( 7 ^ ) 
long in the Stove, they water the Sand again, once in 
8 or 10 Hours. When ’tis judged to be foft enough, the 
Sand is remov’d ; and the Workmen carry away their 
refpedtive Planks, to the feveral Places, where they 
are to be us’d ; and having firft nail'd a thin Board 
upon the ouc-fide, to preferve the Plank from Bruifes, 
they fix one part in its proper place, and bring to the 
others, by any power they can moft conveniently ap- 
ply. This Work Teems to be perform’d with won- 
derful Eafe ; notwithflanding Tome we Taw were To 
knotty, that the Builders allur’d us, they cou’d not 
have brought them to that Curvature by the former 
Methods. Thofe we faw put in between others, very 
exadfly fitted the Spaces they had been cut for; and 
the Workmen told us, they had made no Allowance 
either for the fwelling, or Ihrinking of the W ood. 
This Method excells that of burning the Planks over 
an open Fire in feveral refpeds; particularly, that no 
part of the Wood is deftroy'd, but remains of the fame 
Dimenfions ; at leafl very nearly ; a Plank of the 
breadth of i6 Inches being Paid not to alter above 
part of an Inch. The Edges of the Plank are 
preferv’d ; and confequently the Work muft be much 
firmer, and the Calking laft longer. The extraordi- 
nary foftnefs of the Wood, while *tis warm, makes it 
eafily bend to any Figure necefiary in Ship-building, 
which it holds very well, if they have occafion to 
take it off again after it is cold ; whereas the Blank 
bent by burning, would ftart when loofened ; and 
could only be fixed to the Timbers by fuch a force, as 
was able to overcome the Refiflance occafion’d by the 
Spring of the Plank. It likewife adapts it felf very 
readily to the Surface of the Timbers, if they happen 
to be uneven. 
They 
