358 IMPROVED JURY MAST AND SHROUDSo 



honour to present to the Society in Oct. 1807, I beg yoii 

 will lay before them a model completely rigged ; from which 

 it will appear, that the rigging so placed will give, from the 

 angle being more obtuse, greater security, and supersede 

 the necessity of cathur pinning [catharpings], and admit of 

 the lower yards bracing sharper up. 

 Improvement The hint which I gave formerly relating to striking a top- 

 maS^"^ '°P' mast is now carried into effect, by the mode in which I have 

 fitted the topmast rigging, which admits of its being set up, 

 almost instantaneously, at any point the mast shall descend 

 lo; the advantages of which are, many, more particularly 

 when the ships are riding hard in open roadsteads; for, by 

 striking the topmast, ships will be enabled to ride much 

 longer at their anchors, and still be ready to make sail on 

 their topmasts, according to the state of the weather, which 

 will or ought io determine the distance to which th? masts 

 are struck. 

 Improvement In this model I also present to the Society a plan, the 

 Ml settmg up. gaj-ijest Qf my mechanical pursuits, for setting up a ship's 

 lower rigging, which will be effected by one man ; whereas 

 in the ordinary way it is performed by an assemblage of 

 tackles, and the labour of a whole ship's company; the 

 larboard side of the model is fitted up according to the old 

 plan ; the starboard side * with my improvement, which con- 

 sists simply of a screw attached to each shroud, and tight- 

 ened by a nut under the channels, which should be well se- 

 cured by iron clamps or knees for this purpose: the expense 

 will be far less than in the common modej and I do think 

 the bare inspection of the model will be sufficient to esta- 

 blish its superior efficacy: 



I will thank you to expunge the passage from page 168 

 in the last volume, after the full stop at main-top f , and 

 substitute the following: 



*^ The spare fore top-mast passes through a cap made 

 from strong plank, &, into the square holes of which the 

 heads of the two temporary masts above-mentioned are in- 

 serted, and the heel of the topmast is fidded on the tressle 



* The larboard side in fig. 1 of the plate, 



t Journal, vol, xxiv, p. 45, line 13 from bottom, 



trees 



