SHIP BUILDING. 
away, and the top sides cut down. Set up 
above the top timber line 6 feet 6 inches, 
and draw a curve at that height, parallel to 
the top timber line, from aft to the fore 
end of the round-house; then draw another 
line, 21 inches, parallel above it, and that 
will represent the plank sheer as far as the 
round-house. 
Then in order to lower the top side, in a 
handsome manner, as it approaches the 
waist, or lowest part, have a fall or trance 
at the fore end of the round-housej, turned 
off, with an inverted scroll, upon the plank 
sheer of the quarter deck, the underside of 
which is 4 feet 6 iriches above the top-tim- 
ber line, and parallel to it, to 3 feet 6 inches 
before timber 12, draw another curve, pa- 
rallel 21 inches, above the under side, and 
the plank sheer tlius far will be represent- 
ed, and house the ports at the fore part of 
the quarter deck. Then near the gang- 
way let there be another fall or break at 
the fore part of the quarter deck, its ex- 
tent 11 feet 6 inches before timber 12 ; then 
set up 3 feet 5 inches above the top timber 
line, and draw' a line parallel thereto, 6 feet 
9 inches aft, and another line ^ inches pa- 
rallel above it, and the plank sheer will be 
completed from aft. Then set np 2 feet 11 
inches above the top-timber line, and draw 
a curve, parallel thereto, to the first break 
before timber 12, and that Will be the under 
side of the drift rail, and draw another line, 
parallel to 4i inches above that, and it will 
complete the drift rail thus far ; then con- 
tinue the drift rail as far as the main drift, 
by keeping its under side 2 feet above, and 
parallel to the top-timber line ; now finish 
the main drift at the fore part of the quar- 
ter deck with a scroll, and the plank sheer 
above it with an inverted scroll ; then com- 
plete the drift rail and plank sheer at the 
next break, with a quarter round. 
Then above the round-house, at the side, 
set up 4 feet 1 inch, and draw a curve pa- 
rallel thereto, which will be the under side 
of the rough tree rail, and a line drawn 4j 
inches above, will show the thickness, or 
upper side, under which four ports, on each 
side, about 6 feet 4 inches asunder, and 3 
feet 4 inches fore and aft, may be drawn, 
observing they are clear of the mizen 
shrouds, and the after port clear of the 
upper finishing of the quarter gallery. 
Now that the top side of the ship, for- 
ward, should bear a resemblance to the after 
part, and in order to give security to the 
forecastle, set up above the top timber line, 
2 feet 10 inches, and draw a curve, parallel 
thereto, from the fore side of the beak head 
to the aft part of the forecastle, and another 
line 2i inches above, and parallel to the 
last, and the forecastle plank sheer will be 
represented ; observe the after part of the 
forecastle is 4 feet 8 inches abaft timber F, 
and the fore side of the beak head 10 feet 
3 inches before timber S ; then draw the 
under side of the drift rail 22 inches above, 
and parallel to the top-timber line, and a 
line 4^ inches above it will complete the 
drift rail, and the drift is to be finished like 
the drift at the fore part of the quarter deck. 
Tlien the ports, 3 in number, 2 feet 10 inches 
fore and aft, are represented by timber 
heads, as their situations must be governed 
by the fore shronds ; the height of the tim- 
ber heads are 22 inches above the plank 
sheer, one timber head being left to form 
the side of each port, and one between, 
and three or four before the foremast, will 
be quite sufficient, and there may be two 
similar timber heads left up abreast the 
main mast. 
The sheer rail is represented by the top 
timber line, and a curve draw n to 5 inches 
parallel above it, and the waist rail by 
curves 5-‘- inches asunder, drawn parallel be- 
low the sheer rail, at 22 inches in the clear. 
The rails and drifts being merely ornamen- 
tal, they are often dispensed with in the 
navy, as the sides of the ship were found to 
decay very fast under them. Some have 
them painted only along the sides, but mer- 
chant ships, in general, have them wrought 
solid in the plank of the top side. 
The channels may next be situated as the 
shrouds leading to them were lately men- 
tioned, with regard to spacing the quarter 
deck and forecastle ports; and first, the 
centres and rake of the masts must be 
drawn in the sheer plan. The centre of the 
fore mast is 22 feet abaft the aft side of the 
stem on the gun deck and rakes, or inclines 
aft, from a perpendicular, with the upper 
side of the keel i of an inch, in every yard 
of its length from the centre given. The 
centre of the main mast is 102 feet abaft 
the aft side of the stem, on the gun deck 
and rakes | of an inch in every yard of its 
length. And the centre of the mizen mast 
is 27 feet before the fore side of the rabbit 
of the stern post, on the gun deck and 
rakes aft i of an inch in every yard of its 
length. Now let the upper edges of all the 
channels be kept well wiih the upper edge 
of the sheer rail, but in some ships the 
mizen channel is kept higher than the 
others, the better to station the quarter 
deck ports. 
The length of the fore channel is 35 feet 
