272 Col. Beaufoy on a Plan for a Fire Ship. [April, 



its falling off it would be counteracted by the operation of the 

 flag upon the tiller, and restored to its original course.* 



By this contrivance the vessel when under sail may be steered, 

 after the helm has been put in a proper position, either before 

 the wind, on a wind, or on any intermediate point, with as much 

 accuracy as by a good helmsman. To preserve the vessel from 

 being sunk by the shot or shells fired at it, the hold should be 

 filled with empty casks tightly bunged ; and for the prevention, 

 in the event of a leak, of the deck being blown up by the buoy- 

 ancy of the casks, place strong pieces of timber on the upper 

 part of the deck, from the stem to the stern post, through which, 

 and some of the beams, have eye bolts driven, the eye part 

 under the deck, and as many iron chains, or straps, hooked into 

 the eyes, and the other ends firmly secured to the kelson. 



The mast should not be very taunt, which would render it more 

 liable to be struck by the shot, and the sail should be square if 

 the vessel be designed to go before the wind. The utmost 

 range of a shell is 4,400 yards ; if, therefore, the vessel be sub- 

 mitted to the guidance of the flag, and run at the rate of eight 

 miles per hour, it will sail that distance in about 18 minutes. The 

 fusee must be cut accordingly. A flag with a fly ten or twelve 

 feet long will have very sufficient power to steer a vessel of a 

 moderate size. The experiment of steering a model by a. 

 flag has been tried, and found to answer with great accuracy. 



As soon as the tire vessel is sent down, if the men of war were 

 to fire with powder, an advantage would be obtained in the 

 smoke driving to leeward, and enveloping the object in obscurity. 



Two circular segments of wood may be used instead of cog 

 wheels ; one fixed to the flag spindle, the other to the extremity 

 of the tiller, the tiller ropes crossing each other, and the ends 

 fastened to the outer parts of the circular segments ; the ropes 

 being tangents to the circles, the power on the helm will always 

 be the same. The vessel maybe brought to an anchor, if requi- 

 site, amidst the enemy's ships, riding under batteries, by having 

 the anchor suspended from the tafrail by means of a stopper 

 fastened to the cable, and immersed equal to the depth of water 

 in which the ships are riding ; the moment the anchor touches 

 the ground the stopper will break, and the requisite quantity of 

 cable will run out, and the vessel be brought up by the bitts. 

 A chain should be added to prevent, the inner part of the cable 

 from being burned. In case a current sets along the coast undei 

 which the enemy's vessels are riding, a proper allowance is easily 

 made for the drift. 



If casks were filled with inflated bladders, it would prevent 

 their becoming useless by a shot-hole : should the flotilla to be 



* A Dutch rlopgpi-, from its light draft of wnte r, is as well adapted fnr tbe pur- 

 pose at any oilier. 



