In 1726, the preservation of ships’ timbers came once more on the _tapis_, when the results of some experiments, commenced six years before, were inspected. Up to about 1720, woods were prepared for use by a system known as “charring.” This consisted in building a fire one side of the plank and keeping the other side wet till the required condition was produced. One, Cumberland, invented a system known as “stoving.” By this, the wood was put into wet sand and then subjected to heat till the juices were extracted and the wood in suitable condition. A ship was planked with both systems, side by side, and on these being examined in 1726, it was found that while the “stoved” planks were in good condition the “charred” ones were already rotten. A grateful country vaguely presented Cumberland with one tenth of whatever might be the saving which his system would produce. Cumberland, however, was equally vague, since he could supply no data as to the amount of heat or time of subjection, and experiments had to be carried out in the Yards in order to ascertain this. The authorities were apparently still ascertaining when one Boswell, of Deptford Yard, in 1736, hit upon using steam, and his system became at once general--though a few years later it was replaced by boiling the timber. When George II came to the throne the country was at peace, but this peace was mainly and entirely secured by the policy of Walpole, who kept the Navy on a war footing. Feeling against Spain ran so high on account of the action of the _Guarda-Costas_ in searching English ships in the West Indies, that Walpole’s hands were forced in 1739. In the House of Commons, Captain Vernon announced that with six ships he could capture Porto Bello. Promoted to Rear Admiral, he essayed the task, and accomplished it, by coming into close range and landing under cover of a bombardment. His loss was trifling--nineteen killed and wounded, all told. The garrison turned out to have been only 300 strong, of whom forty surrendered. The rest had either been killed or had fled. It is to be observed that no state of war existed at the time. War with Spain was declared in October, 1739. The English fleet in commission consisted of thirty-eight ships of the line, and there was a reserve of twenty-four ready for immediate service. There were also thirty-six minor vessels in commission and eight in reserve. An interesting circumstance of this war was the whole-world scale on which naval operations were planned. In substance the scheme was as follows:--Admiral Vernon was to attack the east coast of Darien. Captain Cornwall was to round the Horn, attack the west coast of Darien and then go to the Philippines, where he was to meet Captain Anson, who was to voyage thither via the Cape of Good Hope. The scheme was not carried out in its entirety, as the Cape of Good Hope expedition never sailed, Anson being substituted for Cornwall.