5. Vessels on this construction will last longer than those
built according to the present inode.. Long experience: h as fdis-
covered that nothing destroys timber so.rnuch^aSf beiiig sometimes
wet, at other d ry ;;
air, and a t other times air excluded from it;. This is p.ot the-case
with ships built according to the construction v%i<%%as.hg<sn
herein often, but it. is hoped not inconsideratelys recommended.
I t is generally, known that 1^, bottom of a „ship seldom rots in
less than fifty or sixty-jfearsj; and some last eyendonger, though
the upper works decay much sooner. .This may be,imputecLto
the distance the timbers are from each other, or^tq th q ‘circumstance
of thp ceiling-not being caulked, which idpfects admit
of a quick succession of different sorts of a ir,‘heat and cold,
wetness and dryness ; but according fo the plan o f making the
ship more solid, these would, in a great measure,.;,befexcludjed^
and ships would last at least one-third longer, if pot double the
time they do at present.
A
V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y .
O n t h e ^ t h of January, 1800, .the'Lady33£el;son hauled out
©ftDeadman’s Dock m%the River, haying .her complement of
men,/ stores, and provisions, on aboard, withyj^iry requisitéffpf
building and equipping another'vessel' of 'the. same, size, wood
excepted? wbidhroould be gpt in New South ^ ale sj^or, in case
of shipwreck, ^whefeait could be found. The. provisions were,
calculated for fifteen..men for nine mbnths, and the watér for
six. months. The former were of the'bést* kinds; and, i'ri addi-
tioukkifi which, we were supplied 'sfrith 'abundance 'of 'antis.-
GorbutacsM^g
^ We arrived .at Gravesend on the 16th following - I u going
down ;the:-River,. ,1 'had dhe..satisihctjeiiv o f|■'observing 1-vthat
she-Worked well; .though, like all'new th|nggj;j|phad^but few
W-hossaw us pass, thatédid,ngt^§ay' something agaJnstfso small
a-y.essel destined for .a long voyage. The! general appellation
wegot was thaf .of his M pjjg^tfyt's; Tinder-box.,- ,
' On the „J 7th* the crew were paid their river .pay,\and: to those
w}jp .could.fipd,-bondsmen two months in advance.jjGoyemment
wap very liberal to the njepr employed in the;Lady Nelson,
y We arrived in the Downs .on the '20%; „ Ingoing, down the
Rifer, owing to thick;foggy wfeathej; ygg got too near, the
Brake, and were, warned of it. by ;tbefafter-keel lifting up, by
a® which