SIS Improved Jury Mast and Shrouds . 
the honour to present to the Society in Get. 1807? I beg 
you will lay before them a model completely rigged ; 
from which it will appear, that the rigging so placed will 
give, from the angle being more obtuse, greater security, 
and supersede the necessity of cathur pinning [cathar- 
pings], and admit of the lower yards bracing sharper up. 
The hint which I gave formerly relating to striking a 
top mast is now carried into effect, by the mode in which 
I have fitted the top mast rigging, which admits of its 
being set up, almost instantaneously, at any point the 
mast shall descend to ; the advantages of which are ma- 
ny, more particularly when the ships are riding hard in 
open roadsteads ; for, by striking the top mast, ships will 
be enabled to ride much longer at their anchors, and still 
be ready to make sail on their top masts, according to 
the state of the weather, which will or ought to deter- 
mine the distance to which the masts are struck. 
In this model I also present to the Society a plan, the 
earliest of my mechanical pursuits, for setting up a ship’s 
lower rigging, which will be effected by one man; 
whereas in the ordinary way it is performed by an as- 
semblage of tackles, and the labour of a whole ship’s 
company : the larboard side of the model is fitted up ac- 
cording to the old plan ; the starboard side * with my 
improvement, which consists simply of a screw attached 
to each shroud, and tightened by a nut under the chan- 
nels, which should be well secured by iron clamps or 
knees for this purpose : the expense will be far less than 
in the common mode ; and I do think the bare inspection 
of the model will be sufficient to establish its superior ef- 
ficacy. 
I will thank you to expunge the passage from page 
* The larboard side in %. 4, of plate 5 , 
