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< xxiv |
in getting out of the harbour. $ Besides loss of time, and consequent
expences to the owners, great quarrels are, sometimes produced
through the same causes, betwixt owners* cap thinf and
erew$. All which; would, in a great degree* be prevented,, were
these vessels- of a smaller draught of water. According, to the
plan jherein recommended, vessels of' one ^hundred and twenty
to pne hundred and forty tons, would not draw when loaded
above five feet and a half of water, a t most.;, and all atlxepyessels«
in the same proportion. They who are concerned in shipping,
and know what water vessels.of such.burthen at present draw,^
must see with astonishment the advantage oft this construction;
which would likewise prove more convenient, as such vessels
would not requite ? a pier to lie to, and are capable o f being
moored in any part of a h a rb o u ra n d , if ;the.grouud. admit1 of
it, carts, &c.. might come alongside,, and load o.r unload« them,
which also would save a, great expence.. |
2. Vessels built on this.construction, would answer in canals|p
-where the canal is above four ox five feet deep.. Letms suppose
the Duke of Bridgewater’s canals, and all others now made, or
to be made in the kingdom, to . b e. equal _to the depth of the-
Scotch canal betwixt Glasgow and Carron, the locks to befrom
sixty to seventy feet long or. more, and from twenty to twCnty-
six or. more wide; in such a, case, all the trade front a|i|i part of
the inland country adjoining to the canal* could load at any
public place, town or village, where a manufactory was carried1
on; and proceed to the most distant parts of the known.world
without the assistance of any other craft. This idea is submitted
to the consideration of all those who are concerned in such
public undertakings.
3. Vessels thus constructed would be exceedingly convenient
to carry com or mixed cargoes, part of which it is
required to keep separate.. This is certainly a great conv.er
nience
( xrv' )
nience when it can be obtained withoüt lessening the tonnage^
and bulk-heads will serve to separate the cargo, let it be as opposite
as iron and gunpowder. The bulkheads answer as separate
apartrrientSjbr like shifting boards, either for cbm, salt, See.
Thér^ is, perhaps, nothing except masts, which such a vessel
will ntt^ltdèwefSSf îfetfèf than any other.
4. Vessels built with Sliding Kèèls have the advantage of all
Öthers ih’ekse' of losing the rudder. Although what has been
saM^ffe’specting the effect of the fore and after Keel, and the
main of middle Keël, are sufficient to prove that vessels with
tWèë’ Sliding Keels' can, in case of losing the mdder, be instantly
stédred with the Kéèls either on a tack, or working to
windward ;'{ybt as experiments have been made, and the effi-
cacy^ëf the Keels sufficiently ascertained, it will be necessary
tb refefHo the certificate made by Lieutenant Malbon of the
Trial Gutter and his Officers, to the Lords of the Admiralty
[see Appendix, No. l . j ; in addition to which, says Captain
Schank, I can offer the testimony of the ingenious James Tem-
pler, Esq. of Stove in the county of Devon, who sailed several
leagues in the same vessel, only using the Keels [see Appendix,
No. 4.] “ I myself, (he further adds) on many occasions, in
" the presence of Sea Officers of different ranks, steered and
“ worked that vessel in every manner possible, with the Keels
“ only : but a still more flattering and more honourable proof
I remains, as this experiment was made in presence of His
“ M a j e s t y at Weymouth, who was pleased to condescend so
“ far as to examine the construction of the Cutter, and to order
“ her topsail in company with him, when signals were settled,
“ by which she was to steer and work to windward, with the
“ Keels only ; which was done, and His Majesty signified his
most gracious approbation." *
5. Vessels