4 24 
dismantled, she carried two small masts with triangular sails, but 
the commodore has substituted large masts with the usual sails, 
for the instruction of the sailors. The machinery had been taken 
out for some months, and placed in an arsenal on the wharf: 
the place it had occupied was covered with boards, to make a 
common deck for the sailors. Since that time an upper deck has 
been built, upon which are comfortable state-rooms for the of¬ 
ficers. This frigate has been spoken of as a real miracle; that she 
presented towards the enemy a forest of swords and lances, and 
threw a stream of boiling water, &c. all of these are stories. Her 
construction during the latter part of the war with England was 
merely an experiment, though it caused the English a great deal 
of anxiety. All competent judges with whom I conversed con¬ 
cerning this vessel, objected to her and were of opinion that this 
large body could only be used to defend straits. She never 
was at sea, and some feared that she would be unfit for it. More¬ 
over, as the navy-board at Washington having objections to the fur¬ 
ther application of steam to ships of war, it is probable that they 
will discontinue the building of more steam-frigates, although the 
machinery of a second is already finished and placed in the ma¬ 
gazine. 
We were likewise on board of the two ships of the line, Ohio 
and Franklin. The Ohio is of a new construction, and has not 
yet been in service; the Franklin and Washington, however, have 
already made several voyages. The sides of the Ohio are thicker 
than those of the other ships, and her decks higher: all these men 
of war have not the modern round, but broad sterns, in each of 
which is a battery of twelve guns. Only one of the frigates, still 
standing on the stocks, has an elliptical stern, which unites the 
defensive power of the round, with the elegance of the broad 
sterns. 
Every thing appears to be in an improving state at the arsenal r 
In the house where the office of the commodore and his agents is 
kept, there is a hall fitted up as a chapel; this serves during the 
week as a school-room for the midshipmen; we found these young 
gentlemen engaged in their mathematical studies, under the di¬ 
rection of the chaplain. 
In the harbour we visited two Liverpool packet-ships, the 
William Thompson and the Pacific. Every regular mode of 
communication between two places, by stages, steam-boats, &c. is 
here called a line. Two years since, I saw the packet-ship Cor¬ 
tez, at Liverpool, and admired her elegant arrangements; but these 
two vessels were far superior to her in regard to elegance and 
comfort. Both have a large dining room, and in its centre a long 
mahogany table; on both sides of the dining room are the state¬ 
rooms, each of them containing two beds one above the other, 
