100 NAVAL SCIENCES. 



In such cases it is prudent to reef the larger sails by degrees, and to 

 furl the smaller ones altogether. PL 26, Jig. 12, is a ship of war under 

 such circumstances, with only the main topsail, the mizen sail, and the 

 jib unfurled, while all the rest have been secured. A storm, moreover, 

 arising from these side winds combines with the violence of the waves 

 (pi. 27, Jig. 5), and often lays the ship on one side, so that it seems impos- 

 sible for it to be righted. But a storm on the open sea is less dangerous 

 than in the vicinity of the shore, when only too often cliffs and breakers, 

 which the most practised seaman cannot avoid in a storm, make a total 

 wreck of the vessel. Still more terrible than a storm is a fire on board 

 ship, as it is only in rare cases and when it is early discovered that it can 

 be extinguished, and everything is irretrievably lost unless the boats can be 

 got out in season. A ship on fire usually burns down to the water-line 

 [pi. 24, Jig. 4, shows the burning of the ship of the hne Trocadero), when 

 the keel falls off, or the ship bursts open with the heat and sinks, or finally 

 the powder magazine takes fire and blows everything to pieces. 



B. Manceuvres of Fleets. 



The purpose of naval tactics, or the manoeuvres of fleets, is to keep the fleet 

 always in the position in which it can first secure its own safety, and then, 

 under all circumstances, to annoy and, if possible, to conquer the enemy. The 

 best sailing order is represented in pi. 28, Jig. 1. The fleet is divided into 

 three columns, sailing parallel with the line which it is to take in battle. 

 The windward column, under the command of the vice-admiral, usually 

 forms the van-guard ; the leeward column, under the command of the rear- 

 admiral, forms the rear-guard ; although circumstances often render a 

 change in this order necessary. If the fleet is very large (Jig. 2), each 

 column is broken into two, making six in the whole. The admiral's ship 

 then moves before the centre of the two columns belonging to each. The 

 determination of the distance between the columns is always a matter of 

 importance. The length of the column being known, if (Jig. 3) the perpen- 

 dicular CH, equal to CF, is raised on the column CF, the points F and G 

 connected, and FH taken equal to FC, then GH will be the right distance 

 of the columns. (By mistake of the engraver the letter H is omitted in the 

 figure ; it belongs at the intersection of FG and AE.) This is evident 

 when we look at the first ship, C, and the last ship, E, standing equally close 

 to the wind, to which the line CE is perpendicular. An approximate pro- 

 portion for the distance is five twelfths of the length of the column. 



The distance between two ships varies from forty to one hundred 

 fathoms. In pi. 28, Jig. 4, AB and A'B' are two rows of hostile ships of 

 the line drawn up in order of battle ; CD and C'D' are frigates and fire- 

 ships, the last stationed on the wings or centre and protected by frigates on 

 the bow and stern. The last lines are so arranged that they lie to the 

 windward if 'the enemy is to leeward, and conversely. In the rear of these 

 are two more lines, EF and E'F', formed by the hospital ships, transport 

 ships, &c. PI. 29, Jig. 3, shows a division of a fleet in the line of battle. 

 Fig. 2 is a steamship, employed to carry messages from one line to another. 

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