Notes to Annual Abstracts

Notes to Abstract No. 24.

a The Howe and St.-Vincent ; of a similar construction to the Nelson. The first, of 2619 35/94 tons, began building at Chatham in June, 1808, and was launched March 28, 1815 ; the second, of 2612 28/9 4 tons, began building at Plymouth in May, 1810, and was launched March 11, 1815. For the principal dimensions of these ships, and some account of their masts and yards, see the preceding page.

b One of these was the Isis, first built as a quarter-decked 50, of 1190 tons, draught-measurement, from the reduced lines of the late Danish 80-gun ship Christian VII ; as were also the Salisbury, the single ship, of 1199 tons, in the first " Built" column of class T in No. 23 Abstract, and the Romney, the single ship of 1227 tons, in the same column and class of the present abstract. After the Isis had been constructed, it was thought advisable to cut her in two, and add an additional port and space to her length ; and also, to take away her poop, forecastle, and quarterdeck, or at least as much of the latter as reached from forward to about at beam afore the mizenmast. This made the Isis a flush two-decker, with a short quarterdeck, or large roundhouse, merely intended as a roof to the captain's apartments, and increased her measurement to 1321 tons. The number of guns she was to mount, in her old and in her new state, was the same, 58 ; but the alteration in her construction gave the Isis nearly a double superiority in force, as the following statement will show:

According to this, the Isis gained two additional ports of a side on her first, and three on her second deck, instead of one on each, as had previously been stated. The fact is, her foremost or bow-port (meant to be vacant) on the first deck was considered to be sufficiently aft to admit a standing gun, and a fresh chase-port was cut through further forward. This gave the ship 14 guns of a side on that deck. With respect to her second deck, the substitution of carronades for long guns caused the ports to be altered, and admitted them to be nearer together ; which at once gave the required number.

The second of the two ships in the " Built " column of this class was the Java, of 1458 tons, constructed from a draught prepared by the surveyors of the navy, and made a trifle shorter and narrower than the Leander and Newcastle, but established with precisely the same force in guns and men.

The principal dimensions of the Java were:

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