others, andiiiereforei do not all keepfrhe line equally well. JTo
obviate this in convenience ? the French generally p©in|j|C|§-'
two from- the wind, the ■'•fleet? k ey in g , und err way^gnd;
steerage, which ^frequently? : draws them a-headiand.. to . leewa^^»
yet still they form a. good and well eonnectedateij* $4-
wantage too » f e h t h© ^qilied ifrom this ciEeujmatanQgom gQPg
6frJxpeditions-. fi Ifroften-happens that a eornmander’-ilfj^hii^,
with a fteet- dfsmen off wafrwith ;tr®opstand.j ifftpECa und©$ lus
command, brings-^» a t might to keep his flee^ D§eth^,yQn-<aOy
couhteofirs®me/lshipsJ -being .-more, ap t to, Sgp|tp.^l©qwar-4
othfers. : Hfrfiacts I in th e -n\orning-; that
s itu ^ ti» ^ ^ tO i;h im ^ ;^ fc t^ ^T ie |p g iii# j# lh 3 i|i6 iif# h ( each
other. This- ofteni producos (much incontvmjfinfeSa.-t. •i4-inapirl^{^;f
evernbe^remedied, in- a great me asu r^ lb y ;the .of ?^*li^i|),g
Keels. - -For should, a command^ in g phi^f^q%^q^nig, q>.gale
coming, on bring-te jaefore; night, fix on the,, ^^l^hgiint^nj^^iig
lay-to'under (if possibly all nightviord-er rth%hqLna taipg p u t^ s
intended* for the, night, the yards to be j^aeed^l^ekecl qn poipted-
to ;tlic:wmd, the keel a.; to < fo&;h®vfr4lQwn or. up, and the^ignal
•to be-jihade-for therfleglk to Itake-up .ttds,,dcift, -it* is to b e p r e -
surned that in;tla ©course o f the whole night
the difference of three miles in a fleet of a,hundredsa-il or-mqre,
unles^ oceasioned ^by -negfecfr-or through, • the^windf i^fe^P E »
AyherCas* according »to the present mode of ship-building afegjk
dom happens,, even with men.qf, war,- thaf tflfjfts*, cp^egen^ th|!
smallest squadrqns arqjrottsqpara.ted *hyiiyingttp| in long wj^jfcgr
nights. This we need not be surprised at. when ,wq jtake.nOjtice
in thcday .of the differqhqe between a frjgatq andaiipe, qfbattie
ship in the^pictnof lying-tq. In order mo^q(c(q,%i}fy fq .explain
what, is here said -wifh|||fspi6ct; keeping;.ships.{tlqgqt^qfr when
in jflqetSj: and ®Fi
added, that)b(y4hq :useo f th q ;keels, thpjtgh, a v^sei.-qr a number
ber of vessels should be left behindppwing to their not being
able to sail as- fast as the. King's! ships, yet they may be prevented
from; filing- to leeward : and,* therefore, if in the morning
it be “found thatiany ships *hai^!fall‘eh:«ksterrt ’Etrid are missing,!
there is a greatepeertainty©oft their < GO Ming up if waitecT
for; or;if asfrigafeetbe sent after them, she is surer of finding them.
The Trial cutter,- in which the'experiment HaS been made, when
brought-to, and all her keels up, will dirfre-to leeward, leaving
her .wakcfoiver. the, weather-beam : but on the keels being hove
down,, she - proportionablyflbssens her drift- and fore-reaches;
nay, if the helm be'given, and all the’ keels Hove down, she will,
from oneiknot1 o r twoy increase her- motion to four of five; aricf
so- oh in proportion, and according to CM-euttistanbes? M
The situations-of harbours in -consequence^points of land,
tides,- rocks^ stoals, and sands, being as1 various and asnurtie-'
rous aSfftq harbours themselves, the approach of ships to towns
and forts-which are to beattacked or bombarded are th‘ejrej)y often
rendered/both difficult and dangerous. Ifreij^edftfons of this1
kind; great impediments havesbeen- observed ’ to-have arisen from
fh,e, sharpness of vessels, and their great draught of water. The
circumstance'; of' drawing much water prevents- theifrfrom getting
near. thepbbjeOt-'-of' attack, -and often occasions, ’ perhaps,
the failure 'of an expedition, from their being obliged to wait
for a m i tide, which gives4hq,ep-einy an opportunity of- discovering!
the design, and taking’theasures accordingly. ^ With regard
to, the sharpness of vessels,' besidesr‘the inconvenience of
drawing more: water, they are subject likewise.to anotherj from
the a-ukward manner in which they take the ground. Tor supposing
a sharp-built vessel to get neat enough to the object of
attack, and to be left in that situation* by the tide, she-Sanhot
throw her. shells, because? she will be lying aliiibst on her broad-1
sjde.| Being thus exposed to the fire ‘of the enemy, without
d ability