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add little to the fize of fliips as to burden, but a fingle foot 

 in breadth increafes prodigioufly their capacity to fuftain weight. 

 The fliape of merchant veflels in general may be faid, from 

 its tendency, to referable an extended wedge perpendicularly 

 placed ; every ton additional weight prefles them down confi- 

 derably, and from the pradlice of overloading them, in order 

 to proportion their burden to their failing charges and ori- 

 ginal coft, they commonly proceed on a voyage almofl buried 

 in the water. To this circumftance alone the lofs of numbers 

 of them may be afcribed ; for a captain muft be pofitive that 

 the danger is exceffive before he can hold himfelf juflified in 

 attempting to lighten the fliip ; and in fituations the moft 

 perilous this is often found impraiflicable. - 



The remedy for thefe defedts is eafily dated, biit the prac- 

 ticability of applying it requires explanation, as inveterate 

 prejudices in the minds of fliip builders are to be oppofed, and 

 ftrong prepoffeflions, in the minds even of men of fcience who 

 have thought mechanics deferving their attention, to be com- 

 bated. 



To give fhips great horizontal expanfion, in proportion to 

 their depth, which I conceive effential to the perfedlion of their 

 form, the conflrudlion of their hulls. In other refpects, mufl 

 undergo a change. The bow and the fide are, or rather ought 

 to be, conflru6led upon principles diredlly oppofite. The one 

 is to break through the water, the other to refifl all force that 

 gives the body of the veflel a difpofition to lee-way. The per- 



C 2 fecSion 



