1824. ] 
though that and some of the smaller 
stay-sails are in form a trapezium, that 
shape, when close-hauled, sends the ship 
to leeward more than a-head; and in 
respect of gaff or trysails, they are as 
before stated, pressing and not lifting 
sails, because the spent or dead wind 
is forced diagonally upwards and off at 
the peak or gaff end; and yet so de- 
fective are mere square-sails, that com- 
mon ships are sometimes reduced to 
the necessity of taking them in, and of 
trusting to those inefficient stay-sails 
and try-sails to clear a lee-shore. 
The single advantage of enabling a 
ship to work faster to windward, is 
sufficient to mark the importance of the 
proposed plan; it is the grand deside- 
ratum of naval improvement, to which 
sailing faster when going large or 
before the wind, is but a _subordi- 
nate quality: yet this last-mentioned 
advantage also attends the proposed 
principle, because a lug-sail spreads 
itself wing-like one-sivth of its own 
breadth farther over the side of the 
vessel than a square sail of equal size, 
which difference becomes equal to one- 
third more canvas, when the lug-sails 
of two masts are so spread over the 
Opposite sides, and the aftermost lug- 
sail does not becalm the other, like an 
aftermost square-sail; such increase in 
the spread of the canvas would dis- 
pense with the trouble and cost of 
stern or steering sails when lefore 
the wind, yet as they may be some- 
times beneficially applicable to the 
lug-square sails, it may be advis- 
able that one-half of the stern or 
steering sails should be retained, until 
trial shall have ascertained whether 
their utility would compensate for the 
trouble and expense they occasion. 
It is impossible by a dry description, 
even with the aid of aplate, to convey 
an accurate idea of the technical details 
of the manner in which the proposed 
ship-lugger can be thrown in stays; but 
it may be assumed as a moral certainty 
in art, that the application of every scien- 
tific principle is practicable to the extent 
that is necessary to its full operation, 
and the writer is so fully satisfied that 
he can apply the proposed improve- 
ment to all the square-sails of a com- 
mon ship, with precision and simpli- 
city, upon mathematical and nautical 
rng that he would undertake by 
tis method to make any good common 
ship sail better, both by and large, or 
before the wind, and with less canvas 
than she can now sail; and he offers 
Miller on the Sailing Properties of Square- Rigged Ships. 
213 
this challenge to the British navy, to be 
tried by any impartial arrangement either 
between two ships, or upon the same 
vessel, 
A full and fair trial, and the develop- 
ments of practice, would refute or ob- 
viate all objections, which until tried, 
must be deemed equally as problematical 
as the plan itself, and therefore trial only 
should decide the question of its prac- 
ticability. 
The power of steam in stemming 
both wind and tide, in dispensing with 
the power of wind, and in adding ve- 
locity to that of canvas, having lately 
made a large encroachment upon the 
ancient dominion of the sail, it is proper 
and becoming for the advocates of the 
sail, which must ever predominate on 
the broad scale of navigation, for pur- 
poses of war and commerce, to reduce 
the arch of the mariner’s compass from 
which common ships are now excluded. 
It contains six points on each side of the 
wind, besides about a point of leeway, 
making fourteen points on both tacks, 
which are equal to an angle of one hun- 
dred and fifty-seven degrees and a-half, 
out of the measure of two right angles, or 
one hundred and eighty degrees, that are 
contained in half the compass or ho- 
rizon. This is the true mare incognitum, 
which it is more important to penetrate 
than the polar ocean, but which the 
common ship has hitherto vainly pre- 
tended to enter, and almost without 
gaining on the wind, for never until the 
terms wind-bound and embayed shall have 
become obsolete, will square-rigged ships 
possess adequate powers. 
For want of this improvement, British 
property to an immense amount was 
annually captured in the English Channel 
during the whole course of the late 
wars, chiefly in consequence of the un- 
fitness and inability of British gun and 
cutter brigs to chase French luggers 
when close-hauled upon a wind: our 
cruizers were therefore reduced to the 
necessity of suffering the enemy to 
make captures on, our coast, and of 
trusting to their chance of intercepting 
the French luggers or their prizes near 
the French coast, where, on approaching 
harbours, the enemy was often obliged 
to sail with a free wind, which gave our 
cruizers an opportunity of closing with 
them. ‘his practice subjected British 
officers to the imputation of cruizing 
for salvage, and not to prevent capture, 
but it was caused by the defects of their 
vessels, and not by any want of zeal 
‘in 
