monteath's forester's guiee. 



159 



shells) be spread thin over every inside deck or floor, 

 and over the whole bottom and sides of the vessel, 

 and every door or hatch in the main-deck be imme- 

 diately closed down air-tight. A number of rods 

 or shreds of timber woidd require to be nailed slight- 

 ly to the inside skin of the ship where the slope is 

 considerable, in order that the lime-shells may rest 

 and not roll down. 



As soon as it is found that the lime-shells are 

 completely slaked — become hydrate of lime — let it 

 be sold to the farmer or house-builder, or be used in 

 any government erection going forward at the time; 

 and let another quantity be laid in. We would 

 consider a sloop of 80 tons load of lime, value, prime 

 cost and freight, about L.70, would suffice for cover- 

 ing the internal surface of a seventy-four gun ship. 

 When slaked to powder, the lime might be disposed 

 of at little loss. It is impossible, without trial, to 

 say how often the lime would require renewal, but 

 we think twice or thrice a-year would suffice to pre- 

 serve the vessel dry and free of any corruption ; per- 

 haps even once might be found effectual. Suppose 

 that the lime was renewed every four months, and 

 that when slaked it only sold at two-thirds of the 

 whole cost, the preservation of a line-of-battle ship 

 would be nearly as follows. The price of the lime 



