[Illustration: THE “SILVERLIP.” _From the Model in the Victoria and Albert Museum._] Some of the modern turret-ships are fitted with twelve or fourteen masts arranged in pairs, each pair being across the ship instead of fore-and-aft-wise. These vessels have proved themselves to be excellent sea-boats, and owing to their high freeboard and the harbour deck, which acts as a kind of breakwater, it has to be a very bad sea indeed that will break over the ship. Furthermore, the harbour deck tends to reduce the rolling of the ship, for when one side of the ship heels over so that one harbour deck is under water, the windward side, when it holds a certain amount of water, actually tends to bring the ship back to her level. Moreover, since these decks are unencumbered with obstructions, they can suffer no damage through the wash of the sea. They are also extremely strong ships, for the sides of the turrets increase the strength of the vessel longitudinally, while the curved formation of the harbour deck augments their strength transversely; their simplicity of construction and their adaptability for almost any cargo still further add to their virtues. But from the view-point of the owners the turret-ship is even still more a welcome type of craft, in that since dues are paid on a ship’s registered tonnage the turret-ship is able to carry far more cargo in proportion to her size than most vessels. On a small registered tonnage the turret-ship has an exceptionally large dead-weight capacity, and those parts of her which are liable to be taxed are diminished as far as is possible, whilst at the same time greater space is allowed to the carrying and handling of the cargo. Economically, then, the turret-ship, with her odd shape, her many masts and derricks, is a very advantageous carrier.