70 TIMBER AND TIMBER TREES. [CHAP. xi. 



affording a strong presumption that they were both 

 built on the same principles. 



"The ' Hawke' sloop was built in 1793, one half of 

 timber barked in the spring and felled in the winter, and 

 the other half of timber felled at the usual time in spring. 

 Ten years later she was in such a general state of decay 

 that she was taken to pieces, no difference being then 

 observable in the condition of her several timbers." 



" At first view," Mr. Bowden observes, " this experi- 

 ment appears to decide the fate of the system ; but it must 

 be remarked that the timber was barked standing in the 

 spring of 1/87, and not felled until the autumn of 1790, a 

 period of three and a half years ; and further, that if we 

 were to inquire into the probable duration of such timber, 

 we might discover, perhaps, that it is in an inverse ratio 

 to the time the trees may stand after being barked ; and 

 therefore, this ship was in precisely the same state at the 

 end .of ten years as we might reasonably have expected." 



