626 l-HILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1780. 



The moment the ship lifted, he discovered she had received more damage than 

 was at first apprehended, her leaks being such as filled her from 4 to 1 8 feet 

 water in 1-l hour. As nothing effectual was to be expected from pumping, several 

 scuttles or holes in the ship's side were made, and valves fixed to them, to draw 

 off the water to the lowest ebb of the tide, to facilitate the discharge of the re- 

 maining part of the cargo; and, after many attempts, he succeeded in an external 

 application of sheep skins sewed on a sail, and thrust under the bottom, to stop 

 the body of water from rushing so furiously into the ship. This business effected, 

 moderate pumping enabled them to keep the ship to about 6 feet water at low 

 water, and by a vigorous effort they could bring the ship so light as, when the 

 cargo should be all discharged, to be easily removed into deeper water. But as 

 the external application might be disturbed by so doing, or totally removed by 

 the agitation of the ship, it was absolutely necessary to provide some permanent 

 security for the lives of those who were to navigate her to the river Thames. 

 Mr. B. then recommended, as the cheapest, quickest, and most effectual plan, 

 to lay a deck in the hold, as low as the water could be pumped to, framed so 

 solidly and securely, and caulked so tight as to swim the ship independant of her 

 own leaky bottom, which was done in the following manner. 



Beams of fir timber, 12 inches square, were placed in the hold under every 

 lower deck beam in the ship, as low as the water would permit; these were in 2 

 pieces, for the convenience of getting them down, and also for the belter fixing 

 them of an exact length, and well bolted together when in their places. Over 

 these were laid long Dantzic deals of 2^ inches thick, well nailed and caulked. 

 Against the ship's side, all fore and aft, was well nailed a piece of fir, 12 inches 

 broad and 6 inches thick on the lower, and 3 inches on the upper edge, to pre- 

 vent the deck from rising at the side. Over the deck, at every beam, was laid a 

 cross piece of fir timber, 6 inches deep and 12 inches broad, reaching from the 

 pillar of the hold to the ship's side, on which the shores were to be placed to 

 resist the pressure of the water beneath. On each of these, and against the 

 lower deck beam, at equal distance from the side and middle of the ship, was 

 placed an upright shore, 6 inches by 12, the lower end let 2 inches into the 

 cross piece. From the foot of this shore to the ship's side, under the end of 

 every lower deck beam, was placed a diagonal shore, 6 inches by 12, to ease the 

 ship's deck of part of the strain by throwing it on the side. An upright shore, 

 of 3 inches by 12, was placed from the end of every cross piece to the lower 

 deck beams at the side; and one of 3 inches by 12, on the midship end of every 

 cross piece to the lower deck beam, and nailed to the pillars in the hold. Two 



firm tight bulklieads or partitions were made as near the extremes of the ship as 

 possible. The ceiling, or inside plank, of the ship was very securely caulked up 



to the lower deck, and the whole formed a complete ship with a fiat bottom 



