S^- Natal Architecture and 



It IS not so much in a longitudinal direction as in atKwart- 

 ship one, that ships are weak. It would appear that this 

 was felt to be the case by Sir Robert Dudley, at the latter 

 end of the sixteenth century, when he proposed his con- 

 struction of ships from the galleon downwards, and endea- 

 voured to remedy the evil by struts, extending from the 

 keelson to the quarters of the beams of the different decks. 

 Mr. Snodgrass also, as shown in Steel's large work, brought 

 forward almost a similar plan, with this difference, that the 

 upper ends of the struts were fastened to the side of the 

 ship instead of the quarters of the beams. The latter me- 

 thod failed when put in practice, which, we may infer from 

 Charnock, was not the case in Sir Robert Dudley's mode. 

 — Vide Yol, ii. p. 177, of his Histo7y of Marine Architec- 

 ture. 



If, however, we do not give our entire assent to all that 

 has been advanced respecting the diagonal system of Sir 

 Robert, we must still yield him the praise due to perseve- 

 rance in what he believes to be the true principles of con- 

 struction, and more particularly in that exerted in the be- 

 half of the round sterns of his introduction. We feel per- 

 suaded that, whatever modifications it may be found here- 

 after necessary to make in them, the curvilinear shape will 

 never be abandoned. We should prefer to see them, how- 

 ever, as the French have adopted it, without any external 

 projection, to load and hamper the ship abaft. 



It is to be regretted that the accommodations of the offi- 

 cers should be infringed on ; but surely, in a ship of war, 

 every thing is of minor importance to her efficiency as such. 

 No doubt, deeply-rooted prejudice in favour of old customs 

 renders it obnoxious to many ; and when once that is over- 

 come, opinion will be as violently in favour of the round 

 stern, as it was previously inimical to it. 



The remarks on dry rot seem to be written in true phi- 

 losophical spirit, — a determination to investigate the subject 

 with strict impartiality. We perfectly agree with the opi- 

 nion of the Noble Lord at the head of the Admiralty, ex- 

 pressed in Parliament — '' that all nostrums are ineffectual 

 towards the preservation of timber ; and that the dura- 

 bility of it depends on its quality, and on its being well 

 seasoned." For this reason we agree to what experience 

 has taught all ages respecting the time of felling oak- 

 timber ; namely, that period when the vegetating juices, 

 after spring and summer, are converted into ligneous fibre, 

 and not when they are in a state of action ascending the ca^ 



