HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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twenty to one hundred and forty tons, would not require more than five feet andan half water when fully laden. The very material difference, and the manifoldadvantages that would result from it, are so obvious as to render the enumeration

of

Master. Eighteen tons of iron, but no shingle.

(Signed) J. Gilbert,

John Frankland,

William Rule,

M. Ware,

J. Dann,

Richard Prowse,

Henry Peake.

After the Trial Cutter had been thus inspected by the officers of Woolwich dock-yard, and her. officers interrogated as to her qualities, she left that place and proceeded to her station at Plymouth.James Templer, Esq. of Stove, in the county of Devon, a gentleman who had given much of his atten-tion to mechanics, and the improvement of naval architecture, having inspected the cutter in Woolwichyard, wished to see the operation and effect of the keels in the working of the ship, he accordingly wenton board the Trial, and sailed in her to the coast of Devon. Upon his landing he wrote a letter toCaptain Schank, expressive of his great satisfaction at the surprizing effect of the keels; from whi;hletter the following is an extract. “ We were weather bound a day or two, and made a good harbour ofDungeness ; the wind was foul all the way afterwards, and at times little or none ; we had a fine breezethe morning we arrived. I was happy in the opportunity of seeing all the effects and operations of thesliding keels, and am now more than ever convinced of their great utility; the vessel steers and putsabout with great certainty, never losing her way, but shoots round to her course, and continues it whilefilling the sails, an advantage that removes the chance of accident when a vessel entirely (as is often thecase) loses her way, and is in danger of going upon her beam ends before she gets under way again,especially in a large sea. I observe the stowage of the vessel is as complete as in the old way, and I thinkmore so, as the cargo, particularly of corn or any thing that is liable to shift, is so fixed that althoughthe ship may not be half full, it is rendered stationary and safe ; added to which, various sorts of grainmay be put in the same vessel, without the chance of their mixing. Another very great advantage is alsothat of the ship being able to get into shallow harbours, or run over rocks, sands, Sec. as was the casewith us coming down. We came over the flats at less than half an hour’s flood ; and to try the effect, wesuffered the aftermost keel to be down, and running into shallow water upon the tail of the Spaniard,it rose and fell without the aid of the winch; a clear proof that nothing is to be apprehended from thefixing of the keel, at the time she may strike the ground. These considerations, when once known, Irhink must render the invention acceptable to the public ; but people are so unfortunately persuaded infavour of old fashions, that it is difficult to turn them ; for my own part, I am so well convinced thatthe system adopted in the Trial is correct, whenever my work is done, I will immediately adopt it in thecoasters from this harbour; as they will not only be able to get up quite to Newton, or even up to thecanal, with a cargo, but can get in and out of the harbour,at any time, in spite of the tar which atpre.entimpedes all other craft of any burthen, or drawing even a moderate depth of water. I am persuaded,if you could have an opportunity of building another, and not be controuled in the plan, you u'd exhibit

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