His Majesty's Ships of War. 301 
Figure 4 represents tlie stern of a ship v/ith the trussing 
and iron work for its security. By this tlie helm port transom, 
which consumes one of the largest and most difficult trees 
required for a ship, is dispensed with. 
Those essential qualities of strength, safety, and durability, 
having been detailed, a few observations with respect to the 
economy of the new principle may not be misplaced, which 
though but of a secondary consideration compared to the 
others, yet as the royal navy cannot be kept up without a 
supply of foreign timber, it evidently becomes a subject of 
considerable moment, that upwards of one hundred and eighty 
oak trees should be saved in a seventy-four, and a greater 
number in larger ships, allowing each tree to measure a load, 
or fifty feet rough contents. 
The consumption of this scarce article may be further con- 
siderably lessened in the new system by the use of inferior, 
and old ship timber, which cannot be employed in the other, 
and if old ship timber was to be generally introduced, as was 
done in the Ramillies, one seventh part of the English oak 
required for a new 74 gun ship might be saved. 
The facility of ascertaining the state, and making good the 
defects of the frame in the lower part of the ship, in conse- 
quence of omitting the inside planking, will also occasion a 
considerable saving of timber and workmanship, indeed the 
great ease by which any part of the diagonal frame may be 
replaced, justifies the making use of fir timber, particularly 
for the longitudinal piece and trusses. 
But should the well grounded hopes of durability be re- 
alized, the saving of timber, and indeed of every article re- 
quired for this enormous branch of the national expenditure, 
would be immense. 
MDCCCXIV. 
Rr 
