300 An improvement in BOATS.. 



ing boats up tliefe acclivities may be conftrudled in fuch 

 a manner, that the boats may ftill continue to float thercr 

 in ; and all the danger of their being injured in removing 

 from the water upon carriages avoided. Thefe things 

 confidered, it would certainly be highly advantageous to 

 adopt the inclined plane at fuch places in the rivers of 

 America as have the navigation thereof impeded by falls : 

 but the difficulty is, in fo conftrudling them that boats of 

 fufficient length to be fet up by men againft the general 

 current, may be drawn over the plane without injuring 

 the boat or Ihifting the cargo. This cannot be done on 

 account of the weight of the boats and their cargoes, and 

 the length of the carriages on vvhich they would have to 

 be tranfported, as the angle of the cavriage muft be equal 

 to that of the plane or flope on which they had to afcend 

 or defcend. 



The boat hereafter defcribed is defigned to anfwer every 

 purpofe of the Durham-boat^ or that at prefent in ufe, 

 v/ith the advantage of being eafily tranfported along an 

 inclined furface, fo as to overcome any impediment of 

 fall in a navigable river without fhifting the cargo, or in- 

 juring the boat. If it be found to poflefs this advantage, 

 it will, notwithftanding its novelty, be adopted by an 

 enterprizing people ; and w^ho, from the nature of their 

 country, are highly interefted in promoting the means of 

 internal communication. 



Experience has proved to the perfons navigating the 

 rivers in America, that boats from eighty to ninety feet 

 in length ; from fix to eight feet in width, and eighteen 

 inches or two feet deep, are the moft proper : for, al- 

 though boats of half that length would be eafier navigated 

 nioitb the ftream, they could not return on account of theii; 

 wanting a fufficient walk for the men who pufli them up 

 againjl it, neceffary to prevent their lofmg way by the 

 udion of the ftream. The boat I would recommend ia 



their- 



