16 



STRUCTURE OF VESSELS. 



that the practice is of no considerable advantage, or 

 that the requisite machinery is too expensive for 

 private establishments, and conclude that fine bent 

 timber still continues a necessary in the formation 

 of at least our mercantile marine. 



Of the very ingenious innovations in the structure 

 of vessels contrived by Sir Seppings, by which 

 knees and crooked timber might nearly be supersed- 

 ed, we can only say, the practice is not followed, and, 

 at least in private building -yards, not likely to be so ; 

 — that the demand for fine crooked timber, compa- 

 ratively, is, and will continue to be, as great as ever. 

 Should our war navy, from the introduction of steam 

 impulse and bomb cannon, be reduced to fleets of 

 strong gun-boats, the demand for crooked timber, 

 instead of lessening, will greatly increase, — the build- 

 ing of frames of straight timber being more expen- 

 sive, and less suitable, in small than in large vessels ; 

 and should war occur, in the hmiy of the formation 

 of a new war navy under a different principle, the 

 speediest and simplest mode of construction will be 

 followed. 



Nearly two-thirds of the timbers of a vessel con- 

 sist of the curves and bends a, h, c, e,f; the other 

 third is of straighter timber, and easily obtained. 



