timber when dry, by pressure; or perhaps by charring the timbers after they are cleaned down on the stocks ready for the plank, by playing on them a jet of flame from a flexible gas pipe,—might, some of them, be found preventive of the rot, and at same time not to impair any of the valuable qualities of the timber. We are a little shy in committing ourselves, lest we should be impressed as a dry-rot physician or professor; but if the following plan for preservation of vessels when unemployed has not already been tried, we recommend it to the notice of our Navy Board. Let every part of the vessel be cleared out, and every port-hole or external opening be made as air-tight as possible. Let a quantity of recent-burned limestone {159} (lime-shells) be spread thin over every inside deck or floor, and over the whole bottom and sides of the vessel, and every door or hatch in the main-deck be immediately closed down air-tight. A number of rods or shreds of timber would require to be nailed slightly to the inside skin of the ship where the slope is considerable, in order that the lime-shells may rest and not roll down. As soon as it is found that the lime-shells are completely slaked—become hydrate of lime—let it be sold to the farmer or house-builder, or be used in any government erection going forward at the time; and let another quantity be laid in. We would consider a sloop of 80 tons load of lime, value, prime cost and freight, about L.70, would suffice for covering the internal surface of a seventy-four gun ship. When slaked to powder, the lime might be disposed of at little loss. It is impossible, without trial, to say how often the lime would require renewal, but we think twice or thrice a-year would suffice to preserve the vessel dry and free of any corruption; perhaps even once might be found effectual. Suppose that the lime was renewed every four months, and that when slaked it only sold at two-thirds of the whole cost, the preservation of a line-of-battle ship would be nearly as follows. The price of the lime {160} and work is correct, according to the rates in most of the harbours of Scotland. A quantity of rods or shreds of timber, about three inches in diameter, for nailing on the sloping sides of the vessel, material and labour, L.20 0 0 Eighty tons lime-shells = 560 bolls, at 1s. 7d. per boll, prime cost, 44 6 8 Freight of 560 bolls, at 1s. 28 0 0 The slaked lime is supposed to sell at 2-3ds of the cost, thence the whole loss on a year would equal the value of one cargo. Carrying three lime cargoes of shells aboard, and spreading them, 30 0 0 We allow here for the greater distance of carriage, and spreading out of the cargo, nearly thrice the sum requisite to remove lime-shells from a vessel into a cart.