410 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
Sir, Riis 
47 OUR last number contains a paper, 
“On the nature and efficacy of a 
new principle for improving the sailing 
properties of square-rigged Ships,” by 
Mr. Miller, on which I beg leave to offer a 
few remarks; and, to save room in your 
valuable pages, shall number the para- 
graphs, so as it may at once apply to the 
subject : 
Ist.—That “ the rigging of ships has 
not undergone any alteration, during 
two centuries, on scientific principles,” 
may be correct, but the art has certainly 
undergone many alterations on experi- 
mental principles. ‘ 
. 2d.—Whether the patent stay-sails 
be a real improvement or not, I shall 
not attempt to discuss; but the benefit 
which would result from being enabled 
to do away with them altogether is un- 
equivocal, and so likewise is the desir- 
ableness of all those improvements which 
Mr. Miller enumerates as consequences 
of such a change in the usual mode of 
rigging ships. 
3d.—Mr. Miller in this paragraph 
speaks of the lug-sails as if they were 
an unknown species of sail, or as if the 
great advantages which would result 
from being able to substitute them in 
lieu of the present sails of ships were 
unappreciated; but he subsequently ap- 
pears aware that the real state of the 
case is the very reverse of these assump- 
tions. 
4th.—Here Mr. Miller truly observes, 
that all the desirable and beneficial pro- 
perties of the lug-sail, as here enume- 
rated by him, “are well known;’? and 
this admission renders it unnecessary to 
remark further on it. 
5th.—There is no “ new species of 
sail” required to be “invented,” for the 
reasons here given by Mr. M. himself, 
viz., that “if we could free the square- 
sail from certain impediments to its 
proper set-and action [in ships], that are 
caused by the present position of the 
stays of the masts, in respect of other 
parts of the standing rigging, without 
depriving the mast of support; and if 
we could substitute a mode of suspend- 
ing-and working the square-sail, which 
shall enable it to take, upon each tack, 
the true set and position of the lug-sail, 
without dipping the yard in stays; for 
there is not any inherent difference be- 
tween those two sails besides that which 
results from the different methods in 
which they are slung, as the peak or 
slope at the head of the lug-sail is not 
Reply to Mr. Miller on Square-rigged Ships. 
[Dec, }, 
essential to its proper effect. The cause 
and nature of the defects of the square-. 
sail, and the principle from which the 
lug-sail derives its superior powers, shall 
now be explained.” 
Gth.—“ The cause and nature of the 
defects of the square slung-sail,” as com- 
pared with the lug slung-sail, are well 
known practically, and not rarely scien-: 
tifically: it therefore appears unnecessary 
further to remark on that point, since 
“ the cause and nature” is, [ think, merely 
another name for the “ principle”? from 
which the lug slung-sail derives its 
superior powers, ’ 
I never knew any difference of opinion 
among able seamen as to the preference 
of keeping the weather or lee-leesh (Mr. 
Miller says Zift) on a strain or tort—it 
being a general custom on board ships 
to get the tacks down as much as pos- 
sible when close hauled, and in weakly- 
manned ships those ropes are frequently 
brought to the capstan or windlass to 
effect that object. 
7th.—The superior advantages de- 
rived from the use of a sail slung by the 
lug instead of by the middle, is, as Mr. 
Miller correctly observes, well known 
to mariners; and I therefore pass it 
over with repeating, that the advantages 
enumerated in paragraph 
8th—are certainly derived from the 
scientific principle on which it is hung 
or slung. The principle, therefore, is 
not unknown, or unapplied to practice. 
9th.—* The superiority of this prin- 
ciple is [both] well understood,” and 
also generally adopted, as far as practi- 
cable ; and we are not aware of its fur- 
ther practicability, although we are so 
of its necessity, viz. “to make the point 
of suspension, technically called sling 
and truss, or halyard and parral, move- 
able on the yard; and for making the 
lifts adapt their tension to that move- 
ment, which, with the traverse of the 
sheets of top-sails and top-gallant-sails, 
and the removal of impediments from 
the standing rigging, to allow the yards 
to be braced up to 20° instead of 35° to 
40° obliquity, as at present, constitute 
the sine qua non for combining, in one 
sail, the good properties of the square 
slung-sail and the lug slung-sail, free 
from their present defects and incon- 
veniences.”’ But I cannot find that Mr. 
Miller has offered any plan for effectin 
this sine gud non. : 
10th.—“ The measure of the superio- 
rity of the lug-sail over the square-sail, 
when close hauled,” is, I say, already 
well known and acknowledged. The 
practicable 
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