846 
what has been said respecting the 
effeét of the fore and after keel, and 
the main or middle keel, are sufli- 
cient to prove that vessels with three 
sliding keels can, in case of losing 
the rudder, be instantly steered with 
the keels, either in a tack, or work- 
ing to windward; yet as experi- 
ments have been made, and the effi- 
cacy of keels sufficiently ascertained, 
it will be necessary to refer to the 
certificate made by lieutenant Mal- 
bon, of the Trial cutter, and his 
officers, to the lords of the admi- 
ralty ; in addition to which, says 
captain Schank, I can offer the tes- 
timony of the ingenious James Tem- 
pler, esq. of Stove, in the county 
of Devon, who sailed several leagues 
in the same vessel, only using the 
keels. ‘¢ 1 myself, (he farther 
adds), on many occasions, in the 
presence of sea-officers of different 
ranks, steered and worked that ves- 
se] in every manner possible, with 
the keels only: but a still more 
flattering and more honourable proof 
remains, as this experiment was made 
in presence of his majesty, at Wey- 
mouth, who was pleased to condes- 
cend so far as to examine the con-~ 
struction of the cutter, and to order 
her to sail in company with him, 
when signals were settled, by which 
she was to steer and work to wind- 
ward, with the keels only ; which 
was done, and his majesty signified 
his most gracious approbation.” 
5. Vessels on this construétion 
will last longer than those built ac- 
cording to the present mode. Long 
experience has discovered, that no- 
thing destroys timber so much as 
being sometimes wet, at other times 
dry ; sometimes being exposed to 
the air, and at other times air ex- 
eluded from it. This is not the case 
with ships built according to the 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1863. 
construction which has been herein 
often, but it -is hoped not inconsi- 
derately, recommended. It is ge- 
nerally known that the bottom of 
a ship seldom rots in less than fifty 
or sixty years ; and some last even 
longer, though the upper works de~ 
cay much sooner. This may be ims 
puted to the distance the timbers 
are from each other, or to the cir- 
cumstance of the cieling not being 
caulked, which defects admit of a 
quick succession of different sorts 
of air, heat and cold, wetness and 
dryness: but, according to the 
plan of making the ship more solid, 
these would, in a great measure, 
be excluded, and ships would last, 
at least, one third longer, if not 
double the time they do at present. 
Method of managing Fish Ponds, for 
improving the Size and Flavour ef 
Carp, Tench, and Perch; by a 
Member of the Imperial Agricul. 
tural Society, St. Petersburgh ; 
with additional Remarks and Im- 
provements, adapted to this Couns 
try. 
i quantity of fish to be sup- 
plied obviously depends upon 
the quantity of water, which should 
be divided, where it conveniently 
can, into five ponds: these may be 
distinguished by the first five figures, 
as, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 
No. 5 is intended for breeding, 
and should be double or treble the 
size of any of the other ponds. Or 
if this be inconvenient, there may 
be two marked No. 5. This pond 
may likewise be the most distant 
from the house. If the breeding- 
pond should fail to answer this pur- 
pose, it will at least serve as a con~ 
servatory for fish of a small size, - 
@ 
