LXVI. NOTES ON WHARF IN DEEP WATER, DAWES POINT. 



mean diameter, and so long as that size was maintained the con- 

 tractor could use as many single-tree piles as he pleased. 



The stipulations as to the heads were as follows (assuming, 

 that they might be obtained in one length) : — 



Piles up to 40 ft. not less than 18 in. at the head 

 60 ft. „ „ 20 in. „ 



100 ft. „ „ 22 in. „ 



120 ft. „ „ 24 in. „ 



There was found to be no difficulty in getting piles up to at 

 least 100 ft. long to fulfil the conditions of diameter at the 

 head, but such sticks of that length as were brought down for 

 approval would not run more than about ten inches, instead of 

 fourteen, at the point, which put them beyond consideration. 



In formulating a method for building the long piles from two 

 trees, it was considered by the author that anything in the 

 nature of an ordinary diagonal scarf would be certain to fail. 

 The stiffness of the bottom clay made it evident that there would 

 be a lot of heavy driving, which would tend to burst ordinary 

 scarfs, even if strongly hooped. It was, therefore, determined to 

 make square butts, and to fish the two lengths together, instead 

 of scarfing them. This was done as shown to larger scale on the 

 plan. 



The specification for the long built piles, stipulates that they 

 shall be made from two turpentine trees with their butts 

 together ; these butts to be carefully fitted, when the two trees 

 are " lined up " and drawn closely together, by running a saw 

 through ; which ensures contact all over the two ends. A 2^ 

 in. iron do well is permanently fitted and keeps them truly 

 together while being " sided " for the fish pieces ; these ends 

 were specified to be not less than 24 in. in diameter, and they 

 never were less, but generally exceeded that size— owing to the 

 stipulation for the small ends. These butts were sided by ship- 

 wrights to 21 in. square as a minimum, or until there were 

 four 12 in. faces, for each of the four fish pieces. The fish pieces 

 were 14 ft. and 16 ft. long, 12 in. x 8 in. at the centre, and 



