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HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE

proportions will however be better understood if they are reduced into feet,those just mentioned, as well as 6ome others, are here given according to the

scale of the author:-Length, exclusive of the prow, or beak, 160 feet;

extreme midship-breadth 40 feet; height of the stern from the keel 51 feet;height of the forecastle, measuring to the upper side of the rail, or barri-cade, 33 feet; height in the midships to the same extent 28 feet ; rake ofthe stern, from the aftermost part of the sternpost, at the junction with thekeel, to the extremity of the quarter deck, 22 feet; length of the beak, orprow, 32 feet.

The vessel, built according to the proportions just mentioned, though of infe-rior size, and in which the inventor made a voyage to India, for the merepurpose of experimentally proving the utility of his invention, was of 300 tonsburthen only ; mounting 30 guns. The galleon proposed by him to be builtfor the purposes of war, was intended, according to his statement, to carry 80guns; but, according to the draught, there are 60 ports properly fitted with lidsfor the reception of heavy cannon : there are also 18 or 20 stern and bow chases,■exclusive of more than 60 small light guns on the quarter deck, poop, and fore-castle.

These light pieces of ordnance, as they were considered by the noble inventor,were of two kinds—14 and 20 pounders : their proposed charge of powder wasto be half the weight of the ball. Here it must be observed, that, consi-dering their size, for he proposed that the smallest should weigh only 650 lb.and the largest should not exceed 900 cwt. each, he could scarcely have spokenotherwise than from mere theory. Guns of the prescribed weight, so loaded,W'ould have been, if not dangerous, at least unmanageable ; for carronades, ofmodern invention, loaded with one fourth of the charge allowed by Sir Robertto his guns, in proportion to the same weight of shot, were found of very littleutilitv, till long experience and repeated improvement had produced a mode ofconfinement, which, till some time after their first invention, was unknown.

The most extensive range of the guns proposed by him, is stated at 2200 yards,or one mile and a quarter : the point blank range at 400 yards ; a distance, as hasbeen frequently remarked, quite sufficient for the decision of naval contests.On the upper, or main deck, he proposed that the same vessels should befurnished with demi-cannon, or 30 pounders, and for the lower battery withwhole-cannon, or 40 pounders; all which must have been purposely cast onthe same light principle: as it must be very evident, on the most superficial

inspection