OF FOREST-TREES. 



69 



climate in England. What we have said of the Mulberry, and the vast CHAP. III. 

 emolument raised by the very leaves, as well as wood of that only tree, ^^-'^'Y"^ 

 were sufficient to excite and stir up our utmost industry. History tells 

 us, the noble and fruitful country of France was heretofore thought so 



" verpool, he set a small vessel on the stocks for himself; but unluckily, not having a suffi- 

 " cient quantity of iron for the purpose, and none being to be had at that time in the 

 " Country> he was obliged to put a stop to the work, till he bethought himself of the follow- 

 ''ing succedaneumk He had formerly (as hinted above) observed the extraordinary 

 " strength and firmness of the Locust-tree, and on this occasion took it into his head that 

 " trenails * of that timber might be substituted for iron bolts f in many places where 

 " least liable to wrench, or twist, as in fastening the floor-timbers to the keel, and the 

 " knees to the end of the beams, which two articles take up a large proportion of the 

 " iron used in a ship ; purposing, when he arrived in England, to bore out the Locust tre- 

 " nails, and drive iron bolts in their stead. When he first informed me of this scheme, I 

 " must own I thought the experiment very hazardous : however, as necessity has no law, 

 " he put it in practice. The ship was built in that manner, loaded, and sailed for Liver- 

 " pool, where she arrived safe ; and though they met with some blowing weather on the 

 " passage, she never made so much water, but that one pump could easily keep her free. 

 " She returned back to Virginia the next year, when I had an opportunity of being in- 

 " formed by the builder himself (who was then captain of her) of what had been the result 

 " of his project : he said, that during the passage, especially in blowing weather, he was 

 ^'very attentive in examining the water-ways :|:, as, at that place, weak ships are most 

 " liable to work and strain, but that he could not perceive any thing more than is usual in 

 " other vessels. When unloaded, she was hauled ashore upon the bank, in order to be 

 " searched both outside and inside ; when, on the strictest examination, it was found that 

 " the Locust trenails, that had been substituted instead of iron bolts, seemed (to all ap- 

 " pearance) to have effectually answered the purpose intended ; however, it Was thought 

 " prudent to take several of them out, and put in iron bolts in their room : and this opera- 

 "tion afforded another proof of their extraordinary strength and firmness; as they 



•Trenails, or Tree-Nails, are wooden pins, that fasten the planks to the ribs or timbers ji — and to 

 prevent drawing, or the planks starting, they are wedged at both ends, inside and out, so that the strength 

 of a ship depends much on the goodness of the trenails ; and if they are not made of wood that is both hard 

 and tough, they will not endure driving so tight as to bear the strain that lies upon them ; for in fact it is the 

 trenails that hold together the several pieces of which a ship is composed. 



■f Bolts are round iron pins, used to fasten the floor-timbers to the keel, and the beams that support the 

 decks to the sides of the ship, and on all other occasions where trenails are not strong enough to bear the strain 

 that is to be supported. 



X The Water-waY is that part of a ship's deck that is next to the sides of the ship ; this Seam, or 

 joint, is very difficult to keep tight, and in weak vessels will open and shut in carrying sail, when it blows 

 hard. 



Volume IL K 



