Mabch 26, 1891.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



199 



1 tTiink 710 finer sail can he had than through Shelter Island 

 Sound and into Peeonic Bay, and one wonders as you sail alooic 

 if the old pirates wlio made these small bays and bold lieadlands 

 their hidinc idaces ever appreciated the great beauty of the 

 scenery. What tales this Sound coutd tell. We enjoyed every 

 minute. Soon after starting a large catboat came along and asked 

 nsif we were not an Eastern boat, coupled with the information 

 that Eastern boats were always naturally slow. This caused us 

 to trim a little flatter, and, as a smashing breeze was blowing, we 

 soon hauled out under his lee and gave him a chance to read our 

 name, but he knew the tides, and for a couple of hours gave us all 

 we wanted to do to hold our own, and but for the great power of 

 OUT boat we should have come in second best. His Inability to 

 carry sail was all that saved us. 



The barometer was rising and the wind looked like a cbani?e, 

 presaging- a northeaster, so when half across Peeonic Bay we de- 

 cided to put buck and go Cor Sag Harbor, as it is hard heating out 

 of Peeonic Bay in a nijr'easter. The run from Jessup's Neck to 

 Sag Harbor was fully as beautiful as from Greenport to I-'aconic, 

 and we hope to spend a week on that same ground this ye^r. We 

 tied up at Sag Harbor about dark, and did not go ashore at all 

 that night. 



Next morning being Sunday, we decided to lie quiet, and spent 

 the day very pleasantly in rambling .around the old place and 

 hearing stories of its former prosperity in whaling, and of the 

 cruises of some of its famous old ships. In the afternoon we went 

 aboard a small steam yacnt lying there at the invitation of her 

 captain, and in the conversation that followed he expatiated 

 freely on the beauties of the country around Fort Poud Bay, on 

 the hospitaUtios of its inbabit;i.utt: and the good harbor there, that 

 we made up our minds to go thereon the following morning and 

 stay two or three days in thai par;idige of game, according to his 

 tale. How we could have heen so green I don't see. The rest of 

 the afternoon we spent in looking up our course on the chart and 

 picking up information about the locality. 



Early next morning we were under way, with a fresh southwest 

 breeze. We decided to go over the shoals to the south of Grard- 

 ner's Island, as that was the most direct way, and the chart gave 

 a fair channel, although rather crooked. All went well in getting 

 out of Sag Harbor, as there is a buoy about every htmdred yards 

 or so until clear; then we laid our course, single-reef Pd, down 

 towai'd G-nff's Island and as near the channel as we could make 

 out. When about half way across, and two miles from the shore, 

 our centerboard, whni'h was halt down to prevent her griping, 

 came np with a bang, much to the discomfort of the captain, who 

 was astride the box at tue time enjoying a smoke. We luffed in a 

 hurry, and as soon as we couid recover our senses pulled out our 

 chart and tried to figure out how tliere cnnid be two feet of water 

 where the chart distinctly said seven or eight. The wind was 

 blowing pretty fresh, and tfie white caps were plenty all over the 

 bay; so we cnncltided to keep on under short sail and try and find 

 some kind of a channel. The water that day was clear as crystal 

 and often fooled us; about every five minutes it would seem as if 

 the bottom was not more than a y-ard under us, all sand and kelp, 

 hut stick an oar down and you cotild not touch it. All the same, 

 it made one feel queer, for to strike there with that sea on wonld 

 mean speedily pounding to pieces. 



At last we made the can buoy off Kapeague, and were well clear 

 of the shoals, and in another hour or so made the headland of 

 Fort Pond Bay. This bay is beaniifuUy clear and deep, and free 

 rom all obstructions, but is no place for a small boat, or l<jrge one 



ther, in a nor'wester. as it is open in that direction. We looked 

 round for signs of the huspilable inlialiltants, but could see noth- 

 ng but an old shanty at the south end. Sailing down abreast of 

 that, we cast anchor, and both turned to to get dinner. After 

 dinner we both took to the surrounding hills for a tramp, and to 

 get our legs out of kin li. We had a most enjoyable tramp over 

 the brown hills and through the green vaJleys. One pectiliar 

 thing about tJiis place was that every valley contained a little 

 clump of trees or bushes, and a small pond of water. We enjoyed 

 our ti-amp very much, and prolonged it till nearly dark, but we 

 only got one or two plover, and saw no ducks. 



we found on returning to our boat that the wind was coming 

 out of the dreaded northwest, but was light, and looked as if it 

 wonld continue light for the night. We got supper and turned 

 iu. About 11 o'clock we heard the wind mourning through our 

 rigging with anything but a pleasant sound, and found ourselves 

 pitching around considerably. Putting on our clothes we went 

 on deck, and decided to warp her in nearer shore, and make fast 

 to an old wharf there, so we could get ashore easily in case it 

 blew too hard, for trying to get out of the bay at night in the face 

 of a nor'wester was out of the question. We did not sleep any too 

 well that night, and were glad to see daylight in the morning. 



As the sun rose the wind increased, and the barometer bad 

 dropped considerably by 8 o'clock. We got breakfast and made 

 everything snug, then concluded to get out while we could. 



Putting in three reefs we made a start, and a lively time we 

 had of it, making good enough way till wo struck the heavy tide 

 at the entrance, and then we began to lose ground and bob up 

 and down. This would not do, so we put back and shoot out a 

 reef and tried it again. This time we got clear of the bay and 

 headed up the beach for Napeague Harbor. The wind and water 

 took us abeam, and the way we rolled and jumped made us 

 anxious about our mast. Plenty of water came aboard but that 

 did not greatly trouble us. The sail, almost new, commenced to 

 tear at the reef grommets, and taken all in all we had enough to 

 keep us busy. 



We made the can buoy otf Napeague about noon and turned 

 sharp around it, heading in through the narrow passage, guided 

 by three or four birch trees stuck in the channel. The chart and 

 the Coast Pilot both said this wa^ a hard harbor to make, being 

 shoal and crooked, and we certainly found it so, running on to 

 shoals so as to touch our hoard at least nye times in making our 

 anchorage, but when we did get there we found a good harbor, 

 smooth and safe for any wind. 



Soon after coming to anchor we found a small catboat near us, 

 but did not take much notice of her at the time. We were out of 

 fresh water so 1 took our tank and went ashore on Goff's Island 

 and asked the first person I saw, a darky, if I could find any good 

 water there? Yes, he said, good enough for him. I filled the 

 tank at a pump before tasting of it, and one taste was enough till 

 I got pretty thirsty. It was only a little less salt than the sea and 

 had a very strong taste of dead menhaden, yet all the persons on 

 the island, over 7.5, drank it through the summer, and we had to, 

 but it took a good deal of coffee to take the taste away. 



When I got back to the boat the crew was sitting on the stern 

 with sncli a look of despair on his face I thought perhaps the bot- 

 tom had fallen out of the boat. Before starting from Fort Pond 

 we had made everything as snug as we could, but on opening 

 the cabin door while I was gone for water the crew had been 

 appalled at the damage done. He had a nearly new pair of 

 trousers, of a very nice light stripe, that he had kept for 

 Simday wear. These were oh the bottom of the cabin, and a 

 quart bottle of tomato ketchup was carefully emptied into the seat 

 and had run down both legs. Then the coffee pot, stove 

 cover, shoes, pillow, kerosene can and all the odds and ends of a 

 boat's cabin, were aU in a mass on top of them, and all weU. soaked 

 from the water we had shipped, and which had splashed up when 

 she heeled. Such a mess I never want to see again, and I think 

 tne crew can echo that. 



We managed to partially clear away and get supper; then, 

 chancing to look at our neighbor in the open boat, we saw that he 

 was an old man, and had to spend the night, which promised to 

 be rainy, iu the open air only covered with an oilskin, and the 

 crew pulled oyer and Invited him aboard for a cup of coffee and 

 something stronger. He readily came, but you can imagine our 

 horror when, on inviting him to take a drink to warm him up, ho 

 informed na he was a Methodist minister at Sag Harbor. He had 

 come over after beach plums, intending to stay only one day, but 

 the blow had detained him for two already, and bid fair to for 

 two or t liree more. He was a man about seventy, but rugged as 

 ever. He made the evening pass very agreeably for us, in relat- 

 ing his past advontures, which had been many, and sometimes 

 exciting enough. He gladly accepted our invitation to stay all 

 night and sleep on a good mattress. 



In our snug harbor we did not feel the northeast ^ale blowing 

 outside, but it was ciuile apparent the next morning that we 

 should have to spend the day there. Suclia day as that is the great 

 drawback to yachting. Cold, raw, drizzling, mean, no chance to 

 go anywhere except to the fish-oil works, and we soon got tired of 

 that and its abominable smelL Toward night the wind moderated 

 somewhat, and our plucky old minister bade us good-bye and set 

 sail for home. He had over two bushels of beach plums, both pur- 

 ple and yellow, and generously left us about a peck of the finest, 

 which were very fine eating. The last I ever saw of him he was 

 standing np toward Sag Harbor, and handling his little boat in a 

 heavy- sea better than most professionals could. His sermons 

 would be worth hearing. 



The next two days were but monotonous repetitions of the first; 

 eat. sleep, drink vile water, play cards, and then commence all 

 over again. The morning of the third ci iy dawned much like its 

 predecessors, but not so much wind. We concluded to try for 

 Block Island, as we could fetch it by one long leg and a short one 

 if the tide favoi-ed, and we were heartily tired of staying where 

 we were. 



We put in two reefs about eight o'clock and started out; it was 

 not as bad aa we expected and we made comfortable progress. 



Soon after leaving land a large, thrasher shark came alongside and 

 followed us for several hours, much to our discomfort. Ho was 

 such a big fellow and had such a wicked look it made us feel un- 

 comfortable, even if he could not get at us. We flz-ed a number of 

 .oB oal. bullets at him. and I presume hit him several times, as he 

 would drop out of sight for some minutes, then reappear. It was 

 nearly night when we got into Block Island Harbor, which was 

 full of craft, hardly room enough to turn around, and the old 

 swells rolling in made it a mighty uncomf orta.ble berth for us all 

 night. 



We bid the place good-bye early In the morning and gladly 

 started for home with a warm and pleasa.nt breeze from the 

 southwest, and in about four hours were in Newport. Fourteen 

 days had passed since we left it, and we almost looked to see the 

 place changed. We stayed here till nearly night and then 

 started for home, arriving in good season and finding every one 

 well and glad to see us. Our two weeks had cost us, for food, sup- 

 plies, some slight repairs to sail and all money spent for pleasure, 

 $27.10; and for that small sum two of us had a splendid time and 

 came home feeling tough as oak knots and all ready for a year's 

 work. I would not advhse any small boat to cruise for pleasure 

 nearer Montauk Point than Sag Harbor, but through Shelter 

 Island Sound and Peeonic Bay ia splendid cruising ground, and 

 both sides of Long Island Sound cannot be beaten, except perhaps 

 by Narragansett Bay. Climbing mountains may be pleasure for 

 some, but a good summer cruise along shore is hard to beat for 

 solid comfort and cheapness. Qdequechaji. 



YACHT BUILDING50N THE CLYDE. 



THE influence of the present rule and classification in Great 

 Britain has been to produce more boats and better boats, and 

 the results there in three seasons have entirely disproved the 

 likelihood of such dangers as have been foretold in case corrected 

 length should be generally adopted in America. While building 

 and racing have both greatly increased under the new rule, they 

 have followed very much the same course as ou this side; as the 

 trouble and expense of racing iucrease,the size of racing yachts has 

 rapidly decreased. Thistle is now on the sale list and will not race 

 this year. Valkyrie wil 1 probably not fit out, and the largest class 

 promises to be the 40-raters, of about eOft. l.w.l. Of the yachts 

 building the mojority will he in the smaller classes, from 10 to 2^4 

 rating, or Sti to 26ft. l.w.l. The centerbo-ird has already been tried 

 inseveralof these smaller boats, though with but moderate suc- 

 cess, in spite of the yarn concerning a wonderful centerboard 

 craft, the Archer, M'hich has beou circulating in American pa- 

 pers. This year, however, Mr- Watson will have real centerboard: 

 craft afloat in a class which possesses such known boats as En- 

 core, Yvonne and Phantom, and in the hands of the tried sailor 

 men who have won over 100 prizes in the old ii-tonner Doris; so 

 that the merits of tlie board are more likely to be fairly tested 

 than ever before. We take from the Mdd the following account 

 of building on the Clyde: 



'"The Clyde was never so busy building racing yachts as it is 

 just now. There .are none of the big cruising yachts which vyere 

 the features of the yacht building yards years ago. There are no 

 100-ionners for racing, even GO-tonners are out of date on the 

 Clyde. The racing yacuts with which Clyde builders are busy 

 are iOs and under. But the racing 40 of the period costs quite as 

 much as the 100-tonner of some twenty years ago, and the sport 

 has fortunately improved with the outlay. The "racing machine" 

 which conservative yachting men regarded as an uncanny in- 

 vention, has triumphed, and the Clyde is devoted to "racing 

 machines." Lead keels have given a new lease to the sport, and 

 on the Clyde the casting of lead keels has become an important 

 industry. Some twenty years ago lead ballast was regarded as 

 a dangerous innovation; at the present time lead keels involve 

 the whole question of winning prizes. And it is startling to find 

 the denouncers of lead keels among their most enthusiastic advo- 

 cates. 



"To Mr. James Reid. of the firm of .John Reid and Co., Port 

 Glasgow, belongs the merit of understanding the full value of 

 lead, and in the Boreas, Leauder, Merle, and Florence he showed 

 what could be done with outside ballast. All of these cutters were 

 successful; and. if Messrs. Steele, of tireenock, had been permitted 

 to put 80 tons of lead, as they desired, on the keel of the Garrion, 

 instead of 11 tons, the Garrion would have been remembered as 

 the dying 90-tonner of her day, and the fore-runner of the lead 

 keel 90's. But piv judices had to be overcome, and a wearj^ fight it 

 was. To Mr. G. L. Watson belongs the merit of following up the 

 innovators and crushing out the crowd of yacht-racing captains 

 as well as owners who know all about the hazards of lead keels. 

 The 40-rater now building in Messrs. Inglis's yard at Point House, 

 Glasgow, for Prince Henry of Prussia ought to be answer enough 

 to the Clyde captains and owners who regarded lead as the most 

 hazardous of all ballast. This cutter is planked up with teak and 

 American elm below, and has a shear strake of steel, on which the 

 covering board will rest. She is of composite build, and shows a 

 long overhang in her bow, as well as a lengthened counter. Like 

 Mr. G. L. Watson's -iO-rater of last year, the Creole, she is 

 strengthened throughout with steel diagonals, steel ties, and aU 

 the appliances requisite for strength under the enormous strain 

 of a lead keel weighing about 35 tons. She resembles the Creole, 

 in being cut away very much forward, and dppending on her deep 

 keel for holding a high wind. The cutter is altogether a Watson 

 up to date, and presents in her prominent features an extraor- 

 dinary contrast to the racing cutters of ten years ago. Up to that 

 date a fore-foot was a recognized advantage going to windward; 

 \mr, Mr. Watson has done away with this fad, and shown in Creole 

 that it is not wanted. 



"At Fairlie, Messrs. Wm. Fife & Son have a racing 40 in hand for 

 Mr. John Anthony Inglis, of Point House, which cutter is planked 

 up with teak above and American elm below, and is ready for her 

 decks. This cutter is so far a novelty at Fairlie, that her frames, 

 or timbers, are alternately wood and angle steel. She is, besides, 

 strengtliened with steel diagonals and straps, and is altogether a 

 most substantially built yacht, and will carry a lead keel consid- 

 erably over thirty tons. To look at, she shows somewhat deeper 

 forward than the Point House forty, and looks a trifle fuller about 

 the quarter. But the difference in design must he very small in- 

 deed. The cutter will be put in charge of Capt. John Carter, who 

 raced Moina, Genesta and other cutters, and has left behind him 

 in Clyde the name of being a first-class man. While he will have 

 an English crew, the English captain of Prince Henry's 

 forty wiU have a crowd of Germans— good enough for cruis- 

 ing, but not quite up to the British standard if racing is 

 meant. With Creole, Castanet, Deerhound, and the new 40 build- 

 ing at Fay's, the 40-ton matches, with five yachts under racing 

 colors, will be ahead of the old 40s that used to give to Clyde re- 

 gattas such a rare flavor of sport. Only one 20-rater is building 

 at Fairlie, the owner of which cutter is at present unknown. This 

 20 is like the 40, partly composite, looks a very fast and hand- 

 some yacht, and it is safe to say will show alongside of the Fairlie 

 Dragon in any weather. A lO rater has been planked np, and 

 looks both powerful and fast; she is for a Welsh owner, and it is 

 to be hoped will fly her colors among the Clyde lO-raters, which 

 promise even better sport this coming summer than they did last, 

 when the class was the feature of the season. Another new Fair- 

 lie cutter is a 6-rater for a Clyde owner, Mr. Watson, who intends 

 her for cruising in the meantime, but with the tashionable lead 

 keel his cutter will be quite able to hold her own in her class, 

 which unfortunately has migrated from Clyde to Dublin Bay. 



'■The most numerous class of raters building at Fairlie and" else- 

 where in the Clyde, are the 33:^-ton cutters. Messrs. Fife have no 

 fewer than five of these fashionable craft in hand. Messrs. Coun- 

 sell and Mr. P. Inglis are among the owners. They are miniature 

 cutters in every respect, equipped up to date, and with Bander- 

 snatch and Princess Ida of last year, and two budding at Gourock, 

 will complete the big number of nine in one class, and still further 

 complicate the crowded starts at the Clyde regattas. These new 

 boats will be ready at the opening of the season, and the fearless 

 style in which such small cutters are sailed in Clyde promises to 

 give a new feature to the opening cruises of the Roval Northern 

 as well as the Royal Clyde, where the 10-tonners were held to be 

 the smallest class fit to sail round Arran. 



"At Fairlie Mr. Boaz is converting a fishing sloop into a roomy 

 fishing yacht for Mr. Fenton Livingstone, and a good-looking 

 craft be is making of her. 



"At Gourck Mr. Adam is building three centerboard cutters for 

 racing from the designs of Mr. G. L. Watson. These include one 

 lO-rater and two SJ-s-raters. The lO-rater is for Messrs. Brice and 

 Richard Allen, whose old Doris gained a fine reputation. This 

 new 10-rater will be sailed by her owners in the same perfect 

 style Doris was handled, and the value of a centerboard in smaU 

 cutters will be thoroughly tested. The vessel is a great depart- 

 ure upon Mr. Watson's keel cutters, one of which, the Phantom, 

 builf, last season, is lying alongside, and gives opportunity for 

 comparisons. The Phantom proved herself to be the best of the 

 lOs going to windward, especially in a breeze, and the centerboard 

 is being built to beat her, if possible. In consequeuce the racing 

 of the two will have the keenest interest. The centerboard is 

 no compromise. She has a beamy, shallow hull, with long 

 counter and overhanging bow; but the bow is the reyerae of the 

 fiddle bow. It is convex and sweeps up like a continuation of the 

 keel in a curve that will give the cutter a very long bow above 

 the waterline. The sternpoat; is heavily raked, and the length 



over all must be lOft. or 12ft. longer than the load waterline. The 

 lead keel is hung by angle steel floorings, aud the oo.k frames are 

 tied before and behind the slot for the gun metal centerboard, 

 with angle steel floorings. Tne cutter is built of extra strength 

 to stand the unusual strain, and nothing has been left to possible 

 accident in any weather. The longshore critics shake their heads 

 over the novelt>% but it will be time enough to venture an opinion 

 after a trial of speed. Mr. Henry Allan, also of the Allan Liners, 

 is having a 2^4 centerboard built by tlie same designer, in Mr. 

 Adam's yard, and another of the s%ms build and size is being 

 constructed in the yard for a Clyde owner. About the perform- 

 ance of these centerboards a great deal of the interest of tjie 

 coming Clj^de season hangs, for with their success a new depar- 

 ture is certain. 



"From the design of Messrs. Fife & Son, four 18ft. cutters are 

 being built by Mr. Robertson, of Sandbank, Holy Loch, Clyde, for 

 Irish owners. These boats will have Ba,ngor, in Belfast Lough, 

 for headquarters. They are big, powerful- looking Hoats for their 

 length, and they will want their power in such an anchorage as 

 Bangor. They are half-decked, with side decks and a cocKpit. 

 For Mr. Adam Teacher, of Glasgosv, Messrs. Fife are also build- 

 ing at Fairlie a 23ft. cutter, for the Holy Loch Yacht Club. This 

 cutter will be completely dcckpd, and she will want it in the Holy 

 Loch, where the hardest 9qua.lis m Clyde blow. The workman- 

 ship of this boat is remarkable, the planks being so perfectly fitted 

 that no caulking is required, save a single strand of cotton laid 

 along the center of the plank. 



"AC Gourock Mr. Paul -Jonea is building three 19ft. racing boats 

 for the West of Scotland Yacht Club. These are to be sailed with 

 lug sail and jib, and it is intended, by having the luy-gers in every 

 way identical, that the test of speed will lav with i he amrireur 

 crews. The boats have been designed by Mr. Eoberi Ferguson, of 

 Messrs. Ferguson, sailmakers, Greenock, and show he has a gift of 

 designing yachts as well as fitting suits of canvas. Hot raffing 

 may be expected between these boats, as well as between them 

 and the Royal Clyde Club boats. 



"The above notes do not include all the new boats building in 

 the Clyde of smaU tonnage for racing and cruising purposes." 



THE PROTECTION OF THE HULLS OF VESSELS 

 BY LACQUER. 



BY IJ.EUT. J. B. MDBDOCK, tT. S. N. 



Reprinted by perniigsion from the JProceedings of the TT . 8. Naval Institute. 



AMONG the many problems arising from the use of steel in naval 

 construction, none is more important than that of protecting 

 the under-water body of a vessel from the corrosive action of sea- 

 water. The problem is a luodificatiou of the old one of protecting 

 the bottoms of wooden or iron vessels, as steel is much more liable 

 to corrosion under water than iron, and steel vessels, being gen- 

 erally constructed of much lighter scantling, are proportionally 

 more injured by an equal amount of chemical action. So far as 

 the purposes of construction are concerned, no material equals 

 steel; but if steel ships cannot be protected against the destructive 

 action of the medium in which they must exist, the question as- 

 sumes another phase, and economical results might be obtained 

 by reverting to iron or wood. As however, the use" of steel enables 

 the naval architect to obtain results in speed and strength and 

 lightness of hnll which are otherwise unobtainable, this reversion 

 is practically out of the question. Steel must be used and pro- 

 tected. 



In General Information Series No. VII.. Lieut. Schroeder gives 

 a most complete and interestin" resume of the whole question of 

 protection of the hulls of vessels. He refers ou page 277 to the 

 process of lacquering, which lias been tried on several of the ves.sels 

 of the Japenese navy, but without giving any details, it has been 

 my good fortune, while on the Asiatic Station to meet Mr. Hotta, 

 and to receive from him quite full inf oi maiion as to his process of 

 lacquering; and I have also had an opportunity, through the cour- 

 tesy of the oflicials of the Yokosuka dockyard, of inspecting two 

 of the vessels of the Japanese navy while in dock for the purpose 

 of receiving or renewing their lacquer coats. It was thought that 

 the information thus obtained might be of interest to the mem- 

 bers of the Naval Institute, as having an important bearing on one 

 of the most prominent professional problems of the day. 



Nearly every book on J apan refers in greater or less detail to the 

 subject of lacquer, but until the substance w^as analysed only little 

 was really known of it. It may not be amiss in the consideration 

 of our subject to examine somewhatin detail into the constitution 

 and method of preparation of lacquer, using for the purpose such 

 published accounts as have appeared in the proceedings of scien- 

 tific societies, or in the works of residents of Japan who had care- 

 fully investigated the subject. The lacquer tree is indigenous to 

 Japan, and ia also found in Corea, China, and the countries of 

 Farther India. In Japan it is systematically cultivated. New 

 plantations are being laid out in Japan and will commence to 

 yield in five years, and as the whole coast country of Asia is 

 practically available for the cultivation of the tree, it is safe to say 

 tnat a gi-eat demand, such as might he caused by an extensive ap- 

 plication of lacquer to steel or iron ships, would create its' own 

 supply. 



Lacquer is obtained from the tree by making incisions in the 

 bark. L^sually several cuts are made approximately paralled to 

 one another and at various points on the circumference. The lac- 

 ciner exudes from these incisions in the form of a thick grayish 

 juice, and is gathered by a wooden spatula. As already stated, 

 the trees commence to yield when five years old, and yield for ten 

 or fifteen years. An inferior lacquer is sometimes obtained by 

 grinding the small branches and twigs of the tree, but nearly all 

 that is used is obtained from incisions in the bark. It is purified 

 by stirring in a tub with a wooden spade, by which process the ex- 

 cess of moisture is given off and the consistency slightly increased. 

 The pure commercial lacquer has a specific gravity of about 1.002 

 to 20° C, is of a grayish white color and dextrinous consistency, 

 and possesses a characteristic sweet oder. In contact with the air 

 it darkens and hardens, forming a film that protects the lacquer 

 underneath. The ordinary method of application to any surface 

 is by taking a small quantity on a wooden spatula and placing it 

 on the surface to be lacquered, working it down into a thin uniform 

 coat by repeated strokes with a flat camel's-hair brush, the strokes 

 being made in different directions, but in ordinary work most com- 

 monly at right angles. The lacquer rapidly darkens to a dark brown, 

 and afterwards dries, forming a lustrous coat. Colors are given 

 to the lacquer coat when desirable by mixing metallic body pig- 

 ments such as vermilion, cinnabar, ochre, or orpiment. 



Lacquer has been frequently analyzed, with somewhat varying 

 results. The analyses given below were made under the direction 

 of Prof. H. Yoshida, Asst. Professor of Chemistry in the Imperial 

 University at Tokio, and recognized as one of the best authorities 

 ou lacquer in Japan. They are from a paper contributed by Prof. 

 Yoshida to the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 

 on the Chemistry of Japanese Lacquer. 



The constituents of pm-e lacquer are found to be a resinous acid, 

 gum arabic, water, and a nitrogenous residue. The method of 

 analysis adopted was to extract the resin from the lacquer by 

 treating it with absolute alcohol, evaporating the solution and dry- 

 ing at 105° to 110° C. The residue was boiled with water and the 

 extract evaporated ou a water-bath, giving the amount of gum. 

 The residue from the water solution consists of a coagulated 

 nitrogenous substance and small quantities of coloring matter. 

 The sum of the percentages of the above subtracted from 100 

 gives the amount of water and volatile matter. 



The percentage composition of pure lacquer was obtained from 

 a sample specially collected under official super\dsion in the pro- 

 vince of Yoshino, celebrated for producing the best lacquer in 

 Japan. It yielded the following results: 



Soluble in alcohol (nrushic acid) 8.5.15 



Gum arabic 3.15 



Nitrogenous matter 2.28 



Water and and voatile matter 9..^ 



XHE LACQUERING OF SHIPS. 



The idea of lacquering iron and steel vessels as a protection 

 against the action of sea-water was suggested to Mr. Hotta, a lac- 

 quer manufacturer of Tokio, by the observation that pieces of old 

 lacquer recovered from the sea showed but little action, the lac- 

 quer being practically nuattacked. As the Japenese were then 

 purchasing iron and steel ships from abroad, and were encounter- 

 ing the same difficulties that were met with elsewhere in protecting 

 the metal, experiments were made ou special test plates, whien 

 were immersed in sea-water for considerable periods, generally at 

 the Yokosuka dockyard. The first results obtained were not fully 

 satisfactory^ but were very encouraging, and the tests were con- 

 tinued, varying slightly the composition of the lacquer, or addtog 

 chemicals to assist in obtaining the desired results. In June, 1889, 

 a practical test was made by lacquering about 1,200ft. of the bot- 

 tom of the Fuso-Kan, using the preparation of lacquer that at 

 that time had given the best results. The ship was docked again 

 in September, 1887, and the condition of the lacquered portion was 

 so satisfactory that the Admiralty gave an order to lacquer the 

 whole bottom. In December, 1888, the ship was again docked, but; 

 tlie lacquer coat was found to be so good tbat jxa xe^airawdra 



