wires, boring bits, rammers, sponges, side and in-tackles, and port bucklers, and that the breechings are good and well fitted. That the fire buckets are fitted with laniards and kept in their proper places. When powder is on board, he should see that there are a certain number of cartridges filled, not only of full but of reduced charges. That the shot are properly stowed as well as all the torpedo fittings and torpedoes. That the arrangements for flooding the magazine are complete and in working order. That the armory and shell room are dry and properly stowed, shell whips fitted and in place, chutes, etc., made in accordance with Ordnance instructions, and proper care taken of the small arms. In addition to the ordnance stores, the gunner has special charge of the anchor buoys and life buoys, to see that they are in good order, and the latter ready for use at all times. He examines and primes the life buoys every evening, and reports their readiness to the officer of the deck. The sailmaker should see that the sails bent are properly brought to the yards and gaffs; that every roband is well secured, and that the head and reefearings are good, and all arrangements for reefing in thorough order. That the spare sails, properly fitted with robands, bowline bridles, head and reef-earings, buntline toggles and reef cringles are made up, tallied and stowed conveniently in the sail room; that each studding-sail has its appropriate cover, and that all sail covers, boats' sails, wind-sails, awnings, hatch-covers, hammock cloths, etc., are on board. The carpenter should see, previous to sailing, that the rudder is well hung and free in its movements, and that pieces to make a spare one are on board, and at hand in the hold. That the capstan and its fittings, bars, swifters, etc., are in good working order, and spare spars properly cared for. He should see that the spare tiller fits, and is at hand ready for use; that the relieving tackles are in their places; that the air ports and lower deck ports are well lined and secured in, or that the apparatus for closing them is always within reach, and ready for immediate use; that the bilge and force pumps are in good order. He himself, or one of his assistants, ascertains at least every hour, while at sea, and every morning and evening in port, the quantity of water in the vessel. He should see that all the pump gear and the sounding rod are always kept in their proper places; that the lightning conductors are in good order; shot plugs ready for use; that the tarpaulin covers for the hatches are in a good state, and he should be always ready with gratings and battens for the hatches. He should see that there is an axe at each mast ready for use in cutting away spars or rigging. Before leaving port and upon entering it, the carpenter is always to take the ship's draft. The executive officer, in addition to his general supervision over all preparations, should see that equipment, construction, and other stores and water are on board in accordance with the requisitions made and approved, and that they are properly stowed where they belong, that they are entered on the log and books of the yeoman or others in charge of them, and that the expenditure of articles in the general store-room is properly accounted for; that the general store-room is properly regulated, so that any article required may be instantly obtained. After the boats are in, he should see that they are properly stowed, and that they, the galley, spare spars, anchors, and everything that may be affected by the rolling and pitching of the vessel, are well secured. That there are stretchers in all the boats, and that one of the quarter or stern boats is always kept in readiness to be lowered at short notice. That the plugs of the boats are secured near the plug hole by a good laniard, and a line from well forward in the forechains secured to the ring-bolt in the bows. That at least one of the outside boats is fitted with a lowering apparatus, and that each one has a breaker of water and their gripes fitted with slips. That the fittings of all boats are thorough for any service. He should see that the watch, quarter, and station bills are properly made out, and that before sailing each person on board is made acquainted with his proper station and duties, for action and for evolutions, and with his berth and mess and that the ship herself is in all respects prepared for battle. APPENDIX H. TARRING DOWN, SCRAPING SPARS, PAINTING SHIP, &c. Black down, and as soon as the blacking is dry, scrape and grease spars, and paint ship, in the order named. If intending to coal ship, do that first of all. It is customary in some ships first to scrape masts, then tar down the rigging, and lastly paint; but the men are liable to daub the masts when tarring down. To prevent spotting the deck. Wet down and sprinkle liberally with sand. This prevents the grease or tar from striking in, and is better than keeping a couple of inches of water on deck by closing the scuppers, as the oily matter in that case floats to the water-ways and soils the paint work there. Mixture for blacking down. By measure, two parts Stockholm tar, one part coal tar, one part tar oil. This is for rigging which has been neglected for some time. To give a light coat, thin the above with additional tar oil, to suit. Scraping and greasing spars. When the blacking of the rigging is dry, the masts ought to be scraped and cleaned, then greased. For the men to stand upon when scraping the lower masts, rig triangles of capstan bars, with whips to the mastheads; for hoisting and lowering, with the topmasts, handspikes answer instead of capstan bars, and the royal and top-gallant masts may be managed from a bowline in the end of a girtline, or a span from shroud to shroud. The top-gallant and royal yardarms should not be neglected. The studdingsail booms, except when new, ought to have the least possible shaving taken off them by a carpenter, and then varnished. This does not injure them more than scraping, and keeps them smoother. Before laying on the grease, the captains of the tops should report that everything is scraped and ready, and the boatswain should examine. sails. Studding-sail booms should never be greased, as they are liable to soil the Painting Ship.* White lead is the principal ingredient in all ordinary colors used in painting; the quality is therefore of the greatest importance. The cheap kinds are adulterated by "byrates," which cause them to be more easily acted upon by the atmosphere. In mixing, the oil and turpentine should be thoroughly incorporated with the white lead. If adulterated, the white lead will have poor body when mixed. ZING WHITE is more d rable than white lead; it is pure, but possesses little body. VEGETABLE BLACK is the cheapest and best black for all ordinary work. In a dry state it resembles soot, and being free from grit does not require grinding. It should be mixed with boiled oil. LAMPBLACK is allowed in the service for ordinary ship's use. VERMILION in a state of powder may be tested by placing the dust of it on a piece of clean white paper and crushing it with the thumb nail. If pure it will not change color by any amount of rubbing, but if adulterated it will become a deep chrome yellow or assume the appearance of red lead, with which article it is mixed in order to cheapen it. BLUE.-The most serviceable blue for the painter is French ultramarine. It may be deepened by Prussian blue or indigo, or by a trifling addition of vegetable black. Mixing Colors. CREAM COLOR. Chrome yellow, the best Venetian red and white lead. Bedford. For additional recipes, &c., see Qualtrough's "Sailor's Handy Book." SALMON COLOR. White lead, tinged with the best Venetian red, or burnt sienna. IMITATION OF GOLD. Mix white lead, chrome yellow, and burnt sienna till' the proper shade is obtained. Proportions of Materials for Mixing Paint.* BLACK : 100 pounds of lamp black, in oil, 5 gallons linseed oil, raw, "boiled, One pound will cover about five square yards of surface. WHITE, FOR INSIDE WORK: : One pound will cover about one and a half square yards. STRAW COLOR, FOR SPARS : 100 pounds white lead, in oil, 2 pounds Venetian red, in oil, One pound will cover about one and a half square yards. SHELLAC, FOR DECKS: 1 pounds of gum shellac, 1 gallon of alcohol. NOTE.-The above are general allowances. The actual quantities used must depend upon the character of the material and of the work. Generally speaking, the purer the coloring matter the greater thinning it will bear, and if the surfaceto be painted is very rough or old it will need more oil than new work. COPPER COLOR PAINT. Six parts spruce ochre, one part Venetian red, one part black. REMOVING OLD PAINT. Nothing is so efficacious as heat, applied by a small brazier with a handle. One part of pearlash mixed with three parts of quick stone lime (by slaking the lime in water and then adding pearlash) laid over paint work and allowed to stand 14 or 16 hours will soften it so that it can be easily scraped off. GILDING. Books of gold leaf contain 25 leaves. Gilders estimate their work by the number of "hundreds " it will take (meaning one hundred leaves) instead of the number of books. The simplest way to use gold leaf is as follows: Procure a clean sheet of silver or tissue paper of not too great density, and rub it over lightly on one side with a piece of white wax. The paper should be placed on something flat, sơ that the wax is spread evenly. After waxing a sheet of paper it should be cut into squares a little larger than the leaves of the book of gold, which should be opened and the waxed side of the tissue paper gently pressed on the gold leaf. On removing the paper the gold leaf will be found attached to it and it is ready for use. All that the gilder * Allowance Book, Bureau Construction and Repair, 1881. has to do is to cut it into convenient strips and press it on the sized surface, when the gold will readily leave the paper. The work should be finished by gently dabbing it with a pad of cotton wool. Gilt work exposed to the weather lasts much longer if it receives a coat of clear varnish when finished. SIZE. If unprovided with regular gold-size, mix chrome yellow with the fat oil from the surface of paint that has been standing, and add a very small quantity of dryer to form a moderately thick coat. Apply the leaf when the size is "tacky" enough. In estimating the amount of gold leaf required for gilding ordinary grooved moldings around boats, &c., one leaf covers about nine running inches. In drifting or working down a river, with a strong tide, great care is necessary to prevent falling afoul of other vessels which may be at anchor on the way, or to avoid endangering the vessel on rocks or shoals. With the wind directly in the harbor, or partly across the tide, the current running out, you may either work out by tacking from shore to shore; let her drift out broadside to the current; or, having her under the direction of the helm, by sufficient sail set to give her good way through the water, keep her head to the current, and drift down stern on, or you may club her down. Bear in mind, in every evolution performed in a tideway, that the after part of the keel being more deeply immersed in the water, and presenting a broader surface to the action of the current than the forward, the stern of a vessel will always have a tendency to drift faster than the bows. If the wind should be partly across the tide, she should be cast, in getting under way, with her head towards the weather shore. After getting under way, which is sufficiently explained in CHAPTER XXkeep her head to the current, by sufficient sail, until the anchor is catted and fished. Never weigh the anchor until the sails are so arranged that the vessel will be immediately under the influence of the helm. If you have room, you may then proceed to bring her by the wind, make sail, and work her down as in the common evolution of working to windward, making an allowance for the strength of the current, in approaching any vessel, or either shore, and in giving yourself sufficient room for stays. Should the wind be across the tide, you may approach the weather shore boldly; for should you miss stays, you have recourse to wearing or box-hauling. But approach the lee shore cautiously, always leaving room to recover her and gather headway, to go in stays a second time. Avoid standing into eddy currents on either shore; they may be plainly distinguished by the worried appearance of the water; for a vessel, when in their influence, is at their mercy, and quite out of the management of the helm or sails. If you approach a narrow passage, or the anchorage of a number of vessels,' bring her head to the current, bracing the yards full, and keeping only sufficient sail on to give her good steerage-way through the water, that you may sheer her to either side; and in this manner she will drift down with the current, past or between any vessel or shoals. This is the best, being the safest method for a narrow channel. Arriving again at an open space, you may bring her broadside to the current. keep the topsails shaking and the helm a-lee, and presenting only the surface of the spanker to the wind, which will serve to counteract the force of the current upon the stern. In this manner she will drift more rapidly than by the former method. By filling the head yards and taking in the spanker; or by filling the after yards and taking in the jib; or by bracing all aback, using the helm as necessary, you can, at any time, have her under control, shoot ahead, back astern, or bring her head to the current. Clubbing. Clubbing is recommended for smaller sailing vessels in a rapid river; you may heave in the cable until the anchor is under foot, when she will drift down by the force of the current, veering out or heaving in the cable as she deepens or shoals the water, or as you may wish to diminish or increase her drift. Vessels drifting in this manner, generally have a spring from the ring of the anchor, leading in at one of the quarters, so that by veering on the cable and rousing in the hawser, you may present her broadside to the current. This is termed clubbing a vessel. Clubbing is such a simple manœuvre, where the sets of the tides are known, that it is only necessary to observe that a ship at anchor, with a tide running past her, is as much affected by a motion of the helm, as if she were reaching at the same rate under canvas; therefore, if a ship's helm be put over one way or the other, she will answer it, and shoot across the tide, taking her anchor with her, if there be short enough scope, so by heaving in to that scope, and putting the helm hard over, she will cross the tide without losing much ground; hence, although the tide may set athwart the deep water channel, yet by sheering her as far as she will go, and bringing her up when she begins to lose ground, she may be dropped down, or sheered across any channel against the wind, where she might otherwise wait months for a fair wind to sail down. It is scarcely necessary to observe, that she will sheer to port more readily with her starboard anchor down, and vice versa. Backing and Filling. Before steam-tugs were so plentiful, vessels relied upon the tides, in many instances, to get them to sea. You may drift a vessel down broadside to the current, keeping the yards counter-braced as in lying to, shooting ahead, or backing astern to avoid danger; then, as you approach either shore, you may fill away until she gathers sufficient headway for stays, or wear around, putting her head towards the other shore, this is termed backing and filling. To do this properly, a knowledge of the times and sets of the tides, depth of water, eddies, etc., and especially a correct judgment of distance, are of the first importance. To give a clear idea of the various manœuvres, and show what can be done with a ship without steam, a sketch (Plate A) is given of a vessel backing and filling up a narrow channel, with the wind and tide in every possible different position with respect to each other. The wind and sets of the tide are designated as before by arrows and half arrows, and the vessel's track or course by the dotted lines from number to number. No. 1, Plate A, represents a vessel reaching across the tide with her main yard aback to avoid reaching too fast; proceeds to No. 2, having reached out of the strength of the tide, has thrown her fore yard aback, and is making a stern board, by which she will fetch No. 3, fills and reaches to No. 4, tacks, the tide sweeping her while in stays round the point, but not sufficiently soon to enable her to fill on the starboard tack; the fore yard therefore kept aback, as in No. 5, while the tide is setting her to No. 6, fills; the tide in this reach setting to leeward, she does not make a weatherly course until she meets it running to windward again, when she reaches to No. 7, where the helm is put a-lee and the main yard swung, and she shoots into the position of No. 8, is not permitted to come round, but falls off again, and makes a sternboard to No. 9, fills and reaches ahead as far as she can, then repeats the manoeuvre of No. 7 to No. 10, whence, as before in No. 8, she makes a sternboard to No. 11, where she is in a "fair way," and will maintain her position in the strength of the tide, by backing, filling, or shivering the main yard, or both, till the tide sets her into the po |