For river NAVIGATION. 301 



their flead is agreeable to the annexed drawings and de- 

 fcription : 



Fig. I. Reprefents four boats connected together, fo as 

 to form a boat of eighty feet in length. 



Fig. 2. Shews the ilime boats as floating on the water ; 

 and the flopes of their ends, to admit their rifing or fall- 

 ing at the joints in rough water, or on Itriking the fand 

 banks, pafling a r//?, See. 



Fig. 3. Shews the manner of connecting the boats by 

 hinges. 



By thus dividing the prefent Durham-boat, into four 

 diftincl ones that may be iifed feparate or connected, at 

 pleafure, each part, with its loading, may be paffed up 

 an inclined plane with facility ; as neither its weight nor 

 length will be fuch as to render the carriage for it unwieldy 

 or unfafe. When ufed for bringing produce down the 

 river, it may be divided at the middle, and the two parts, 

 each forming a boat, navigated by three men, two to row 

 and one to fteer. By this divifion they will come down 

 w'ith greater fafety, be more eafily managed in fuch parts 

 of the river as are difficult of navigation, from rocks, 

 fands or rapids ; as it is allowed, by all thofe who perform 

 fuch navigations, that a fhoi"t boat is conducted with infinite- 

 ly more eafe and fafety than a long one. And as thefe 

 boats, fmgly, are of a length eafily managed, they mav be 

 kept in conflant ufe, in fifhing, ferrying, and the carrying 

 of articles fhort diftances by oars only, at fuch times as they 

 are not all wanted in a lengthy tranfportation of commodi- 

 ties. They will be ftronger with the fame timbers as they 

 are diminiihed in length ; and can at any time be eafily 

 drawn on land for the purpofes of cleaning and repairing. 

 When we add to thefe, the advantages attendant on this 

 divifion of the boat, when all the parts are ufed in conjunc- 

 tion and as one, I believe none will deny it a preference 

 {o thofe of the old conftrudion : the benefits arifmg from 



the 



