A. D, 1790. 211 



If New York and Pennfylvania are capable of fupplying the whole 

 of the United ftates with fugar, and that apparently very profitable 

 branch of induftry fl:iall become an objedl: of general attention, the Weft- 

 India planters may meet with formidable rivals in the European mar- 

 ket. 



A very confiderable improvement, which unites the oppofite advant- 

 ages of flat and (harp-built vefTels, was introduced by Captain Schank 

 of the royal navy. It confifts in making three wells, or water-tight 

 openings, from the bottom up to the deck in the middle of the veffel, 

 wherein frames of plank, fitted to aft as moveable partial keels, are let 

 down under the level of the bottom as occalion requires. When the 

 veflel is on a wind, all the three are let down ; and they may be lowered 

 more or lefs, according to the judgement of the commander, in order 

 to alTift the helm, or gain the wind ; when flie is tacking, or lying to, 

 only the headmoft is let down ; when wearing, or fcudding in a gale of 

 wind, only the after one : and the whole are hove clofe up, when fhe 

 goes before the wind, or has occafion to go over a fhoal. - Thefe keels 

 are of eminent ufe in going about, as the velTel lofes no way : and flie 

 may be fleered by them very corredly without the ufe of the rudder; 

 a matter of prodigious importance, when the rudder happens to be car- 

 ried away. Captain Schank having tried the principle of his Aiding, 

 or dropping, keels upon boats, in the year 1774 at Bolton in New Eng- 

 land, and in 1789 at Deptford, a cutter of twelve guns was now built 

 under his direction, which was found fully to poflefs all the advantages 

 expeded from it ; and many veilels have fince been built for govern- 

 ment upon the fame principle *. It is the opinion of good judges, that 

 the fame principle, if applied in building veffels for the merchant ferv- 

 ice, would be of very great utility, efpecially to coafters, which have 

 occafion to be much in fhallow water, and to go over flioals, and alfo 

 to veffels carrying grain and other cargoes liable to fliift. Such veffels 

 would alfo be of great fervice in navigating the deeper canals, v^hich 

 extend from fea to fea. 



The French trade to the Eafl-Indies was again laid open to the whole 



obtained from fea water) whcoce it is evident, that effected by the three keels, have been found to aft 

 there mud be a very great confumption of fuel to as levers in llraining the vclful, wiicn ,i,oing upon a 

 evaporate about -J^ of the liquor ; a circumftance wind, and have brought tlie improvemtnt into iome 

 which renders fuch a procefs prafticabk only, difcredit with thofe, who do not diftinguifli be- 

 where fuel is to be had for the cutting. tween veffels built upon the principle, and tnofe 



Perhaps the cutting of the fuel is not taken in- built in oppofition to the principle, of the invent- 

 to thefe accounts of the labour requifite to produce or. 

 IjOCO pounds of fugar. I have thought it neceflary to be rcther particu- 



The maple fugar is defcribcd by Raynal, who lar in defcribing the pofuiou and manageri.ent of 



fays 20 pounds of liquor produce a pound of fug- the Hiding keels, becaafe they have been fuppoled 



ar. \_Hift.phU. et pel. /-^ ix,/). 92.] by many to be three /lorj/.W keels, fomcwiiai of 



* It is proper to obferve, that fome veffels have the nature of the Dutch lee-boards, or the three 



been built with only two keels, one at each end, keels of an ice-boat, 



•which, iuftead of anfwering the beneficial purpofes 4 



Dd 2 



