I. From EXPERIENCE.

None of those Twenty Ships of the Royal Navy that were sheath'd with Mill'd-Lead (all totally up above the Wales, as high as any Sheathing goes) had any such Board-sheathing at all, only some of them had a Sheet of Copper, or two-inch Plank, nail'd on in the Wake of the Anchor; and if any such Damage had happen'd from Boats or Lyters, we should certainly have heard of it; for this Objection (as well as rubbing off by Cables, Hawsers, lying on Ground, smallness and shortness of the Nails, &c.) was made at the beginning, which with the rest obstructed the Contract with the Navy-board, till upon Five Years Experience, on Ten Ships in that time sheath'd with Mill'd Lead, (and that but of 2 l. or little more, to the foot, whereas this now us'd is full 3 l.) that Board found all these Objections prov'd but Sur­mises, which however not being capable of a Negative Answer, till Time should try the Truth thereof, they forbore entring into a Contract, till they had found upon sufficient Proof and Experience all those Objections were answer'd, and the Lead-sheathing fully approv'd of by them; as they declar'd in the Preamble of their Con­tract, which then they enter'd into with the Mill'd-Lead Company for 20 Years to come, that they might secure to the Crown the Benefit thereof at the terms agreed. And when Seven Years after this its Adversaries, taking advantage of the Company's Neglect and Differences amongst themselves, had (by false Suggestions that this Sheathing did in an extraordinary manner eat the Rudder-Irons) prevail'd with that Navy-board to make a Report to the Lords of the Admiralty against it; and now, when Twenty Ships were sheath [...]d therewith, they never had the Confidence to mention any of the Old Objections, (which they knew would be falsified, the Sheathings themselves, or good Evidence, being easie to have recourse to) and which certainly they would have done, if there had been any thing material, of what kind soever, to be objected against it, besides this New Whim of eating the Rudder-Irons, nothing else but barely that being complain'd of, or so much as mention'd in that Report, which dis­cover'd no great Good-will that Board themselves had at that time for the Lead-sheathing, what Right soever they had formerly done it upon their Contract. And this of the Ironwork having been prov'd false and ridiculous, it would be very hard if its Enemies should be permitted to revive the old Objections again; this were to dance in a Circle, which would never end.

II. From REASON.

1. If this suggested rubbing off by Boats and Lyters were true, the Damage can­not be considerable, and the Danger nothing, whereas the Wood-sheathing is at least the same it was before, worse, and abundantly dearer; as has been shewn elsewhere.

[Page 2]2. No Boat or Lyter can come at it under Water; and for the Gunnel or upper parts, that may bang or rub against the Ship-sides, it must be above Water when­e'er it happens, and then it must be seen, and when seen, it may be presently men­ded, Lead and Nails being alwaies ready on board for that purpose, which however perhaps may be prevented with common Care, usual in other cases, by Fenders of Juncks, Wooden Rollers, or the like, hung over the Ship sides in Harbour.

3. Reason would that they should rather sheath below with Boards, where the rub­bing off (they talk of) by Cables, Hawsers, and lying on Ground, is more dangerous and out of sight: But if that Fear be conquer'd, as Lead-sheathing the Bottom owns, methinks there should be no Difficulty of admitting it above, where the Worm eats most, (as is known it does between the Load and Light water-line) and the Lead-sheathing so certain a Security against it, which the Boards are not, but serve for a Feast only, to entertain the Worm a Voyage or two: And if the Lead-sheathing should rub off in some places, (which is not so easily done as some fancy) 'tis with little Charge easily mended, as is said, and the Sheathing still as good as at first bringing on.

There is one thing more which the Shipwrights would fain retain, as being some Against paying the Sides. profit to them, and damage to the Lead-sheathing, which is paying the Plank with Stuff under the Lead-sheathing, as they have used to do under their Wood-sheathing. This also by sufficient Experience appears to be altogether unnecessary and inconve­nient, besides the Charge thereof to the Owners; as follows.

1st. It was by the Inventers of the Mill'd-Lead-sheathing proposed at first, and after­wards practised upon all those 20 Ships that were formerly Sheath'd therewith, that the Ship-sides should be well Brim'd and the Seams well Caulk'd with a Thread of Spun-Yarn, or Hair, laid in to fill up the Seams even with the Plank, the Bolt­heads, Braces, or other Iron work to be parcell'd, and over all to bring on the Lead, without paying with any Stuff, how thin soever, which leaves an unevenness in the Lead, by the Hammer's pressing the soft Body that lies between, in driving the Nails home; as is visible upon all those Ships that have lately been Sheath'd with Lead, and is always complained of by them, but the Cause and [...] Remedy never hearkned to, upon the Shipwright's pretence, that this paying with Stuff is absolutely necessary to preserve the Plank.

2ly. Now if it has been found by Experience, that the Plank, after hardning, by Briming at first when Lead-sheathings were brought on, have continued firm and found under those Sheathings for Seven, Eight, Ten, or Twelves Years together, without any cause of Complaint, which must have appeared at their Strippings, and been Complained of by its active Enemies, if any Damage had come to the Plank by this omission of paying, of which no Complaint was ever heard, nor ever object­ed at first among their other surmises, which probably they forgot then, but would have been sure to have remembred if they had found any such thing upon Strip­ping any Ship afterwards: But the contrary thereof was then very remarkable, that their Plank was found to be as smooth and found under their Lead-sheathings (in par­ticular the Dreadnought's, which had been on near Twelve Years) as at first doing.

This must certainly convince any unprejudic'd Person, that this paying of the Plank under a Lead-sheathing is also altogether unnecessary as well as inconvenient and chargeable, and consequently they will lay it aside for the future.

There is one thing lately objected that was never heard of before, viz. That the Mill'd Lead is of a drying nature, which lying upon a Seam above Water, drys and shrinks the Oakam, whereas the same being covered with a parcelling of Canvas, preserves the Oakam moist, and makes it last much longer, without new Caulking. And it may be true, though this proceeds from no drying quality in the Lead, more than if the Seam were covered with Copper, Tin, or any other Metal, which be­ing exposed to the Sun and Air, will doubtless be dryer upon any thing 'tis laid than Canvas dipp'd in Stuff, till it be dryed and the Vertue of the Pitch exhausted, which may still be laid upon such Seams, and if they see cause, may bring a piece of Sheathing-Lead over it, which must still preserve it longer. A quite contrary Qua­lity was once objected against the Mill'd-Lead, when it was imployed in the Navy, to lyne the Bread-Rooms, that they had discovered such dampness and moisture therein, that did corrupt and spoil the Bisquet, upon which it was discontinued, though 'tis known nothing preserves things better: And several Pursers Certificates were produced, that their Bisquet was preserved much better and longer when their Bread-Rooms were lined with Lead than before, as has been shewn already.