------------+------+---------+---------+---------+-------+---------+------- | | | | | | Guns | |Length| | Depth | Draught | | on war | Designation.| of | Breadth.| of | of | Tons. | service | Crew. | keel.| | hold. | water. | | at home.| ------------+------+---------+---------+---------+-------+---------+------- | Feet.| Feet. | Feet. | Feet. | | | 1st Rate |128 to| 40 to | 17.9 to | 20 to |1100 to| 90 to | 600 to | 146 | 48 | 19.8 | 23.6 | 1740 | 100 | 815 2nd Rate |121 to| 37 to | 17 to | 16 to |1000 to| 82 to | 540 to | 143 | 45 | 19.8 | 21 | 1500 | 90 | 660 3rd Rate |115 to| 34 to | 14.2 to | 16 to | 750 to| 60 to | 350 to | 140 | 40 | 18.3 | 18.8 | 1174 | 74 | 470 4th Rate | 88 to| 27 to | 11.2 to | 12.8 to | 342 to| 32 to | 180 to | 280 | 34 | 15.6 | 17.8 | 680 | 50 | 230 5th Rate | 72 to| 23.6 to | 9.9 to | 11.6 to | 211 to| 26 to | 125 to | 81 | 27 | 11 | 13.2 | 333 | 30 | 135 ------------+------+---------+---------+---------+-------+---------+------- The first so-called frigate was designed by Peter Pett, and built at Chatham in 1646. She was named the _Constant Warwick_. Her dimensions were: length of keel, 85 ft.; breadth, 26 ft. 5 in.; depth, 13 ft. 2 in.; tonnage, 315; guns, 32; crew, 140. She worked havoc amongst the privateers of the time. The bomb-ketch was originally introduced by a famous French naval architect named Bernard Renan, about 1679. This class of warship was first employed by Louis XIV. in the bombardment of Algiers, where it produced an enormous effect. Bomb-ketches were of about 200 tons burthen, very broad in proportion to their length, and built with great regard to strength, on account of the decks having to bear the downward recoil of the mortars. The latter were placed in the fore-part of the vessel, which was purposely left unencumbered with rigging. The hold between the mortars and keel was closely packed with old cables, cut into lengths. The yielding elastic qualities of the packing assisted in taking up the force of the recoil. The bombs weighed about 200 pounds, and the consternation and terror produced by them may readily be realized when it is remembered that, up to that time, the most dangerous projectile which a warship could discharge at a land fortification was a thirty-two pound shot. These vessels were fitted with two masts, one in the middle and the other in the stern.