. Annual report of the American Institute, of the City of New York. Science. 468 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. points with the steamboat and six launches, and an assault by boarding from the crews of six launches, each with a rifled twelve-pounder gun, and with small arms, including pikes, could scarcely be resisted by any ship, if it was conducted in the night and with proper vigor. These boats would not alone be useful for the purposes above described; they are powerful tugs and good transports for men and stores, shipping and transhipping; where there are no wharves or docks runni
. Annual report of the American Institute, of the City of New York. Science. 468 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. points with the steamboat and six launches, and an assault by boarding from the crews of six launches, each with a rifled twelve-pounder gun, and with small arms, including pikes, could scarcely be resisted by any ship, if it was conducted in the night and with proper vigor. These boats would not alone be useful for the purposes above described; they are powerful tugs and good transports for men and stores, shipping and transhipping; where there are no wharves or docks running up to the beach or river bank to take on or put off their load, whether of stores, men, horses or cattle, and could not be excelled, under many circumstances that could be described, for use as lighters for transhipping from heavier transports; and I have offered them, completely equipped. LAUNCHES. The launches are eight feet wide, thirty feet long, and three feet deep; have three pivot sockets at bow and stern, at the points of a triangle, that the sliding carriage may be fixed in any two of the points with the pivot. bolts; two tracks placed fore and aft, the proper width apart, for the wheels of the field carriage; two skids, with hooks at the ends to fix in eyes at bow and stern, continue the track to the beach, for the support of the field carriage on landing. Sixteen oars are becketed to thole pins for use. The pins have a piece of India rubber tube slipped over them, and the oar rests on a piece of rubber let into the gunwale to muffle their sound. Each launch has four water-beakers, and a band is placed near the ends with an eye, by which the beaker with water can be suspended under the limber when the gun's crew make a raid into the country, away from the boats. Each launch has twelve passing boxes, in which each of the gun's crew can carry one round of ammunition on landing; and two copper maga- zine tanks are furnished, made water tight, to which a line can be at
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