H E E K p .
Printed by C.-Roworth, Bell Yard, Fleet Street.