246 TIMBER AND TIMBER TREES, [CHAP. 



best, good, or common middling, but is placed upon the 

 market unsorted, and without any particular distinguish- 

 ing brand upon it. 



The selected spars generally come to us in a round 

 state, under the name of Hand-masts. These are classed 

 by the brackers at Riga alphabetically A to N, accord- 

 ing to their size, the smallest being A, or 6 hands ; that 

 is to say, it measures 6 hands of 4 inches each, or 24 

 inches in circumference, taken at 4 feet in length from 

 the butt-end of the spar : the largest being N, or 

 1 8 hands, or 72 inches in circumference. The lengths 

 of these two sizes are respectively 36 and 74 feet. The 

 following very plain rule prevails by which the estab- 

 lished length to the number of hands is calculated, viz., 

 rough spars for masts, of 6 to 9j^ hands, the number of 

 hands multiplied by 3, and 18 added, gives the length 

 in feet ; and spars of 10 to 18 hands, multiplied by 3, 

 and 20 added, gives the length in feet ; there being a 

 small proportional increase of length required for vessels 

 carrying the larger sizes. 



The straightest and best spars have simply the bark 

 taken off them, and the knots dressed smoothly, with 

 perhaps a few feet in length at the butt-end hewn, to 

 remove the swelling which often occurs at the base of 

 the tree. Beyond this, owing to their generally fair and 

 even growth, very little is required, and, as the alburnum 

 or sap upon this description of timber is not usually 

 more than about I inch in thickness, the waste sustained 

 in their conversion into masts is altogether insignificant. 

 These Riga spars (their generally small and medium 

 sizes being considered) are about the best to be met 

 with, and are in great favour with the mast-makers of 

 the royal dockyards, though somewhat less so in the 

 private trade. 



