60 Mr W. M. Rice's accottnt of an ancient Vessel 



the fall of the steering-rope was traversed, but I imagine there 

 were two distinct ropes, a round turn being made over the rol- 

 ler with the one by which the rudder was governed. 



The vessel was floated on the 27th of August. I was on 

 the spot at the time, and in digging a water course towards the 

 dam in the channel abaft her, to admit water into the basin 

 formed by the excavation, a small boat was discovered at about 

 sixteen feet from the stern of the vessel. She appeared to 

 be a wreck, the after part being gone. I ascertained the di- 

 mensions of this boat as nearly as I could ; (the water was at 

 this time flowing in from the channel forward) ; her length 

 was about 15 feet, breadth 5 feet, flat floored, and very shallow; 

 the timbers very stout, and few in number; they were gene- 

 rally about 3 feet apart; the planks from |to 1 inch and J thick; 

 clinker built, and fastenedwith iron rivets, and no inner shea- 

 thing. The seams were caulked with /^a^r,* which is not in 

 the least perished ; the wood is also in a high state of preser- 

 vation, but very black. She fell to pieces on attempting to re- 

 move her. 



From what has been now stated. Sir, there will be no diffi- 

 culty in pointing out the country she belonged to. The hous- 

 ing, or roof spoken of, is, I believe, although common to barges 

 of all countries, more peculiar to the Dutch. 



The Earl of Romney, whom I met at the vessel, did me 

 the favour to mention several peculiarities which he had obser- 

 ved about her, when she was first opened, and which I should 

 otherwise have been ignorant of, as many of them were de- 

 stroyed prior to my seeing her. He pointed out the situation of 



* When on duty at Sheerness dock-yard, I collected several specimens 

 of wood taken fron; the old ships which have been dug out in the progress 

 of the works carrying on there ; and it may, perhaps, be worthy of remark, 

 that among them I found a piece of oak plank with some hair adhering to 

 its edge, — a proof that hair had been used as the caulking material for that 

 ship. I have not been able to ascertain if she was of English or foreign build; 

 but Mr John Knowles of the Navy Office obligingly informed me, that 

 these ships were laid aground in the tim.e of Charles H. and in one or two 

 subsequent reigns, and served, some as break- waters, and others as resi- 

 dences for the artificers employed in that establishment, which was then 

 in its infancy : and we find that in his work on the " Preservation ef the 

 Navy," that hair was used in caulking for a long series of years in his 

 Majesty's Navy, and was not discontinued till 1791. 



