rigged on my new plan, represents a ship of large size, but for smaller vessels a much more simple arrangement might be made; for instance, the lower mast-head might be of the ordinary length, and one topsail only applied instead of two. I would still have the topmast placed abaft the lower mast, as it brings the topsail in a more favourable position with reference to the sail below and the rigging. I believe, too, that the trysail masts may be dispensed with.

By the experiments which I have made on a small scale, I have been very much struck with the energy of action which the square sails thus arranged appeared to possess. It will be seen, that by the way, the foot of the sail is stuck out, the plane of the sail remains at a favourable position to receive the full energetic effect of the impingement of the wind upon it. The plane of an ordinary sail, when its foot yields to the pressure of the wind, assumes such an angle that the tendency of the wind is to glance off it, and thus much of its energy is lost. In other ways, too, the experiments were singularly satisfactory, and have quite satisfied me that the rig which I now propose is more consistent with the requirements of steamships than the arrangement of cumbrous yards and profusion of rigging, as now existing.

THE RIGGING OF LARGE SCREW VESSELS.

BY COMMANDER W. HORTON, R.N.

I AM not only very fortunate in having to follow on such an interesting paper, leading up to the point from which I purpose to take my departure; but it is the more gratifying to have been preceded by Mr. Cunningham (for holding communication with whom our meeting in this room to-day afforded the first opportunity in my life), because I find so great identity of opinion held by us upon many points of our common subject.

The subject itself, on the other hand, although of great importance and of professional interest, is one which admits of but little illustration or enlivenment for those who may not be professionally interested in it.

I shall, therefore, be as brief as possible, and shall no doubt be pardoned the omission of figures or calculations. After having explained the diagrams, and offered the observations which I have prepared, I shall be happy to give answer, as well as I am able, to any inquiries or objections that may be made; my object being not to dogmatise or to offer instruction to those who might perhaps be able to instruct me on ground so purely technical, but to promote the discussion of a subject which I deem to deserve more attention that it would appear to receive. Neither is it my intention to criticise or to comment upon the work of my professional superiors beyond what may be necessary for the illustration or explanation of my own views.

On referring to one of the plates in Charnock's "History of Naval Architecture," representing H.M. ship the "Prince Royal," A.D. 1610,

Id

I find very nearly the same position of masts which it has been found expedient to maintain down to the present day in the few remaining sailingships, of which the "Ganges," recently paid off, was perhaps the last that we shall ever see belonging to the Navy of this country.

But within the last ten years the application of the screw has produced a class of frigates just double the length of their predecessors; and the question very naturally suggests itself, in observing the great length of the "Orlando" or "Black Prince," whether advantage might not be taken of their increased length, to apply to them some form of rig composed of portions more handy than those now in use.

We have, in fact, attained a practical limit to the height of masts and to the space between them, as well as to the dimensions of spars and sails; and it has even been found expedient to recede in some degree from the dimensions which had been given to the lower yards of our largest class of screw-ships.

The length of ships, on the other hand, continued to increase until the "Great Eastern" had attained the length of a furlong, one-eighth of a statute mile, within a few feet either way.

Again, taking a rapid review of the gradual development of ships and their sailing equipment, from the earliest times, we may still find their various forms and sizes represented in the vessels with which we are familiar on our own coasts.

Here we have the lug-sail boat, the cutter, the schooner and the brig, the barque and the full-rigged ship, each marking so many stages in the growth of ships and in the consequent complexity of their rig.

When the size of the vessel became such as to exceed the proportions convenient and safe for a single mast, a bowsprit was projected, then a second mast was added, and a third, which last form of rig has been found so convenient in all respects, that its various parts have been gradually increased in proportion to the progressive growth of ships during the last 300 years, until the present generation has seen the spars and sails attain dimensions inconvenient in the handling, and insecure as regards the materials employed.

I shall endeavour to describe the alterations which I have to propose for discussion, in the hope that, from a fair and impartial consideration of the advantages and disadvantages in the present or the proposed plan, some result may arise which shall awaken fresh attention to the subject on the part of those who have power or influence to introduce novelties where they must of necessity be very cautiously received.

In order to test the merits of three masts as being of unlimited application, let us consider the extreme case of the "Great Eastern."

Would any man have thought of erecting only three masts on a ship of her great length? The very idea of such a thing appears absurd, and the mind is at once reconciled to the idea of her five or six or any other number of masts, as well as to the total absence of bowsprit.

The next less class of ship is that of which the "Warrior" is the type, and in her case we make a sudden return to three masts.

Plate I. represents the "Warrior" as she is, accurately reduced from an official document. There, then, we see this mail-clad "Warrior" --this Goliath among ships-wearing the outer garments of the stripling