of Ships of the Line. 339 



there is no lateral oscillation or rolling to affect the heights of 

 the ports out of water when heeled over; but when there is 

 such a motion, in addition to an agitated sea, the disadvantages 

 of the ships with the lowest batteries will, of course, be aggra- 

 vated. Hence we may form a pretty accurate idea of the 

 difficulties which will obstruct, if not remedied, the path of 

 victory to those placed in an English fleet of English con- 

 structed ships, when opposed to a French line of battle to 

 leeward, in rough weather*. 



As it is of great importance for a constructor to know how a 

 variation in the armament of a ship may affect the weights of 

 the ordnance equipment, not only in quantity but in position, 

 and as this seems to be the natural place to introduce the 

 means of acquiring such information, we have inserted the two 

 following tables, which have been drawn up with much care, 

 and may be relied on for as close an approximation to rigid 

 accuracy as the necessity of taking the average weights of 

 heavy ordnance will allow. The total weights are those inci- 

 dental to the foreign service war-proportions of shot, &c. as the 

 tables express ; but if we wish to ascertain the total weights 

 incurred by each calibre with the foreign service peace-equip- 

 ment for ships of the line and frigates f, it may be very nearly 

 approximated to by subtracting the weight of the gun and 

 carriage from the total weight, in each case, and reducing the 

 said total weight by one-fourth of the remainder so obtained, 

 when the gun or carronade is mounted on the lower deck of a 

 ship of the line ; and by one-fifth the same quantity for all 

 other guns and carronades used in these ships and in frigates. 



* James, in his Naval History, relates the inconvenience suflPered by the Queen 

 Charlotte, of 100 guus, in the action of the 29th of May, 1 794, her lower deck 

 ports, being only 4.5 feet above the water, let in the water in such quantities as to 

 keep the pumps at work during the greater part of the ensuing night. The Victory, 

 of 100 guns, built in 1786, although formerly much esteemed in the English 

 navy for sailing qualities, was, however, miserably deficient in this most vital par- 

 ticular ; for even when equipped for home service, the midship-port of the lower 

 battery was only 4.25 feet out of water. This ship, in consequence of her now 

 admitted inferiority to the larger three-deckers of the present day, has been very 

 recently ordered to be razeed to a two-decker — a very doubtful alternative ; but a 

 similar experiment inevitably awaits all ships of such contracted dimensions if 

 retained in the service. 



f The number of round shot per gun is in this case reduced from 80 to 60 for 

 the lower deck ordnance of ships of the line; and from 100 to 80 per gun for all 

 other ordnance mounted on ships of the line and frigates. 



