_ Gibbs.on Dry Rot. in? 
contiguous timbers? Ed.] Bat it is the surface, and not 
the heart of the wood whieh first dec a ; ARhie alii like: 
tion of lime, w pale render the wood prenelatny as el 
as incombustible, and the woody fibre, like the animal fibre — 
in leather, being saturated, would increase in strength and 
durability. 
af ' G. GIBBS. 
Bacsesbenly August, 1819. fe 
P. S.—Since the above was’ written, I have received 
from Col. Perkins, of Boston, some “vahuable information: on 
the subject, which I will briefly state:—Several ships built 
at that port have been salted, or filled in between the tim- 
bers with salt whilst on the stocks, and after a lapse of ten or 
fifteen years the timbers have in every case, been found to be 
perfectly sound. A large ship belonging to him, which had 
been salted, (fourteen years old) required repairs, new decks, 
and. new iron work. ‘Considering the age of the ship, it was 
important to examine the frame in every part. The ceiling 
was therefore ripped up, and a complete examination took 
bd The result was, that the timber and plank were 
ound completely sound in every part. 
accompanied this gentleman on board of a salted ship 
aging to him, and now in this port. The timbers were 
not so. close as usual in frames of vessels, and the salt was 
retained at different heights by wedges between the tim- 
bers, so that the salt in settling should not leave any con- 
siderable height vacant. It took five hundred bushels of 
salt for this ship, of five hundred tons ; and two years after 
being built, one hundred bushels were added to fill up — 
the space of the salt dissolved. 
ther instance has heen eg AE to me by an 
intelligent officer of the Na Argus U.S. brig was 
buil at Boston in 1802, ie bie aah. was salted as 
e, repaired. at: the Navy-yar d in New-York in 1814, 
and the tanbers found to be ag ie sound. 
