194 Description of the Mooring Blocks, &c. 



and continued drawing, notwithstanding it soon buried itself (as 

 the former had done), but the block remained immoveable. 



Altliough this trial was verv satisfactory, yet wishing to ascer- 

 tain the power of resistance which the block possessed, I caused 

 the following one to be made. 



Third, an anchor of 41 cwt. was laid down about 60 feet be- 

 hind the large anchor, and attached to it by cable, and on ap- 

 plying the same purchase as abene, the large anchor drew until 

 the cable between the anchors became taught, when it was found 

 necessary to increase the power, which being done, both anchors 

 started, and contmued to come home, until the superiority of 

 the mooring block (which still remained firm) was declared to 

 be so manifest, that no further experiment was necessary, it be- 

 ing the opinion of the gentlemen under whose inspection this 

 last trial was made, viz. Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton, bart. ; 

 Rear Admiral Foote; Commissioner the Hon. Sir George Grey, 

 bart.; Captain Sir James Athol, Wood Hewitt, and the principal 

 officers of the Dock-yard ;— that it was much superior to any 

 thing yet offered for the purpose of securing the ground chain of 

 the moorings, and that its introduction would prove advantageous 

 to the service, particularly in shoal water where ships had to 

 pass over the anchors. J. Park. 



Statement of Trials made with a lighter Cast-Jron Mooring 

 Block. 



First, the mooring block weighing 1 15 cwt. was placed on the 

 shore near low-water mark, and also an anchor of 95 cwt. (ex- 

 clusive of the stock) about 65 fatiioms from each other, with 

 15 fathoms of mooring chain attached to each, and to the end 

 of each chain four treble blocks of 22 inches, four three-fold 

 purchases of new G-inch hawser rove, and tvjo mooring lighters, 

 with 50 men in each grounded, one abreast of the mooring block, 

 and the other abreast of the anchor; the fails were brought to 

 the capstans and windlasses, and the strain applied to heave the 

 mooring block and anchor towards each other (similar to the 

 trials made with the former block, a statement of which accom- 

 panied my letter cf ±e 2nd of November last). 



The block and the anchor both drew about the distance of 

 seven feet, when the block became fixed, but the anchor con- 

 tinued to draw as long as the purchase v/as applied. 



Second, an anchor of 4S cwt. v;as laid down about 10 fathoms 

 behind the large anchor, and attached to it by cables (termed 

 by seamen," backing an anchor'') when the purchase was again 

 applied by 64 men in each lighter; the large anchor drew, 

 taking the small one with it, until the latter had buried itself up 

 to the crown, when the anchors became stationary, and the block 



began 



i 



