[ t? ] 



facility that tliey might almofl have been fuppofed water- 

 logged. 



These obfervations, with many others, led me to beftow 

 more attention than I had before paid to an examination of 

 the mechanical principles applied to the building of fliips ; 

 and the more I extended my inquiries, the more I was con- 

 vinced that their conflrudlion was defedlive : Had, however, 

 my conclufions not been ftrengthened by previous obfervation, 

 I fliould not have obtruded them on your attention ; for I 

 am myfelf fo much an infidel in theoretic fyftems in general, 

 that I offer confiderable violence to my mind whenever I 

 fubfcribe to their truth, unlefs confirmed by fomething like 

 experimental proof; and I fliould not therefore expedt from 

 others much attention to remarks merely theoretic. 



A GLARING defedl in fhips employed in tranfporting mer- 

 chandize is, that they draw too much water, or are conftrudled 

 too deep. It is well known that every floating body propelled, 

 mufl, in its progrefs, difplace a body of water equal in weight to 

 itfelf, and in bulk to the part of it fitviated below the furface ; 

 and that this operation mufl be repeated fo often as the body 

 moved advances a diftance equal to its own length. Now as 

 the line of leafl refiflance from the water difplaced is upwards, 

 it follows that the force necefTary for its removal mufl be 

 great in proportion to the diflance of any part of it from 

 the furface, and hence arifes the facility with which vefTels 

 drawing little water are moved, even when the burden they 

 carry is confiderable. 

 Vol. VI. C Another 



