XI.] OAK FOR SHIPS. 117 



shifted, from the time she was built up to 1803, when 

 she was repaired. Mention is also made of this ship 

 being in active service and in good condition in 1815 ; 

 that is, thirty-six years after she was launched. It was 

 thought there was a striking coincidence between the 

 durability of this ship and that of the Royal William, 

 affording a strong presumption that they were both 

 built on the same principles. 



"The /fazfi^e 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 1787, 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." 



