P. 60: “During my stay at New York, I went to
visit the dock-yard. It is situated at Brooklyn, a considerable suburb,
separated from the city by the East River. The
position of this dock-yard is admirably selected, as the water is so deep that
it is accessible to the largest vessels. I had letters to Commodore Chauncey,
the captain of the yard; but, as he was unfortunately absent, an officer kindly
undertook to be my guide. This yard is not much larger than that of Philadelphia, but in a
state of far greater activity. I was struck with the confusion and disorder
which prevailed in every direction, and was informed that it was in consequence
of the preparations for fitting out two ships, the Brandywine sixty-gun
frigate, and the Boston
twenty-gun sloop of war, (both roundsterned,) which were ordered for service. I
could not help reflecting that, in Portsmouth
p. 61: dock-yard, twenty such ships might be fitted for sea without occasioning the smallest appearance of extraordinary exertion. Only one vessel, a sixty-gun frigate, was building. I went on board the Boston, which was alongside the yard ; her upper deck had the appearance of a frigate, and she had a poop. In the construction of the lower deck, I observed a very ingenious improvement: to avoid the weakness resulting from the break, which is always made in the after-part of the lower decks of vessels of this description, in order to give greater accommodation to the officers, it was laid so as to form a plane inclining towards the stern, and by this method, strength was united with convenience. She was stowed with casks, but so roomy was her hold, that there was sufficient space to pass between them and the lower deck. By this means, she was enabled to dispense with hatches, which rendered the deck additionally solid and compact. She had six months' stores embarked, and riggers were employed in fitting
p. 62: her out; but she had no officers nor men on board, as, according to the American regulations, neither are appointed until vessels are hauled off to their moorings, and ready for sea. I next went on board the Ohio, a twodecker, carrying 102 guns, which was lying in ordinary, alongside the yard, but not housed over. A more splendid ship I never beheld; she had a poop and guns along her gangways ; the guns of her lower deck were mounted, and all her standing rigging was on board; she was wall-sided, and, like all the American ships, her bows projected aloft: this practice, however, it is intended to discontinue in future, as it is found to render their ships extremely uneasy when at anchor. I was filled with astonishment at the negligence which permitted so fine a ship to remain exposed to the ruinous assaults of so deleterious a climate. She has only been built seven years, and, from want of common attention and care, is already
p. 63: falling rapidly into decay. I afterwards learned that this vessel was an instance of the cunning, I will not call it wisdom, which frequently actuates the policy of the Americans. They fit out one of the finest specimens of their shipbuilding in a most complete and expensive style, commanded by their best officers, and manned with a war-complement of their choicest seamen. She proceeds to cruize in the Mediterranean, where she falls in with the fleets of European powers, exhibits before them her magnificent equipment, displays her various perfections, and leaves them impressed with exaggerated notions of the maritime power of the country which sent her forth. She returns to port, having effected her object; and such is the parsimony of the marine department, that she is denied the common expenses of repair. I must, however, observe that these expenses are very considerable from the total want of docks; in consequence of which they are obliged to be repaired when
p. 64: hove down; an operation of immense difficulty. Another peculiarity in American vessels is the flatness of their decks, the object of which is to prevent the ship's sides from being forced out by the necessary flattening of an arched deck, in consequence of the weight to which it is frequently subjected. The lee-guns are also by this means more easily worked. I next went on board the Franklin, of eighty six guns, the deck of which they were employed in tarring; and, although an immense ship, she looked quite small after seeing the Ohio. There was another line-of-battle ship laid up in ordinary, without a poop (the Washington). Neither of these ships was housed over. There were no small vessels building. Here I saw the Fulton steam-frigate. She was rigged, and her sails bent for the exercise of raw recruits for the navy. She is constructed on the plan of a ship cut in halves longitudinally. The two sections are united
p. 65: by the beams of the decks, and the engine which propels her, is placed in the centre. Her bow is planked round, and has a cutwater affixed –to it. She is fitted to go either forwards or backwards, and for this purpose has four rudders, two at each extremity. Her sides are five feet thick, and built of live oak. She is considered as a complete failure; the projector, Fulton, having died before the engine was completed. She is not painted, and has altogether a most awkward and unnatural appearance. The machinery was not on board when I saw her. I am authorized by general opinion in thinking that, even had the builder lived to terminate his work, she would never have succeeded. Here I had an opportunity of observing the extreme difficulty which the Americans experience in manning their navy. A large bounty is offered by the government to seamen, but it is found inadequate to induce them to enter the service in sufficient numbers.
p. 66: In England, no bounty is given, and sailors are at liberty to select the ship in which they choose to serve. This was found to be impracticable in the United States, in consequence of the excessive desertion ; and it became necessary to fit up the Fulton as a general receiving ship, where men are entered for the service of the navy, and kept under strict surveillance. This vessel is commanded by a captain; and to such straits are they reduced for seamen, that she is completely fitted out for sea, with masts, yards, and sails for the purpose of drilling raw recruits from the inland states and converting them into sailors. It happened, that while I was in the yard, the officer of the rendezvous brought up his report. In the course of that day, he had procured only two men, one of whom was a landsman. I was assured that he was well satisfied with this wretched acquisition, which surprised me the more as I was aware that the Brandywine and Boston were fitting out, and
p. 67
that they were greatly in want of hands. This scarcity of men is by no means confined to their ships of war; American merchantmen are well known to be principally manned by foreign seamen.
Source
Fred. Fitzgerald de Roos. Personal narrative of travels in the United States and Canada in 1826. London, 1827.
p. 61: dock-yard, twenty such ships might be fitted for sea without occasioning the smallest appearance of extraordinary exertion. Only one vessel, a sixty-gun frigate, was building. I went on board the Boston, which was alongside the yard ; her upper deck had the appearance of a frigate, and she had a poop. In the construction of the lower deck, I observed a very ingenious improvement: to avoid the weakness resulting from the break, which is always made in the after-part of the lower decks of vessels of this description, in order to give greater accommodation to the officers, it was laid so as to form a plane inclining towards the stern, and by this method, strength was united with convenience. She was stowed with casks, but so roomy was her hold, that there was sufficient space to pass between them and the lower deck. By this means, she was enabled to dispense with hatches, which rendered the deck additionally solid and compact. She had six months' stores embarked, and riggers were employed in fitting
p. 62: her out; but she had no officers nor men on board, as, according to the American regulations, neither are appointed until vessels are hauled off to their moorings, and ready for sea. I next went on board the Ohio, a twodecker, carrying 102 guns, which was lying in ordinary, alongside the yard, but not housed over. A more splendid ship I never beheld; she had a poop and guns along her gangways ; the guns of her lower deck were mounted, and all her standing rigging was on board; she was wall-sided, and, like all the American ships, her bows projected aloft: this practice, however, it is intended to discontinue in future, as it is found to render their ships extremely uneasy when at anchor. I was filled with astonishment at the negligence which permitted so fine a ship to remain exposed to the ruinous assaults of so deleterious a climate. She has only been built seven years, and, from want of common attention and care, is already
p. 63: falling rapidly into decay. I afterwards learned that this vessel was an instance of the cunning, I will not call it wisdom, which frequently actuates the policy of the Americans. They fit out one of the finest specimens of their shipbuilding in a most complete and expensive style, commanded by their best officers, and manned with a war-complement of their choicest seamen. She proceeds to cruize in the Mediterranean, where she falls in with the fleets of European powers, exhibits before them her magnificent equipment, displays her various perfections, and leaves them impressed with exaggerated notions of the maritime power of the country which sent her forth. She returns to port, having effected her object; and such is the parsimony of the marine department, that she is denied the common expenses of repair. I must, however, observe that these expenses are very considerable from the total want of docks; in consequence of which they are obliged to be repaired when
p. 64: hove down; an operation of immense difficulty. Another peculiarity in American vessels is the flatness of their decks, the object of which is to prevent the ship's sides from being forced out by the necessary flattening of an arched deck, in consequence of the weight to which it is frequently subjected. The lee-guns are also by this means more easily worked. I next went on board the Franklin, of eighty six guns, the deck of which they were employed in tarring; and, although an immense ship, she looked quite small after seeing the Ohio. There was another line-of-battle ship laid up in ordinary, without a poop (the Washington). Neither of these ships was housed over. There were no small vessels building. Here I saw the Fulton steam-frigate. She was rigged, and her sails bent for the exercise of raw recruits for the navy. She is constructed on the plan of a ship cut in halves longitudinally. The two sections are united
p. 65: by the beams of the decks, and the engine which propels her, is placed in the centre. Her bow is planked round, and has a cutwater affixed –to it. She is fitted to go either forwards or backwards, and for this purpose has four rudders, two at each extremity. Her sides are five feet thick, and built of live oak. She is considered as a complete failure; the projector, Fulton, having died before the engine was completed. She is not painted, and has altogether a most awkward and unnatural appearance. The machinery was not on board when I saw her. I am authorized by general opinion in thinking that, even had the builder lived to terminate his work, she would never have succeeded. Here I had an opportunity of observing the extreme difficulty which the Americans experience in manning their navy. A large bounty is offered by the government to seamen, but it is found inadequate to induce them to enter the service in sufficient numbers.
p. 66: In England, no bounty is given, and sailors are at liberty to select the ship in which they choose to serve. This was found to be impracticable in the United States, in consequence of the excessive desertion ; and it became necessary to fit up the Fulton as a general receiving ship, where men are entered for the service of the navy, and kept under strict surveillance. This vessel is commanded by a captain; and to such straits are they reduced for seamen, that she is completely fitted out for sea, with masts, yards, and sails for the purpose of drilling raw recruits from the inland states and converting them into sailors. It happened, that while I was in the yard, the officer of the rendezvous brought up his report. In the course of that day, he had procured only two men, one of whom was a landsman. I was assured that he was well satisfied with this wretched acquisition, which surprised me the more as I was aware that the Brandywine and Boston were fitting out, and
p. 67
that they were greatly in want of hands. This scarcity of men is by no means confined to their ships of war; American merchantmen are well known to be principally manned by foreign seamen.
Source
Fred. Fitzgerald de Roos. Personal narrative of travels in the United States and Canada in 1826. London, 1827.
