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HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

says he, “ the truth is evident enough from similar instances on shore, sinceit is well known that the sails of a windmill often move faster than the winditself; and one great superiority which common mills maintain over those of anyother description, particularly those contrived to move in an horizontal position,is strictly analogous to the case of a vessel sailing upon a wind (provided it canbe prevented from falling to leeward), and one running before it ; for the fasterthe sails of an horizontal windmill move, the more they detract or take awayfrom the impulse of the wind upon them ; while those of common windmills,in consequence of their moving perpendicular to the torrent of air, are acted onnearly as forcibly by the wind when they are in motion, as when they are at rest.

“ Thus much,” continues the author, “ may suffice as to the description andnature of these singular vessels ; but it must be added, that vessels bearing someobscure resemblance to them, are to be met with in various parts of the EastIndies; but none of them appear comparable with those of the Ladrones, eitherin respect to construction or celerity : a circumstance which may, in some mea-sure, induce mankind to believe, that the proa is the real native and original inven-tion of the inhabitants of these islands, and was afterwards imperfectly copied bythe inhabitants of neighbouring countries. For though the Ladrones have noimmediate intercourse with any other people, yet a considerable number of islandslie to the S.and S. W. which are imagined to extend nearly to the coast of NewGuinea.”

In the very singular piece of nautical mechanism just described, may, in greatmeasure, be discovered the principle of the lee-board, though produced by a contri-vance not only dissimilar, but almost totally opposite. The effects, however sin-gular it may at first sight be thought, are almost completely the same. Theweight of the outrigger, or second boat, proves so sufficient a stay or balance tothe principal, as to prevent it from ever oversetting; while the encreased lateralresistance which the clear run of the lee-side makes to the water, preventsthe canoe from making that lee-way, the inconvenience of which it would other-wise have to encounter, in consequence of the wind being constantly on thebeam. Thus are the principal obstacles and dangers attendant on so peculiar andlimited a navigation, curiously removed by an invention, contrived by the un-tutored inhabitants of that quarter of the world, who, however unversed theymay be in the principles of what is called science, appear to possess sufficientpenetration and ingenuity, to render their arts of mechanism completely adequateto their wants and necessities.

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