126 Account of Mr Morton’s Patent Slip for 
the extremity of the cross-pieces, and their ropes r s, (r belong- 
ing to the left hand blocks, and s to the right hand ones), cross- 
ing the carriage, are reeved through a sheave attached to the 
opposite cross-piece, up to the top of the rope rod. The shores 
S S (when any are necessary), are put into their places, turn 
upon a joint at T, and are secured (when the vessel is floating 
on) from falling outwards by a small chain. 
When a ship is to be hauled ashore, the carriage, thus pre- 
pared, is let down the inclined plane, generally at low. water. 
The chain of a powerful capstan is then attached to the car- 
riage, and a water-staff is placed at the fore-end of the keel- 
beam, to mark the depth of the water, and be a guide in float- 
ing the vessel on. The vessel is then brought to the lower 
end of the carriage, and hauled over it, (having bow and quar- 
ter lines to steady her), till the advanced part of her keel takes 
the blocks between the fore-foot guides. The ends of the ropes 
r s are now taken on board from the rods R R, but kept slack, 
and the vessel is hauled forward, as the water flows, until the 
keel takes the blocks at the contracted part of the guides, which 
are just wide enough to receive it. Being still afloat abaft, (ha- 
ving been previously so trimmed), the vessel is then adjusted 
over the blocks abaft by a water-line. When the iron-guides 
a b, c d, are hauled up by their ropes a e, d f, they confine 
her to settle down truly. By heaving the capstan, she will 
soon take the blocks abaft, which is observed by the water-mark 
left on her bottom ; she is trimmed upright, and the foremost 
bilge or sliding blocks hauled in tight. As she rises out of the 
water, each succeeding block is hauled in, but not till the 
weight of the vessel has settled well on her keel. The sliding- 
blocks are prevented from springing back, by their palls or catch- 
es falling into their racks; the shores are brought to her sides, and 
there secured. When thus secured, she is hauled up the inclined 
plane, at the rate of from 2 J to B feet per minute, by six men to 
every hundred tons. Being hauled up, she is shored from the 
ground ; the keel-beam is secured from moving ; and the sliding- 
blocks, with their cross-pieces, are in a few minutes removed, 
when the vessel is ready to be repaired. 
The blocks being relieved of the vessel in the usual manner, 
the keel-beam, with the after cross-beam, will run from under 
2 
