1817 - 1820	State of the British Navy	414

The Franklin was laid down at Philadelphia in the summer of 1813, and launched in August, 1815. She is built of seasoned live oak, admirably put together, and, like the generality of Philadelphia ships, highly finished in every part; has a round bow, and works her cables, similar to other three-deckers, on the second deck. We call her a three-decker, because, in fact, her upper deck is continuous from stem to stern, similar to the first and second, with chocks and fittings for five ports of a side along the waist : so that the ship can mount 30 guns on this deck (called " spar deck" by the Americans), similar to the 44s.* Her principal dimensions are as follows:

After what has appeared in these pages respecting the American frigates, no doubt can remain, that this American line-of-battle ship is well found in all her stores, and that her guns are properly mounted and secured. She is, to all appearance, a very snug ship, and has been pronounced to be a very stiff one ; an excellent sailer on every point, and a good sea-boat. She is steered with an iron tiller 16 feet long. Her lower masts, in their naked state, are not stouter than those of a British ship of the same dimensions, but they have each, as we noticed in the frigates, immense quarter-fishes, that make them appear of an extraordinary size ; and the whole of the rigging, both standing and running, is far stouter than would be established upon a similarly-sized ship in the British navy. Her galley, dispensary, capstan, and pumps, are all of the most improved construction : her pumps, indeed, are remarkable for their simplicity, the ease with which they are worked, and the quantity of water they discharge.

One error was committed by her architects. They did not calculate properly the bulk of water, that a hull so stoutly built, and so heavily laden with guns, would displace. Hence, her lower-deck ports are brought nearer to the water than was intended, or than is consistent with a due regard to the use of her lower battery in blowing weather. For instance, in the year 1818, the Franklin's midship lower-deck port was only 4 feet 7 inches from the water, while that of the British small-class 74 is usually 5 feet 10 inches ; but the Franklin was then victualled for nine months, and had on board a quantity of stores for other ships in the Mediterranean. With six months' provisions on board, the height was stated to be about 5 feet 6 inches. The Independence, built at Boston, and launched eight or nine

* See p. 4.

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