ON THE SrmitNs OF SHIPS.
The interesting and important investigations, that have taken place respecting the sterns of our ships of war, not having yet found their way into any of our Encyclopxdias, we shall devote a short space to its consideration, and review the arguments that have been advanced by different writers respecting this great and important change.
It would exceed our limits to follow the history of the sterns or vessels into its earliest stages, and we must therefore content ourselves with briefly remark ing, that during the sixteenth century, the sterns of ships of the largest class were formed square, not on ly above, but sonic feet below the plane of notation; and every part was loaded, or as the writers of that period say "adorned," carved work, banners, and every other thing that could add to was at that time considered as rich and splendid decoration. The forms of the sterns at that time, admitted of four guns, of large calibre, being fired right aft; and we learn from a picture preserved in the society of anti quaries, of the embarkation of King Henry the V111. at Dover, in the year 1520, that ships at that pe riod, had neither stern walks, balconies, nor quarter galleries; nor is there represented the convenience of a water closet abaft, even in the ship occupied by his Majesty; and but one only in the squadron, which is in a ship bearing the royal standard; and which, it is evident from the colouring, was an appendage for the occasion, and probably put tip for the queen of Eng land and her court. The sterns of these ships, Mr. Knowles thinks, were formed by several beams of con siderable dimensions, called transoms, lying horizon tally, and attached to their frames or ribs, by large crooked pieces of timber, termed knees, and which, it would seem, prevented the guns from being worked in the quarters with any effect.
In the beginning of the seventeenth century, our ships of war were much improved, not only by an in crease of their dimensions, but also by the application of science to the construction of their bodies; and Sir Robert Seppings is in possession of a complete draught of the Sovereign, designed by Mr. Phineas
Pett, and launched in the year 1637, in which the stern is improved by being rounded below and a little above the plane or flotation; and having five transoms and stern and quarter galleries, or balconies. Her draught of water abaft was twenty-two feet three in ches, and the height of the stern above the water fifty feet nine inches, and she had originally six platforms abrifi, on which guns might be carried. But not only the sterns of ships, but their heads also were overloaded with the most barbarous and cumbrous ornaments at this time; and the prow of the ship here alluded to, actually extended forty-three feet six inches above the plane of notation, and was covered in every part with massive and ill-contrived carved work.' This cumbrous and expensive mode of building and ornamenting the heads and sterns of ships of the first class, continued, says Alt. Knowles, until the year 1699, when directions were given by the government, " to be more sparing in the carved work and other decorations''—a proof of a better and improving taste. The balconies in the quarters were however fitted until the year 1729, when these projections were discontinued; and close galleries adopted.
To lower the height and lessen the weight of the sterns in large ships, the poops royal were omitted in those built and repaired after the middle of the last century; but little however appears to have been done in the way of a decided improvement until 1796, when Earl Spencer, who then presided at the Admi ralty, directed that the ponderous heads should no longer be continued, nor should there be galleries or carved work on the sterns. This was certainly a step towards a more proper order or things; but it was not until 1811, that Sir Robert Seppings introduc ed his method for strengthening the bow. by carrying up the timbers so as to give a circular form to it nor till 1816, that he proposed that the same system should be adopted for the stern, so as to give to it the same advantageous properties that he had previously communicated to the bow.