the subscribers gave notice, that in the ensuing session of parliament they meant to renew their application for forming docks at Wapping. In December following they petitioned for leave to bring in a bill for this purpose. A few days after a petition was presented by the corporation of London, with a view to similar objects, by making a navigable canal or passage across the Isle of Dogs from Blackwall to Limehouse, purchasing the mooring-chains in the river, which were mostly private property, and appointing harbour-masters to regulate the navigating and mooring of vessels in the port; they also proposed to make wet-docks in some part of the Isle of Dogs for the reception and discharge of West India shipping. The latter part of the plan had, however, been taken up by a number of West India merchants and planters, who had formed themselves into a company distinct from the subscribers to the London docks, for the purpose of forming docks for the reception of the West India trade only, either alone, or in conjunction with the other improvements projected by the corporation. The general conviction of the necessity of some measure of this kind was not sufficient to produce a union of interests in favor of either of the proposed plans. At length the committee of the house of commons made a report, recommending the formation of wet-docks as the only remedy for the evils of the port, and that they should be made both at Wapping and the Isle of Dogs, but that the latter should be adopted first. The corporation and the West India merchants of London forming a junction, the act for making the West India docks passed in July, 1799. In the next session, on the 30th June, 1800, an act was passed for forming the docks at Wapping, which was followed by other acts for making docks at

Blackwall for the East India trade.

The first stone of these last docks was laid in March 1805, and the first ship entered them in August, 1806. The dimensions of the dock for unloading, inwards, are 1410 feet in length, and 560 feet in width, containing about eighteen acres and one-eighth the dock for loading outwards, which was a part of Mr. Perry's dock, is 780 feet in length, and 520 feet in width, containing nine acres and one-fourth. The extent of the entrance basin, which connects them with the river, is two acres and three-fourths; the length of the entrance lock 210 feet; the width of the gates forty-eight feet in the clear, and the depth of water at ordinary spring-tides twenty-four feet. The great West India dock is 420 yards in length, and 230 yards in width, covering an area of twenty acres. A basin of three acres nearly connects it with the river. The warehouses are most noble buildings: the tobacco warehouse is the most spacious erection of the kind in the world; being capable of containing 25,000 hogsheads of that article, and the vaults underneath as many pipes of wine. This single building, under one roof, is said to occupy upwards of four acres of ground. These docks were opened in February 1805.

The dry docks and slips of his majesty's yards have recently added to their other improvements. that greatest of the whole, the actual

covering or 100fing in of vessels, a plan which seems to have been long since used at Venice Roofs have been thus constructed at Plymouth of ninety-five feet span, without a single beam, and one at Chatham, under the direction of Mr. Seppings, of 100 feet, and having an entrance width of 150 feet.

The wicket-gate of docks, a contrivance resorted to where the abutments are too weak for swinging gates, is represented below. Fig. 1 the plan; fig. 2 the elevation. It consists of three parts, which, when opened, are removed separately, and is the most simple, though by no means the most effective, contrivance for keeping out the water.

We also give below a diagram of swinging gates, which open in the middle, and lie flat, one part against each wharf or side-wall of the passage, leading into the dock or basin. This kind of gate is made with sound timber, and good iron, of great strength, and the gudgeons on which the hinges turn, must be well secured in the abutments. The bottom of the passage, and of the gates, must be also perfectly plane and parallel, to prevent leakage, and give facility to This is usually their opening and shutting.

aided by rollers fixed in a groove, and turned by means of a small capstern on each pier. At top is often placed a foot bridge with railing.

In docking a ship formerly, if her keel required inspection or repair, it was found necessary to lift up her whole immense weight off the blocks; but about twenty years ago, Mr. Seppings contrived a very simple and excellent improvement, by which twenty men will suspend the largest ship in the navy, or, which amounts in practice to the same thing, will disengage any one block that may be required in the space of two or three minutes, without the necessity of suspending her. This improvement may be thus exhibited:

K

K is the keel; W the wedge on which the keel rests, having its obtuse angle equal to 170°, and PP are two inclined planes, having each an acute angle of 5°. The wedge is of iron or hard wood, having its two sides lined with iron; the inclined planes are of cast iron. A few smart blows on the two sides of the inclined planes will disengage them, when the middle part or wedge drops.

DOCK-YARDS, in the navy, are magazines of naval stores, and timber for ship-building; the royal dock-yards in England are those at Chatham, Deptford, Pembroke, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Sheerness, and Woolwich. In time of peace, ships of war are laid up in these docks, in ordinary; those of the first rates mostly at Chatham, where, and at other yards, they receive, from time to time, such repairs as are necessary. Chatham dock-yard consists of a line of wall, extending 5500 feet along the right bank of the Medway, being 400 feet in width at the upper, 800 at the lower end, and 1000 feet in the middle. Its superficial area is about ninety acres. In front it has six building-slips of different sizes, and four dry-docks. At the southern extremity is the ropery, hemp, and yarn houses, rigging and general storehouses, 1000 feet in length, by about fifty in breadth; in front of which, and along the wharf, are the anchor racks, nearly 1000 feet long. Next to these are the slips and docks, with the working sheds and artificers' shops in the rear, an excellent smithery, timberbirths, deal and iron yard, seasoning sheds, &c. The commissioner's house and garden are in the centre, and, on the eastern extremity of the yard, the officers' houses and gardens. The lower or north-east part is occupie! by mast-ponds, mast-houses and slips, sore boat-houses and slips, ballast-wharf, timberbirths, and saw-pits.

The river Medway cor.stitutes the only wetdock or basin appertaining to this yard; and it is sometimes so shallow, and the navigation so intricate, that vessels are obliged to take in their stores and provisions at various different points, a circumstance that often delays them here much longer than even at Deptford.

The saw-mill of Mr. Brunell, lately erected here, is supposed to be equal to the power of fifty saw-pits, and one hundred sawyers; and is capable of supplying the dock-yards of Chatham and Sheerness with all their straight-sawn timber. The greatest advantage of the plan is its application of the steam-engine to the management and arrangement of the timber, by which the labor and expense of a vast number of horses are saved. See SAW-MILL.

In war the dock and rope-yard of Chatham employed together about 2250 men.

Deptford yard has a front or wharf wall facing the Thames, of about 1700 feet in length, the mean breadth of the yard 650 feet, and the superficial area about thirty acres. It has three slips for ships of the line, and two for smaller vessels on the face next the river, with a basin, or wet-dock, 260 by 220 feet. Here are also three dry-docks, one of them a double dock, communicating with the Thames. The proximity of Deptford Dock-yard to the capital is a great convenience, and it became, during the last

war the general magazine of stores and necessaries for the fleet, whence they were transmitted as occasion required to the other yards, the out-ports, and foreign stations.

The great storehouse is a large quadrangular building surrounding a square, of three stories in height, with cellars underneath, for pitch, tar, rosin,&c. Its length is about 210 feet, but the sides vary in width from forty-six to twenty-four feet. Parallel to the west front is the rigging-house and sail-loft, 240 feet, and nearly fifty feet wide, in which all the rigging is fitted for ships and stowed away. On the eastern side is the pavilion, a long range of buildings, in which the beds, hammocks, and slop-clothing are kept, and in which also are the house-carpenters', the joiners', and wheelwrights' shops. This range is about 580 feet long by twenty-six feet wide. Other buildings are an excellent blacksmith's shop, plumbers', glaziers', and painters' shops, seasoning-sheds, store-cabins, saw-pits, mast-house and pond, boat-houses, mould-loft, timberbirths, besides houses and gardens, coach-houses and stabling, for the officers. The number of men employed here, in time of war, was about 1500, of whom about one-half were shipwrights. There were, besides, in constant employ, eighteen or twenty teams, of four horses each. Adjoining to the dock-yard is the victualling-yard, the most complete establishment of the kind in the kingdom. The principal naval stores kept at Deptford are small cordage, canvas and ship sails, hammocks, beds and hair for beds, slops and marine clothing, and anchors under the weight of about seventy-five cwt.

Pembroke dock-yard was a small establishment for the building of vessels undertaken at the close of the war. It contains an area of sixty acres, ascending from the southern shore of Milford Haven, about two miles from the town of Pembroke. Here are two dry-docks and twelve building-slips which are built of wood on a limestone foundation. There have never been above 500 hands employed here.

Plymouth dock-yard extends along the shores of Hamoaze, in a circular sweep of 3500 feet, its width about the middle being 1600, and at each extremity 1000 feet. Its superficial area is about ninety-six acres. In the front towards the harbour are two dry-docks for ships of the first rate, a double dock for seventy-four gun ships, communicating with Hamoaze, and another dock for ships of the line, opening into the basin, which is 250 feet long by 180 feet wide. There is also a graving dock without gates, and a canal or camber, similar to that in Portsmouth yard, for the admission of vessels bringing stores. This, communicating with the boat-pond, cuts the dock-yard nearly into two parts. Five jetties project from the entrances of the dry-docks into Hamoaze, along side of which ships are brought to be undocked. These are situated between the centre and the northern extremity of the harbour line. On the south are three building-slips for the largest class of ships, and two for smaller vessels, the smithery, the outer mast-pond and mast-houses, timberbirths, and saw-pits. Higher up on this end is an extensive mast-pond and mast-locks, with

plank-houses over them; and above these three hemp magazines, close to which is the noble ropery of this establishment, consisting of two ranges of buildings, one the laying-house, the other the spinning-house, each being 1200 feet in length, and three stories high. No wood has been used in the construction of the rope-house, excepting the shingles of the roof, to which the slates are fastened. All the rest is of iron; so that the whole building is considered as fireproof.

The northern part of the yard, besides the docks and basin, working sheds and artificers' shops, contains a quadrangle of elegant stone buildings, the longer sides being about 450 feet, and the shorter 300 feet. Within are also two new ranges of magazines, built principally with iron instead of wood. The upper and northern part of the yard is occupied by a range of handsome houses, with good gardens, for the commissioner and principal officers of the yard, the chapel, guard-house, pay-office, stabling for the officers and teams; and a fine reservoir of fresh water. Plymouth is an excellent refitting yard, and employed, during the war, upwards of 3000 hands of various descriptions. Here, as at Portsmouth, is an unconnected victualling establishment.

In the time of Edward VI. Portsmouth was the only dock-yard that could be considered as a national one; indeed it was almost the only naval station in England. All the ships in the public service, amounting to fifty-three in number, lay in this port, with the exception of three, two of which lay at Deptford and one at Woolwich. The crews belonging to these vessels, including soldiers, marines, and gunners, did not amount to 8000 men; yet, from such beginnings has the naval power of England risen to a height unparalleled in history. Edward, sensible of the great consequence of this port to the future glory of his kingdom, augmented its fortifications by the addition of two strong castles. But Portsea has the advantage of having both the dock-yard and gun-wharf within its precincts.

The former is entered from the town by a lofty gateway, after passing which the first objects that attract attention, are the porter's residence, the mast-houses, and a large modern guard-house. A little further on stands the payoffice; and beyond it is the royal naval academy, which consists of a centre and two wings. This building is furnished with every requisite accommodation for naval instruction, and has an excellent observatory on its summit. The commissioner's house next appears, and to it succeeds an immense range of store-houses, to the right of which is a handsome modern chapel; thence a visitor is generally conducted through the anchor-wharf, where hundreds of anchors of every size and description are piled up ready for immediate service; then to the rope-house, a spacious pile three stories high, fifty-four feet broad, and 1094 feet long. Here the cables are formed with immense labor; but of late years the operation is much facilitated by the use of machinery. The operations in this division of the yard are particularly ingenious and highly interesting. Leaving it, and passing various store-houses, stables, and other buildings, and

many vast piles of timber for the service of the yard, a sort of square presents itself to the view, and displays in its centre a statue of William III. in a Roman habit. On the east side of this square is a row of handsome houses appropriated for the residence of the chief officers of the yard, and on the north and south sides are various offices, store-houses, &c. Proceeding onwards, the next impressing object that arrests the attention is the vast building called the anchor-forge, and, on entering it, both the eye and ear are confounded by the terrific noise and scenes, which spread throughout this Vulcanic abode. Many of the anchors which are here wrought weigh from seventy to ninety tons each.

Approaching nearer the harbour the visitor beholds, in time of war, numerous ships upon the stocks, either building or repairing. The jetty heads, with the basins and docks, are next in order, and, with the shipping in the haven, present a very grand and imposing spectacle, to which the extraordinary capaciousness of the new range of docks greatly contributes. These immense works are all peculiarly adapted for their respective purposes, and while the ships are under repair are kept completely dry; but, in their immediate vicinity, the depth of water is sufficient to float the largest vessels in the navy. Many other parts of this celebrated arsenal, and particularly the rigging houses, claim the examination of the curious. The number of workmen employed in this dock-yard is very great, but varies considerably. In time of peace seldom fewer than 2000 are kept at constant work in its different departments. Here, as at Plymouth, the workmen receive sixpence a day as a commutation for their former perquisite of chips.

The sea-wall of this yard extends from north to south about 3800 feet, and has a mean depth of about 2000 feet. The area enclosed is about 100 acres. The great basin, into which enter four fine dry-docks, is 380 feet in length by 260, and contains an area of two acres and one-third. Here are two docks, at the ends, opening into the harbour; the whole six being capable of receiv ing vessels of the largest dimensions. Here is also a camber, with a wharf-wall on each side 660 feet in length, and of sufficient width to admit of transports and merchant-ships bringing stores to the yard. In the same face of the yard are three building-slips capable of receiving the largest ships; a small one for sloops; two building slips for frigates on the northern face of the yard, and a smaller slip for sloops. The range of storehouses on the north-east side, and the rigginghouse and sail-loft on the south-west side of the camber, are magnificent buildings. The two hemp-houses and the two sea-store houses occupy a line of building which extends 800 feet. The rope-house, tarring-house, and other appendages of the ropery, are on the same scale. sets of quadrangular store-houses, and the two corresponding buildings, with the intervening timber-births and saw-pits, at the head of the dry-docks, issuing from the great basin, are also all excellent. The smithery is on a large scale, and close by is an iron-mill, a copper-mill, and a copper refinery, at which is remelted and rolled all the old copper which is taken from ships'

The two

bottoms: here, also, are cast bolts, gudgeons, and various articles of copper used in the navy. The number of sheets manufactured in one year of the war amounted to about 300,000, weighing above 12,000 tons.

The WOOD MILLS are at the head of the north dock, at which every article of turnery, rabbitting, &c., is made for the use of the navy. The principal part of these mills is the machinery for making blocks contrived by Mr. Brunell. See our article BLOCK-MACHINERY.

Notwithstanding that every precaution that can be devised is taken, to guard against the destructive element of fire, three great conflagrations have occurred in this dock-yard since the year 1760. The first, which appears to have been accidental, broke out in the night of the 3rd of July, 1761, and raged for a long time with dreadful fury. The night had been extremely tempestuous; and the fire was attributed to the lightning striking upon the hemp storehouse, the windows of which had been left open to air it. By this conflagration many hundred tons of tar, 500 tons of cordage, 700 sails, and 1050 tons of hemp, were totally consumed. The second fire occurred on the morning of the 27th of July, 1770, when the damage done was still greater; and it was even for some time doubtful whether any part of the yard would escape destruction. From its bursting forth at different places at one time, and various other circumtances, great suspicions were entertained of its having been occasioned intentionally, but the officers were unable to discover the offenders. The third fire happened on the 7th of December, 1776, and in this instance was undoubtedly the effect of design, as the incendiary was traced, tried, condemned, and executed, upon incontes table proof, afterwards confirmed by his own confession. The real name of this malefactor was John Aitken; but the appellation by which he is commonly known is that of 'Jack the Painter.' He is supposed to have acted under foreign influence, and had previously attempted to destroy the docks at Plymouth and Bristol, but failed in both those attempts, though he excited very considerable alarm. His plans were laid with great sagacity and forethought; and, in order the more effectually to ensure their success and avoid suspicion, he had invented a very ingenious machine, which he contrived to lodge among the cordage over night, and setting fire to it left it, and passed out of the gates in the morning unmolested. In the course of the same day the fire broke out, as it luckily happened, several hours before the incendiary had purposed, for, had it not begun to display itself till after the fall of night, the destruction would probably have been much greater than it was. The immediate and effective assistance which was given to check the progress of the flames, and the favorable direction of the wind, confined the damage to the rope-house, and a few adjoining store-houses. The incendiary immediately quitted Portsmouth, but was apprehended about two months after wards, and, his villany being distinctly traced, he suffered the penalty of the law on the 7th of March, 1777, having previously made all the reparation to his country in his power, by pointing

out some effectual measures for securing the dockyards from similar attempts.

Portsmouth dock-yard, during the war, employed above 4000 workmen, of whom about 1500 were shipwrights and caulkers; 500 joiners and house-carpenters; the smiths nearly 200; the sawyers 250; the riggers 200; other laborers about 700; and the ropers 350.

Sheerness dock-yard is situated on the island of Sheppey, on a point of land composed of sand and mud, brought from the sea on the one side and down the Medway on the other. It commands the mouths of both this river and the Thames. Till a short time ago this was a very unhealthy and disagreeable place, and as a dockyard totally destitute of convenience or arrangement. The whole premises of the dook-yard, indeed, divided among wharfs and buildings belonging to the ordnance department, did not exceed fifteen acres of ground. It had at this period only two small inconvenient docks for frigates or small vessels. These inconveniences of Sheerness suggested at one time an extensive project for a new naval arsenal at Northfleet, but a committee of engineers and others being appointed to report on the possibility of improving this station, among whom were Watt, Huddart, and Jessop, their plan was afterwards examined, and some improvements suggested in it by Mr. Rennie. The first stone of a new establishment was laid on the 19th of August, 1814. This plan embraced the addition of nineteen acres to the area of the dock-yard, on the west shore of the Medway; the construction of a wet-dock or basin 520 feet long by 300 feet in width, entered by a lock from the Medway; the erection of three drydocks on the east side of this basin; the enclosure of Major's marsh, as a further addition of ten to twelve acres of area; and the construction of store and mast houses, mast-ponds, a smithery, governor's, and officers' houses, as at the other royal yards. The whole area of the new yard is about fifty acres.

We come, lastly, to the most ancient of our dock-yards, that at Woolwich. This occupies a frontage to the Thames 3300 feet; the breadth extends irregularly from 250 to 750 feet: the whole enclosed area being about thirty-six acres. It has five slips, which open into the river, three of which are for ships of the line, one for frigates, and one for small vessels. It has likewise three dry-docks, one double and one single dock; all of these are capable of receiving ships of the line.

Woolwich yard has produced some of the largest and finest ships in the navy, and is chiefly important as a building yard; but of late years the increasing shallowness of the river, and the immense accumulation of mud, which is often found in a few weeks to block up all the entrances into the docks and slips, has much injured it. In the Eighth Report of the Select Committee on Finance (1818) it is stated, that the wharf wall at Woolwich, owing to the action of the tide on the foundation, is in a falling state, and in danger of being swept into the river, it being secured only in a temporary manner, and requiring to be immediately rebuilt in a direction that will preserve it from similar injury hereafter.' This re

cominendation has been acted upon; but the works are as yet, we believe, incomplete.

The new mast-houses and mast-slip, the new mast-ponds, and the houses here for stowing yards, topmasts, &c., with the locks under them, are all excellent. The timber births are also well arranged, and the addition lately made to the western extremity of the yard will allow the stacking and classing of several thousand loads of timber.

The present situation of the ropery, at a distance from the yard, is very inconvenient: but it is of good dimensions, being 180 fathoms long, and having store room for 2000 tons of hemp and 6000 barrels of pitch and tar. The process of tarring, or passing the yarns through heated tar, and then drawing them through apertures in an iron plate, is here performed by four horses. The laying of a cable of twenty-two or twenty-three inches is performed by the labor of 170 or 180 men, and requires upwards of an hour of the most severe exertion of strength, especially on the part of those who are stationed at the cranks. Woolwich dock-yard is pretty complete in its work-shops, store-cabins, offices for the clerks, houses and gardens for the commissioner and principal officers. The number of men employed during the war amounted to about 1800, of whom nearly 1100 were shipwrights and artificers. The spinners, knitters, layers, laborers, &c., in the ropery, were about 260. Upwards of twenty teams of horses were also employed here daily.

6

Henry VIII. first established a royal dockyard at Woolwich; where it appears that the Harry Grace de Dieu, of 1000 tons, was built in 1512. This ship is stated to have been in length 128 feet, and in breadth forty-eight feet: she had three flush decks, a forecastle, half-deck, quarter-deck, and round-house, and carried 176 pieces of ordnance: she had eleven anchors, the largest of which weighed 4400lbs. M. Dupin, who regarded all our establishments with the eye both of a man of science and of a jealous rival, says of our present ship-building: The English ships of war, with all the improvements which we have just made known, are superior to French ships of war, 1st. As fabrics that are solid, durable, and, as preserving their form, nearly unchangeable; 2d. As military machines, without any weak points, being capable, within the same space, to discharge a mass of fire much more considerable; and nevertheless to exercise more at ease this accumulated artillery; 3d. As habitable fabrics. They have banished from these ships of war the fantastical mixture of mean and highly finished ornaments, of a species of decoration more suited for dwelling houses, and fit only to degrade the austere beauties of naval architecture. They have banished all those refinements of bad taste; refinements which always produced a most miserable effect, which, nevertheless, giving to the exterior an air of luxury and magnificence, encourage naval officers to expend in the interior a still greater degree of luxury; in short, which pervert from its purpose a floating fortress,by changing it into a furnished hotel, supported at a great expense to the nation.' tom. i. p. 165.

The officers of an established dock-yard are, 1. The commissioner. 2. The master attendant. 3. The master shipwright. 4. The clerk of the check. 5. The store-keeper. 6. The clerk of the survey; to which have recently been added the subordinate officers of timber-master, and the master measurer. There are besides several assistants to the master attendant and master shipwright, foremen, sub-measurers, quartermen, and converters, surgeon, chaplain, boatswain, warden, &c. The establishment at Portsmouth, which will convey an idea of the others, consisted, at the close of the war, of

1. The commissioner, having a salary of £1100 a year (all others £1000); three clerks with salaries from £400 to £120.

2. Two masters attendant, one at £650, the other at £500 a year; one clerk to both. 3. Master shipwright, £720 a year; three clerks from £300 to £120.

4. Clerk of the check, salary £600; eight clerks from £400 to £80.

5. Storekeeper, salary £600 a year; twelve clerks from £400 to £80.

6. Clerk of the survey, £500; eight clerks from £400 to £80.

7. Clerk of the rope-yard, £350; one clerk. 8. Engineer and mechanist, £600 (at Portsmouth only), with a draughtsman; one clerk. 9. Timber-master, salary £500; seven clerks from £250 to £80.

10. Three assistants to the master attendant at £220 each; one assistant to the timber-master, £200; three assistants to the master shipwright, £400 each.

11. The master-measurer, £250 a year; ten clerks from £200 to £80.

12. Thirty-five foremen, from £250 to £80 each.

13. Sub-measurers, quartermen, and converters, from £180 to £160 each.

14. The master mast-maker, sail-maker, boatbuilder, joiner, house carpenter, bricklayer, smith, rope-maker, rigger, painter (wood-mills, metal-mills, mill-wright, at Portsmouth only); with salaries each, from £260 to £200 a year.

15. Twenty-two cabin-keepers from £100 to £60 each.

16. A surgeon, £500; assistant, £200.
17. Chaplain, £500.

18. Boatswain, £250.

19. Warden of the gate, £200.
Watchmen, warders, and rounders.

The total amount of the salaries paid to the above mentioned officers in the year 1817, in Portsmouth yard alone, was £50,065. 5s.-Estimates of the Ordinary of the Navy, 1817.

According to the above estimates the expenses of the principal of these establishments in 1817, were as follow: