HEe that would Rigge a SHIP or FRI­GOT compleatly, must know as the Length, Bredth, and Depth of the Ship, so the Dimensions of each Mast and Yard; for upon them doth the Rigging princi­pally depend, both for size and lengths: That the size of the Stay should bee half the Diameter of the Mast, and the Shrouds half the Stay, is a common rule; yet that is varied from by experienced Sea-men, as they finde their Ships more or lesse labour-some in the Sea; but the length may bee found out exactly by the doctrine of Tri­angles, especially of the standing Rigging; for having two sides, and the angle be­tween them, the third may be found out by an ordinary Artist. Having the length of the Mast from the Crosse-trees to the Partners for the Perpendicular, and half the bredth of the Ship for the Base, the Hypothenusall, or Side sub­tending, is the length of the Shroud. Again, having the same part of the Mast, and half the length Keele, or the distance between the Main-mast and Fore-mast for the two sides of the triangle, the third being found out will be the length of the Stay, making an allowance for the Coller at the head of the Mast; but the Boat-swains have more familiar rules, which comes somthing near the the truth; viz. the length of the Keele is the length of the Stay in short Ships, in greater the Stay may be shorter a fathome, or more. The Naesby's Stay is near two fathoms shorter then the Keele, the Dunbarres above two fa­thoms shorter. The length of the Shrouds must be two thirds of the Mast; the Top-mast Shrouds the length of the Top-mast, from the Crosse-trees to the uppermost part of the Fid-hole; the Top-mast Back-staies the length from the Hounds to the Deck: but these rules and the rest, are known to those that are fit to take Charge of Ships, as Boat-swains, I shall therefore name no more.

If the Book intituled, The Sizes and Lengths of Rigging for all the States Ships or Frigots be examined by these or the like rules, it will be found very ex­orbitant in Length, and that much to the States prejudice. The Sovereign's Main-stay will be found four, if not five fathoms too long, and her Shrouds each pair near three fathoms, which will amount to fourten or fifteen pounds worth of Cordage, and the like excesse will be found in the rest of the Rig­ging. But that the damage the State suffers by that Book may more plainly appear, I shall set down a parallel between that in the second Columne of the Book, allotted by the Author for the Resolution and Naesby, and what the Naesby was Rigged with at Woolwich at her first setting out; as also between that in the third Columne, which amongst other Ships is appointed for the Swiftsure, and that with which the same Ship was Rigged with here at the set­ting forth in the year 1653, in the conclusion whereof you have the number of fathoms of each size reduced into weight by the Authors own rules, where [...]e view you may see the difference between them.

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This at 40 shil. a Hundred, comes to 639,l. 2,s. 6,d. Is not not this a vast Summ for the State to lose in Riging of two Ships.

I intended to have added a Paralell between the Providences Rigging in the sixth columme, and what the same Ship was Rigged with at Deptford: but because she hath not been wholey [...] Rigged here, since I came here into the Service I shall give you onely, a Paralell between a few particular Ropes sup­plyed at Deptford, with the like in the Book, whereby you may have a view also of the Exorbitancis of allowances made to the lesser Shipps, as well as to the greater.

When I first drew up the Paralell between the Naseby and the Resolution, I onely intended it for the View of those concerned in the regulating of abu­ses of that nature, and it had gone no further, but that I was told that the Resolution was a bigger Shipp, and required more Rigging; broader I am in­formed it is by two Foot, but not so long by four Foot; Neither do I beleeve that her Masts and Yards are so long and square as the Naseby's are, she having three Hundred and Ten Yards of Canvas more in her two courses, and one Hundred fifteen yards in her two top Sailes then the Resolution hath. And as the Sailes so the Riggings must be proportionable to the Masts and Yards. The Swiftsure is the same Ship for dimensions, though new built, and her Masts and Yards as taunt and square as they were at the first. The Providence is not at all altered.

By these may be judged, what the rest are, and I perswade my self, that he that shall undertake to Rigge the whole Eight Ships with the quantity al­lowed for the four first, may do it compleatly, and save as much Cordage as will be a good reward for his paines, and so the State will save, accord­ing to the allowance in the Book, twenty five tuns of cordage, which is worth at the lowest price it can be bought now for, one Thousand Pounds. A thing considerable.

After the Rigging of these Ships followeth the Masts, where you have how many Hands the Mast must be of, that will serve for those Ships; this you may know, and know how many Inches are in a Hand, and yet be farre from knowing what lengths any of those Masts will prove, one of twenty one, or twenty two hands, making a Mast of two or three Yards longer then another of the same number of hands, besides the Mast-maker must be advised with, to know what wast in chips he will make of such Masts when he fits them for the Ships, and except the length of Mast and yards be known, there can be no Rigging truely proportioned or cut out for the Ship.

In the 17. page, and so on to the 30 ^th, is set down Rigging for the Fri­gots, and there he hath some borrowed experience, but had he advised with [Page 11]that Master of attendance that Rigged most of the Frigots he there men­tions, he would have told him that those Rigging books had been very lame and imperfect, he would have informed him that there was a farre greater difference between the Ruby and the Assurance, for which he allow­es to both, the same Rigging, then there is betweene the Speaker, and the Ruby, or between the the Assurance and the Nightingale as may appear by their Masts and quantity of Rigging they were fitted with.

He would have told him that the Puttocks he hath inserted in the Fore-top Mast and Main top-mast riggings, are altogether superfluous, and not at all used;

Viz.

The Puttocks in the lower Masts being sufficient.

He would not have allowed the Martin a longer Main-stay, or Main-top-mast-stay then the Nightingale, nor a Coller for the Fore-stay to the Nightingal and Martin, above twice the lengths of either the Speaker or Bri­stol; he would have given Main-top-mast shrouds to the Martin, as well as Fore-top-mast Shrouds, and in divers other particulars, which will be too tedious to mention, he would have shewn him that he had been out of the way.

Next to the Rigging of the Frigots follows the Boatswains, and Car­penters stores, with the Anchors and Ground-tacle for the several Ships and Frigots, wherein whether he hath truly Copied out the Boatswains or Carpenters Indents, or no, I know not, in regard I have not had to do with the greater Ships: but in the Anchors and Cables for the Frigots he is as much besides the truth, as he was in their Rigging: the Ruby and Dia­mond, with the rest of the bigger fourth-rate Frigots, have Anchors of 21 and 22 C. weight, and Cables of 14½ Inches, and 15 Inches, whereas the Adventure and Assurance have their best Anchors but of 13 hundred weight, and their best Cables but of 12½ Inches, and yet in the Book they are all allowed Anchors of the same weight, and Cables of the same sizes.

There is one thing more in the Stores, which requires the wit not one­ly of an intelligent Clerk, but of an expert Sea-man also to make use of, and that is the two Top-gallent sails, and the Sprit-sail, and Mizon-top-sails of the Nicodemus and Henrietta Pinnace, which are not onely num­bred amongst the Stores, but afterward measured out, where the quan­titie of Canvas for each Ships sails is set down, and yet neither Mast nor Rigging allowed for them, and may wee not judge that this allowance was made hand over head.

[Page 13]From the Stores he comes to the weight of Cordage, and observations about Rope-makers. If I had an insight into that Trade, I might discover much weaknesse in that, somthing to me seems very irrational: to name but one particular in the weight: Can any one give a reason, why a Cablet of 3 [...] Inches should weigh 63 pounds heavier then a Hauser of the same size and number of threds, and a Cablet of 4 Inch should weigh ¾ of a hun­dred and twenty one l. lesser then a Hauser of the same size: But to wave his weights, Is there any proportion observed in the making of Cordage, where a hauser of 1 [...] Inch hath 12 threds more then one of inch, and one of 2 inch hath but 3 threds more then one of 1½ inch and one of 2 [...] Inch but 3 threds more, then one of 2 Inch; or that one hauser of 5 [...] Inch should have but 12 threds more then one of 5 Inch, and one of 6 Inches have 54 threds more then one of 5½ Inch, or that one of 8 Inch should have but 24 threds more then one of 7½ and one of 8½ should have 72 threds more then one of 8 Inches; or is it possible that a Cable of 20 In­ches shoul contein as many threds as one of 19 Inches; and one of 13 Inches, if there be any certainty in a rule of proportion, that number of threds will make one of 23 or 24 Inches; certainly that Rope-maker that gave him these observations, plaied the Wagg with him, to make him to be laughed at.

Whether the Boat-maker hath dealt faithfully with him in the dime [...] ons of the Ships, Boats, or no, I know not, but I am certain they bear not a like proportion one to the other, the Purveyor can best tell, (if he looks over the stores) whether they be duely prized.

As for the quantity of canvas in each Ships Sailes, except it be known what depth, and what number of cloaths be in every Sail: it cannot be dis­covered whether the Sail maker hath put in all that cloth into them or no.

And as for his weight of each Ships rigging, and Ground-tackle, I may safely affirm, he hath not gone by the rule he himself lays down for the weight of Coardage, I shall instance onely in their Ground-tackle, and o­ther coardage, for stores.

[Page 12]To conclude, by all it doth appear, that whereas the author boasts, that much of this book hath been his own paines, and part borrowed experi­ence, the whole is but a confused collection of things taken upon trust from others without examination of the truth, or reason of them; there being little of either to be found, and whereas he affirmes, that one maine in­ducement in committing it to the presse, was to give the Right Honour­able, the Commissioners of the admiralty satisfaction, — That the Shippes are fitted regularly with riggings and stores, in re­ference to Boat-swaines, and Carpenters, and not hand over head, and with­out caution. It is evident, that if his rules be observed, there will appear very little, either regularity, or caution. And thus have you The intelligent Clerk Surveyed, and now what doth his work call for, but that Justice should be done upon it, as is usuall upon such books, as are either scanda­lous to, or abusive of the State, (a greater and more subtil fraud being rare to be found) and I doubt not but that they, who are intrusted in manage­ment of the affaires of the Navy, will so far take it into consideration, as to do the Common Wealth right in the businesse.