NAVAL ARCHITECTURE. 31 



analysis. Our frigates were so inferior to theirs in every way, that 

 they brought nothing but disasters upon us, excepting in the action 

 between the Shannon and Chesapeake, and one or two others, 

 where, assured by their previous successes, our gallant opponents 

 threw away the advantages possessed by their ships, by coming to 

 close quarters at once, and deciding the contest liand to hand. — 

 Our ships of the line could never bring these frigates to action, and 

 owing alone to their extraordinary sailing, did they evade and mock 

 a large British fleet. We were iinally obliged to build 60-gun fri- 

 gates after their method, but when it was too late for the exigency 

 of the period ; and thus it has ever been our fate, for want of sci- 

 ence in the constructors of our navy, to follow the steps of our ene- 

 mies at a humble distance, and to be only then driven oat of the 

 old track by a terrible experience of its inefficiency. 



Nor have the Americans stopped here : — Mr. Huskisson plainly 

 tells us, that " America is, year after year, augmenting its military 

 marine, by building ships of v/ar of the largest class." According 

 to Capt. Brenton, they have built a tirst-rate of '245 feet length on 

 the gun deck, and 56 feet broad,* to carry 42-pounders on the 

 lower deck, and 3r2-ponnders on the other decks. 



Our small class of 74-gun ships lately converted into frigates, 

 carrying y?/"l!?/ 32-pounder guns, we are fearful can only produce 

 disappointment if ever brought against the American frigates, (not 

 by conversion, but by construction^) which carry sixty-two guns of 

 the small calibre, and arc 180 feet long ori the gun deck. 



7^ tP ^ 7p flp 7f 7? 



From what has been said, and the actual experiments now pend- 

 ing, it is apparent that the theoretic construction of ships is at a 

 very low ebb in this country ; yet a fine opportunity now presents 

 itself, if we choose to avail ourselves of it, for rescuing the nation 

 from this generally acknowledged odiism. I^et a projjer use be 

 made of the corps of Naval Architects we have, somehow or other, 

 at last got, and let their exertions, under a degree of encouragcn)ent 

 equal to that bestowed on the old ship-builders in vain for so long 

 a period, be directed towards the improvement of their art. li 

 they fail, they cannot claim the excuse of having their endeavors 

 repressed ; if they succeed, as no doubt they will, in advancing 

 their profession to something beyond mere carpentry, we shall be 

 enabled to bid adieu to the old and ruinous nielhod of blunderinij, 

 under the reign of which nothing but disappointment can ever be 

 reasonably expected. 



We have seen and do still see the immense advantages derived 

 by our country, from the encouragement of those branches of sci- 

 ence connected with its manufactures and agriculture ; and if we 

 wish to keep our present superiority, we must follow up vigorously 

 this principle in all its universality. To the cavils of ignorance 

 and bigotry against such a mode of proceeding, we would answer. 

 in the words of one of the most enlightened members of the pre- 



* These dimensions carry the ratio of tho lengtli to breadtli abovf 

 41-2 to 1. 



