HOPE-MAKING. 



Cables 10 inches and upwards, are allowed three-fourths 

 of an inch in girt more than the dimenfions given. 



In proportions of cordage wherein the cables contained in 

 them do not exceed 1 3A inches in circumference, a propor- 

 tion of l£cwt. of fpun-yarn is allowed to be fent to every 

 ton of cordage ; but if the cables are 14. inches in circum- 

 ference and upwards, then 3 cwt. for every ton is allowed, 

 in order to work up the toppings (or hemp) which 

 fhould be taken out of the hemp agreeable to contraft, 

 previous to its being fpun into cable-yarn (in particular), 

 as it frequently happens that the great number of lives of 

 fome «f his majefly's mod valuable fubjefts are at flake 

 upon the dependance of a fingle cable. 



The cables made in the ufual mode, by contraft, have of 

 late never exceeded iii±inchesin circumference, (Tab. XXII. 

 extends no further) : for all the higher fizes are made by 

 patent machines, by which much manual labour is ipared, 

 and the yarns and flrands laid much clofer and more even, 

 and bear the (train more equally. 



The fizes of cordage hereunto annexed, from - to 3 A 

 inches in circumference, are termed, in the navy, con- 

 traft coils ; all above, viz.. 4 to 677 inch, arc called hawfers. 

 The yarn for both coils and hawfers fhould be warped 

 195 fathoms long, and the ropes, when completed, are to 

 be 130 fathoms long. A hawl of yarn, confiding of 336 

 threads, 195 fathoms long, fhould weigh from 16 cwt. I qr. 

 7lb. to 16 cwt. 2 qr. 241b. and no more, tarred in the 

 fame proportion as cablets and cables. 



All cordage delivered into his majefly's dock-yards un- 

 dergo a trial, which is, by proving one flrand out of each 

 rope, each thread (or yarn) of which having a weight, 

 weighing one-third of an cwt. made fall to it, which it 

 fhould lift ; but if a certain number of yarns (according to 

 the fize of each rope) fhould break in the trial, the rape 

 is rejefted, otherwife it is received. 



Particular attention fhould be paid not to fend any kind 

 of cordage into his majefty's dock-yards above its higheft 

 weight, allowed according to contraft, as, in fuch cafe, all 

 above that weight will be a lofs to the manufacturer ; tl 1 

 ceiving officer not bring authorifed to allow any more than 

 is fpecified in the contraft. 



N. P). It is to be obfervtd, that, in making cordage by 

 contraft for the ulc of his majelty's navy, big majefty 

 finds his own hemp, the contractor t.ir and labour at a 

 certain price per ton. All cables and cordage 10 be 

 tarred with good Stockholm tar, without mixture ol an) 



other, except about one-thud part, which may be of Ruflia 

 tar. 



A white thread, twilted the contrary way, (fometimes 

 called the rogue's yarn,) is to be laid in all the flrands of 

 the cables and large cordage ; and a twine in the fmall 

 cordage for the king's mark, fo as to be feen 011 the outfide 

 of the ftrands. 



In any of the flrands, there is to be no greater number 

 of threads at the ends of the cables or cordage than in the 

 middle. 



The only parliamentary regulations, relative to the ma- 

 nufacture of cordage, are contained in the following aft ; 

 " An aft for more effeftually preventing deceits in the ma- 

 nufafturing of cordage for (hipping ; and to prevent the 

 illicit importation of foreign -made cordage." 25 Geo. III. 

 c. 56. 



In July 1799, a patent was granted to W. Chapman and 

 E. W. Chapman, of Newcaftle-upon-Tyne, for their im- 

 proved method of making cords and ropes, twined and un- 

 twined, from the fpinning of the yarn inclufive, to the finifh- 

 ing of the rope or cordage. This invention appears, by the 

 fpecification, to include material improvements in the fpin- 

 ning of rope-yarn, and in the manufacturing of cordage. 

 Rope-yarns are at prefent fpun by men, at an expence of 

 from half a crown' to five fhillings per day, according to the 

 fituation of the place, whether in the out-ports, or on the 

 river Thames. Or it is wholly fpun by machinery. 



In the praftice of the firft method rope-walks arc necef- 

 fary, and the fibres of the hemp are drawn into the yarn 

 of different lengths proportionate in a given degree to their 

 pofition in the outfide or infide of the yarn ; accordingly, 

 when this yarn is drained, and its diameter collapfes, the 

 infide fibres of hemp bear the greatell drain, and thus thev 

 break progreffively from the infide. 



In the fpinning by a mill the fibres are all brought for- 

 ward in a pofition parallel to each other, previoufly to their 

 receiving their twift. They are confequcutly all of one 

 length ; and, when twided, the outfide fibres are mod 

 (hortened by forming the fame number of fpirals round a 

 greater axis than the interior, and thus they mull confe- 

 quently break the firlt, on the fame principle that the out- 

 fide yarns of ftrands of ropes manufactured in the old 

 method break before the interior yarns j and, consequently, 

 with lefs drain than ropes of the improved principle, where 

 the ftrands, (or immediate component parts of the rope) 

 have been formed in fuch a manner as that all the yarns 

 fhall bear equally at the time of the rope's breaking. 



Ncverthelefs, yarns fpun by a mill have been found 

 ftronger than common yarns, on account of the great 

 evennefs with which they are fpun ; the manual labour in 

 manufafturing is much lefs than in the common method : 

 but, on the other hand, there is the expence of machinery, 

 and the greater waftc of hemp in preparing it lor being 

 drawn out in the progreffive ftages of its advance to the 

 fpindle. 



The method invented by Mefl'rs. Chapman differs trom 

 both the preceding, in having, by an eafy and limplc con- 

 trivance, the fibres of the hemp laid in the run in fuch 

 a' manner as the yarns themfelves arc laid in the ftrands of 

 the rope manufactured on the new pi 



Their machinery confifts only or .1 fpindle, divided into 

 two parts, the upper containing ap] draw forward 



the hemp from the (pinner with twill Pufficierri to combine 

 the fibres ; which enables them to employ women, chili 

 and inval Ifo to appropriate tli roi pro 



to the purpofe oi laj ing 1 opes 

 The part we have defcribed is oftl; an improvement on 

 3Z j 



