108 CAPTAIN ZACHARY G. LAMSON 



not so much the quantity as the quality * of 

 the work done which gave her a world-wide 

 reputation. Her principal designer, Joshua 

 Humphreys, was not only a thorough mas- 

 ter of all the technical details of his profes- 

 sion, but he was also a man of genius and 

 originality. In 1798, when war with France 

 was threatened, Congress authorized the 

 President to accept "not exceeding twelve 

 vessels of war, on the credit of the United 

 States and to cause evidence of the debt to 

 be given therefor, allowing interest not ex- 

 ceeding six per cent." 



The credit for the designing of these ves- 

 sels, as well as of some built before 2 the 

 passage of the act, belongs to Joshua Hum- 

 phreys. It was his idea to make our frigates 



1 The bark "True Love" built in Philadelphia in 

 1748 was in service as a whaler 139 years. Broken up in 

 1887. The ship "Maria" built in Pembroke, Mass., 

 in 1782 was in service ninety years. The average age of 

 a vessel was said to be twenty-six years. Ship-building 

 an the North River, p. 172. Nautical Mag., 1889, p. 71. 



2 Act of 1794. 



