322 On the Stowage and Sailing 



pediment to the fleet. Had his lordship considered it hkely, 

 or that the Vanguard would not have been able to keep her 

 station in chace, in the event of falling in with the enemy at 

 sea, he would, no doubt, have shifted his flag to some other 

 ship ; and the world knows well his lordship was too anxious to 

 be first in action to risk any thing that might disappoint him. 



From these and similar circumstances, an opinion that many 

 of our ships are overmasted may have partly originated. 



Ships are supposed to be constructed agreeable to plans 

 mathematically arranged, varying in their formation according 

 to the ideas of different architects, and intended to be immersed 

 to a certain depth in the water, when complete and ready for 

 sea. To which floatation, it appears to me, they should be 

 brought to and kept as near as possible, except there should 

 be any material deviation in a ship from the plan about the 

 load water-line; in that case it is better, and as a general thing 

 it is as well, to observe the formation of the bottom about the 

 load water-line, and be guided accordingly. 



If a ship is built strictly agreeable to the plan, and is im- 

 mersed deeper than the builder intends, his views are frustrated, 

 and the object of constructing a ship adapted for fast sailing 

 lost sight of 



Professor Inman, in his general remarks on the construction 

 of ships of war, observes, — 



" It may be observed, generally, that it is advantageous 

 to give the projected ship the requisite stability with as little 

 ballast as possible, by which means a constructor is enabled to 

 reduce the displacement or magnitude of the body under water, 

 a circumstance very favourable to a ship in sailing and work- 

 ing. With a similar view every weight put on board, and 

 reckoned in getting the displacement, should be kept as low as 

 possible. No useless baggage or weight of any kind should be 

 put on board on any account whatever." 



I have quoted the above authority as bearing a little on the 

 point, and in corroboration of what I allege. 



I must also observe that, by too deep an immersion, the 

 fullest part of the body would be carried below the surface ; 

 <:ohsequently, the displacement would be considerably in- 



