SHE 



fioner, with two clerks, a mafter-fhipwright, and other 

 officers, with libowrers, are ftatioiicd here. 



A modern chapel has been eredled at the expence of 

 government; but in eccleliaftical rites and privileges this is 

 fubordinate to the parilh church of Minller. According to 

 the population reports of iSll, Sheernels was returned to 

 contain 134 inhabited houles, and 96 uninhabited ; and the 

 inhabitants, including the conviii-ts in the hulks, and inde- 

 pendent of the garrifon, were eltirr.ated at 1685. The 

 hulls of the (hips, called break-iuaters, are occupied by about 

 feventy or eighty families, and altogether prefent a very 

 Angular appearance, the chimnies being raifed of brick 

 from the lower gun-decks. The market-day at Shcerr.cfs 

 is Saturday, weekly. 



For a long period, the garrifon and iniiahitants of Shcer- 

 nefs experienced a fcarcity of frcfh water, the chief lupply 

 being brought in veflels from Chatham ; but it was deter- 

 mined by the Board of Ordnance, that an attempt ihould be 

 made to fink a well within the fort ; and the execution cf 

 this was entrufted to tir Thomas Hyde Page, an able engi- 

 neer, whofe iltiU and perfeverance were f.iund fully equal to 

 the trull that had been repofed in him. The preparation cf 

 the materials, and the boring, to alcertain the difltrent (Irata, 

 were b.-gan in April, 1781 ; and the linking of the well 

 was commenced in June following. The land-fprings, &c. 

 which greatly interrupted the progrels of the work during 

 the firli 100 or 150 feet, were excluded by regularly ilein- 

 ing the infide of the well ; till, at kngth, the workmen 

 came to an immenfe ftratum of chalk, whicli prevented 

 the further neceffity of ileining, and enabled them to pro- 

 ceed with lefs inconvenience. They went on, however, 

 with great caution ; and having dug to the valt depth of 

 328 feet, the auger with which they were trying the llrata 

 dropt down, and the water rufhed up with fuch velocity, 

 that the workmen could hardly be drawn out with fufficient 

 hafte to elcape drowning. In fix hours it rofe 189 feet, 

 and in a few days was within eight feet of the top ; and has 

 ever fince produced a never-tailing fupply ; for, though con- 

 ftantly drawn from, it has never been lowered more than 

 20O feet. The quality of the water is fine and loft, and 

 it« temperature is fomewhat warmer tinn commonly happens 

 in other well". From tliis well, conjointly with that of 

 Queenborougli, not only the garrifon and inhabitants are 

 fupplied, but alf ) the fhipping which lie at anchor at the 

 entrance of the Midway. ( See Queenborough. ) Halled's 

 Hiftory, &c. of the County of Kent, fol. 1. 8vo. edit. 

 Canterbury, 1 798. Beauties of England and Wales, vol. vii. 

 by E. W.'Brayley, 8vo. 1806. 



SHEERPOUR, a town of Hindoollan, in Bahar ; 43 

 miles S.S.W. of Patna N. lat. 24°55'. E. long. 85^ 10', 

 — Alfo, a town of Hind)ollan; 30 miles E. of Di-lhi. — 

 Alfo, a town of Hindooftan, in Mewat ; 25 miles N.E. of 

 Dig. 



SHEERS, in Shlp-Buitdingt are two mads or fpars, fet 

 acrofs at the upper end of each other, and there lafhed 

 together with tackles depending from the interfedion ; and 

 they are kept upright by guys extending each way from the 

 heads. The heels are Ipread and lafhed, or cleated, to 

 prevent their (lipping. By this contrivance very heavy 

 bodies are raifed, lucii as the Hem, (leru-frame, and the 

 frame-timbers of (hips : likewife (hips are malted by Ilieers, 

 or have their malts taken out where there is no (heer-hulk. 



SHEET, in X\\e Manege. See Cai'ARIson'. 



Sheet, m Sea Lrtngunge, a rope fattened to one or both 

 the lower corners of a (ail, to extend aiiJ retain it in a par- 

 ticular ftation. When a (hip fails with a lat r.ii wind, the 

 lower corner of the main and fore-fail arc taltened by a 



SHE 



tack and a (heet ; the former being to windward, and the 

 latter to leeward; the tack, however, is tnlirtly d fufcd 

 with a Item wnid, whereas the fail is never (pread without 

 the aflidance of one or both of the fhcets. The itay-fails 

 ar.d Itudd.ng-faiis have pnly one tack, and one fheet each ; 

 the itay-fail tacks are always faflened forward, and the 

 fheet drawn aft ; but the fluddirg-fall t;-.ck draws the under 

 clue of the lail to the extremity of the boom, uhereas the 

 fheet is employed to extend the iniv.oll. Falconer. See 

 She.its. 



Sheet, To hale home the. See Homk. 



Shzkt- Anchor, See Anchor. 



StiizET -N at h. See Nail. 



SiiKET-Sicpper. See Stopper. 



SHEETING, a term fignifying the flooring of jointed 

 planks, under the lock-gates of a canal, and at the tail of 

 every lock and fluice, &c. 



SHEFFIELD, John, in Biography, duke of Bucking- 

 hiimrtiire, fon of the earl of Mulgrave, was born in the year 

 1649. At the death of his father he fucceeded to his title • 

 tins was in the year 1658. At an early age he difmifled hi» 

 governor, but iupplying the want by his own indultry, he 

 acquired a confiderable proficiency in literature. His mar- 

 tial ardour broke out at the age of feventcen, when he en. 

 gaged in the firft Dutch war as a volunteer. The indica- 

 tions which he gave of the love of pleafure, united with lite- 

 rary talents, which had a peculiar value in the reign of 

 Charles II. rendered him a favourite at court, and he mate, 

 rially afhlted in the obtaining for Dryden the appointment 

 to the polt of laureat. At the commenctmeHt of the 

 fecond Dutch war, he was a volunteer in tlie fleet com- 

 manded by the duke of York, and was prefent at the battle 

 of Solebay, in which lie behaved with l"o much gallantry, 

 that on his return he was made captain of a fecond-rate (hip 

 of war. In the following year he was appointed colonel of 

 a regiment of foot under general Schomberg. In 1674 he 

 was decorated with the order of the Garter. He was, in 

 1679, appointed lord-lieutenant of Yorklhire, and governor 

 of Hull, in which year he wrote a piece, entitled " The 

 Charader of a Tory, in anfwer to that of a Tri.Timer." In 

 this we have an avowal of his political principles, j^-hich 

 were thofe of the party in whofe name he wrote, and to 

 which he adhered during life. lu 1680 he went out with 

 a force to the relief of Tangier, then invelled by the Moors. 

 In this expedition he completely fucceeded, and with it 

 ended the military fervices of lord Mulgrave. On the ac 

 celTion of James II. he was chofen of the privy. council, and 

 made lord-chamb.-rlaiii of the houfehold. He returned thele 

 favours by a zealous attachment to his mailer, which led 

 him to take a feat in the cccleliadical commiliion ; but in 

 this he oppofed thofe meafures of the pricltt; which brougiit 

 on the fpeedy ruin of that infatuated prince. Though 

 inimical to the revolution, yet he voted for the conjund 

 fovereigiity of king William with Mary. In 1694 he was 

 made marquis of Normanby ; iiotwithllandiiig this, and hii 

 admiHioii into the cabinet, with a penlion, yet he iliU had a 

 great didike to the king. On the accefliun, however, of 

 queen Anne, his former attachment to the court was revived, 

 and he experienced her favour by an appointment to the privy, 

 ieal, and by other honourf, which were terminated in lioj, 

 by a nomination to the dukedom of Buckiiighamlhire. 

 Jealous of the influence of the duke of Marlborough, he 

 religned the otllcc of privy-leal, and remained out ol ollicc 

 feveral years, during which lie built tlielioufe in St. James's 

 park, winch has, during thib reign, been the principal 

 relidencc of the queen. At the great change of the minillry 

 in 1 7 10, he was again introduced, llrll a« llcwird of the 

 3 O 2 houlc. 



