HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

3“73

are satisfied. Stability evidently claims precedence, even before flotation orspeed, because the safety of the human race depends on the former ; and only thepolitical or pecuniary advantage of it on the latter. Supposing a vessel drawingsix feet water, and having a length of keel amounting to forty feet, it is too evidentto need explanation, that such a vessel must make infinitely more lee-way, thanif it drew twelve feet, or was eighty feet in length ; the lateral resistance beingencreased according to the squares of the side or surface presented to the water.From this cause is derived the reason, why vessels of great length are less apt tomake leeway than those which are shorter. The hope of encreased advantagemay, however, be productive of evil, in some respects, provided the System isnot properly confined within reasonable bounds. The inconvenience to bedreaded is material, and may be attended with the worst Consequences. Thereason is easily demonstrable in plain and very few terms. The action of therudder, and its influence on the motion or course of the vessel, is exactly thatof the lever; and if the hull becomes extended to an immoderate length, theforce of such lever gradually weakened, and less capable of effecting its officetill, in the end, it totally abandons the attempt; so that, except its own poweris encreased by an extraordinary addition, which would be inconvenient, or ifvery far augmented, impracticable, on account of the power required to govern andregulate it; the ship will become the sport of the winds and waves, refusing toobey the wishes and will of its pilot.

To remedy this inconvenience, vessels were introduced, having ati exceedingnarrow breadth of floor, and built, in every respect, what is termed sharp; sothat by their sinking considerably lower beneath the surface of the water than thoseof flatter construction, they may, though so much shorter, continue to present thesame face in square inches, or feet, to the fluid, as a lateral resistance, and con-sequently be rendered equally as little liable to fall to leeward. This systemof construction is, however, pregnant with quite as many inconveniences aSthe former. It experiences infinitely more resistance, in the first instance, inits passage through the water, its very contracted capacity, in proportion toits measurement and expence of construction, renders it inconvenient and un-advisable, even as a vessel of war, and totally incompatible with the ideas as well asinterests of commerce. Added to these considerations is, that scarcely less conse-quential objection, arising from its great draught of water, its incapability of sail-ing, where vessels of a flatter construction would be capable of passing, andVol. III. ^ F the