Improvement in Anchors, 319 



course this mode will supply the place of the present nuts, 

 which are only intended to prevent the stock from slipping 

 in and out, whenever it becomes loose ; which accident 

 anchors are very liable to in hot climates. My anchor stocks 

 will save a considerable quantity of the finest limber, and 

 give much greater security. 



I likewise beg leave to offer to the Society a model of a 

 double fish hook, for the purpose of fishing the anchor, an 

 operation which, in the common mode of doing it, is fre- 

 quently attended with accidents both to the ship and crew, 

 from the anchor suddenly slipp ng unexpectedly in raising 

 it to its proper position. 



I flatter myself that these improvements will meet with 

 the Society's approbation. 



I am, sir, your most obedient humble servant, 



H. L. Ball. 



Lower Mitchatn, Feb. 13, 1808. 



To C. Taylor, M.D. Sec. 



Reference to the Engravings of Capt. H.L. Ball's Method 

 of Fishing an Anchor. See Plate X. Figs. 4 and 5. 



Fig. 4, PI. X., represents captain Ball's method of fish- 

 ing an anchor. Fiji. 5 shows an enlarged view of his double 

 hooks used for that purpose. 



In the usual operation of heaving an anchor, it is drawn 

 up by the cable until it appears above water; the cable will 

 not now raise it higher, it is therefore bowsed up by the cat 

 block a, fig. 4, from the cat head b, the cable d being 

 slackened out as it rises. When it is got up as high as the 

 cat block will raise it, a strong hook, called the fish hook, 

 fastened to a rope e, which is suspended by a tackle from 

 the shrouds, is hooked to the anchor at the bottom of the 

 shank, and thus the arms of the anchor are elevated above 

 the stock, until one of the flukes is brought up to the tim- 

 ber heads ff y to which it is made fast by a rope and chain, 

 called the shank painter. In this operation the fish hook 

 sometimes slips, and occasions mischief; to remedy which, 

 captain Ball has applied two hooks instead of one, which 

 keep firmer hold. These hooks are shown upon an enlarged 

 scale at gg> tig. 5, attached to the rope e; each of these 



hooks 



