Naval Construction in this Country. 33 



a short one, not only on ax:count of the greater distance it Is from 

 the axis of rotation, but also on account of the greater velocity, 

 and the more direct impulse of the water on it. 



The increase of the ratio of the length to the breadth to pro- 

 duce velocity should not interfere with the increase of breadth 

 necessary to produce stability or capacity ; for both these qua- 

 lities, varying as higher powers of the breadth, a very small in- 

 crease of breadth may be attended with a considerable increase 

 of length. If we compare the Caledonia's (120 guns) dimen- 

 sions with those of the Royal George and Queen Charlotte*, 

 of 1788 and 1789, we shall find, that 13 or 14 times as much 

 length as breadth has been added to the first rates of our navy. 

 If we refer to the dimensions of the Commerce de Marseilles, 

 and those of the next preceding three-decker of the French 

 navy (for instance, the Ville de Parisf , taken in Lord Rodney's 

 action), we shall find that the French naval architects gave in 

 her 21 times as much increase to the length as to the breadth. 

 If this could be done with safety in a three-decked ship, with 

 such a vast top weight, much more could it be carried advan- 

 tageously into effect in ships of two decks, and frigates ; but we do 

 not find, in the latter classes of the ships of the French navy, the 

 increase of length to go beyond six times that of the breadth. 

 If we refer to the Old Bellerophon, built in 1772, and the New 

 Bellerophon, built in 1819, we shall find an increase of 24 feet 

 in length, to 1.58 feet increase of breadth ; or the former more 

 than 15 times the latter J. 



To those who oppose the objection that a greater length than 

 at present used would make the manoeuvring of a ship too 

 slow, we answer, that as the Caledonia and the present first 

 rates of our navy, although from 10 to 15 feet longer than 

 our two-deckers, are found to be capital ships in this respect, 

 there is a sure ground to believe, that the addition of 20 feet in 

 length to the present two-deckers would not render their cele- 



* Caledonia, lens^th 205 feet, breadth 53.5 ; Royal George, len^h 187 

 feet, breadth 52.33 feet ; Queen Charlotte, length 190 feet, breadth 52.33 

 feet. 



t Ville de Paris, length 185.62 feet ; breadth 52.7 feet ; Commerce de 

 Marseilles, length 208.33 feet, breadth 54.79 feet. 



% Old Bellerophon, length 168 feet, breadth 47.33 feet; New Bellero- 

 phon, length 192 feet, breadth 49 feet. 



JULY — OCT. 1827. D 



