333 
employment of Oblique Riders. 
given to them, can no more render them incapable of such an 
action, than the bending of a towing rope prevents its pulling 
along a boat. But in the first place, the lower decks can have 
little or no action of this kind, from their near approach to the 
line, at which extension ceases, and compression begins, at 
least until some of the fastenings give way ; and secondly, 
the upper decks lose but one third of their strength in this 
capacity, by having their planks disposed at an angle of 45 
degrees with the sides, while the obliquity must be capable of 
affording some additional power of resisting the violent action 
of the waves, which sometimes produces an immense strain in 
a transverse or lateral direction, as well as of enabling the ship, 
in case of necessity , to be more safely “ hove down"' on her side. 
There seems also to be some convenience in having the ends 
of the planks covered by the waterways, with respect to keep- 
ing the wings of the sliip dry, although it has been suspected 
that the ends so covered may be rendered somewhat more 
liable to decay. It may, however, be apprehended, that any 
force, tending to shorten the deck, will have some little effect 
in forcing out the sides ; for instance, if the whole deck be- 
came three inches shorter, the length of the planks remaining 
the same, they must force out each of the sides about a quarter 
of an inch, provided that their connexion with the beams al- 
lowed such a change, which appears indeed somewhat impro- 
bable. There may possibly be a slight difficulty in adjusting 
the planks to the curvature of the beams ; but this difficulty 
appears to be readily overcome in other cases, as in that of 
the common cieling. It may hereafter deserve to be inquired, 
how far an oblique direction of the carlings between the beams, 
which in their present situation seem to contribute very little 
X X 
MDCCCXIV. 
