Milled Led Sheathing FOR SHIPS against the WORM, Plainly Proved to be BETTER than the BEST, and above Cent. per Cent. CHEAPER than the Ordinariest WOOD-SHEATHING can be; besides divers other Advantages to the Public.  
The Particulars are more at large contained in the BOOK undermentioned, referred to in the Margin.  
IT lies upon the 
* Vide p. 38. 41.  Plank so thin and smooth, that it can be no hindrance to the Ships sailing, whereas the great thickness and roughness of a Wood sheathing must obstruct it.  
It stiffens a Ship so that she will carry more Sail, which will also accelerate her motion.  

† P. 78.  It preserves the Plank cool, smooth, and sound, and the Oakam longer in the Seams: Whereas it is well known that when one Plank is doubled or clapped upon another, the undermost, being kept close and hot, will become doted, which in a Wood-sheathing must also rot the Oakam in the Seams, the sooner.  
The great Nails in a Wood-sheathing must be very destructive to the Plank; for when they strip that Sheathing, they are fain to spyle up the Nail-holes with Pegs of Wood, whereas the small Nails of a Lead-sheathing does the Plank no harm.  

* P. 38. 41. 76. 80.  It is owned not to foul so much as a Wood-sheathing; and when foul, easier cleaned.  
Lastly, The Lead-sheathing being Metal, which the Worm cannot enter, it must be a certain security against it.  
That it is above Cent. per Cent. Cheaper, plainly appears as follows.  
SUppose that an ordinary Streights-sheathing will cost 10 d. a Foot square (a good East-India Sheathing near three times as much) and that such a Sheathing lasts not above a Voyage or two; but, for more abundant proof, let it be granted that one such Sheathing would last seven Years, and that the Charge of Graving upon that Sheathing (suppose for a Ship of 600 Tun, which would measure 5400 Foot square) would cost but 45 l. ayear, (which will probably be above 55 l.) this in seven Years, with the Sheathing at 10 d. afoot, would cost 540 l.  
Suppose also that a Milled Led Sheathing should be stripped at seven years' end, 
† P. 27.  which for any defect in the Sheathing itself (as Experience hath shown) may last twice as long, if the Ship's Caulking, driving of her Bolts, or other Repairs, don't require it: And that such a Sheathing for the same Ship would cost 15 d. a foot, let there be deducted but ¼ for the Old Sheathing when stripped; which, being Metal, must yield more than that to melt down again, this Lead-sheathing would stand the Owner but in 253 l. 2 s. 6 d. which is Cent. per Cent. saved, and 33 l. 15 s. to spare, probably more than it will require to repair accidental rubs all the time; and when any such thing happens, a small quantity of the Lead and Nails, being reserved on board, any one may mend as Opportunity offers.  
There is nothing more required, over or under this Sheathing, but to have the Plank well brimmed, 
P. 41. 76, 77.  and the Seams well caulked, at first bringing on, and some long handled Bristle-brushes provided on board to clean it once in two or three Months, as occasion offers. Tallowing, that has been sometimes used, was never proposed by the Inventors, they conceiving the Lead-sheathing would keep longer clean without it.  
If it be objected that this Sheathing costs ●/3 more than the other at first doing, 
Object. Answ.  tho' if it did, 'tis sufficiently repaid in the seven years' time; but deducting only 55 l. for the Old Sheathing, allowing seven Years rebate for its present value, and it will appear not 4 per Cent. more than that at first charge with once graving.  
A short Account of the Beginning and Progress of the Mill'd-Lead Sheathing.  
THis Invention was begun upon an Act of Parliament, by the countenance and encouragement of King Charles II. who very well understood Shipping, and 
* P. 22. Of the Letter.  promised himself great Matters from it, and had not been deceived if it had met with due encouragement for all the Services it was qualified; particularly for 
† Vide Pursers Certificates. P. 83.  lining of Bread-rooms, where, after it had been some time used (instead of Plates of Latin or Tin, which cost more, and, being made of Iron soon rusted and decayed) it was laid aside again, upon pretence that there was a dampness and moisture discovered in the Lead itself, which they found did corrupt and spoil the Biscuit; although 'tis well known, especially to Merchants, that nothing preserves any Provisions or Goods, they put therein for their long Voyages, sweeter and better than Led instead of. The Earl of Carlisle, when he went Governor of Jamaica, carried over with him several Deal-boxes lined with Mill'd-Lead, wherein he put Corn, Meal, Gunpowder, etc. intending them for Water-Cisterns afterwards, from whom and Sir Henry Morgan Letters came to Sir Philip Howard, that the Corn and Meal was preserved sweet in those Boxes, when the rest of the same sort that was in Cask was musty, and the Gunpowder dry, and a sixth part of more force upon Trial than the same sort in Barrels: And also for Scuppers, wherein notwithstanding the 
† P. 114.  Evidence upon the Trials made in 1678. by that Board's Order the same was discontinued till the present Navy board being satisfied upon 
* P, 116.  new Trials by them ordered in 1691. were pleased to restore it to use again, at Rates above 90 per Cent. less charge to the King, than the former Scuppers for the same Service had cost him, though they might reasonably have allowed the Proposer something more for his Encouragement, and saved the King enough by his Proposition.  
The first Ship was sheathed by his Majesty's Direction, March 10 1670. and soon after many more: But it quickly found great opposition, and continual Complaints and Objections, raised by the Artifice of Persons interested to oppose it; viz. that it would rub off by Cables, Hawsers, lying on ground, etc. so that the Navy-Board deferred entering into any formal Contract for it, till they had taken time enough to be fully satisfied therein; and after five Years Trial upon ten Ships, which had been sheathed within that time, they then (as in the Preamble of their Contract) upon 
† P. 8. 73, 74, 75, 76.  sufficient Proof and Experience, entered into a Contract with the Parties concerned for the whole time of their Act of Parliament.  
Afterwards about half a score Ships more were sheathed in two or three. Years time, when a new Complaint was raised from abroad by Letters from 
* P. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.  some Captains and Commanders of Lead-sheathed Ships, that there was some venomous Quality discovered in the Lead sheathing, that did in a very extraordinary manner eat and corrode the Bolts and Rudder-Irons, which took such impression in that Navy-Board, notwithstanding all Reasons offered to the contrary, that they (
† Octob. 28. 1682.  some time afterwards) reported the thing to the then Lords of the Admiralty, as true, and advised the stripping off the Lead-sheathing as soon as the Ships came home, to which Report the Mill'd-Lead Company (when they heard of it, having obtained a Copy) put in their Answer, both which were by my Lord Nottingham, one of those Commissioners, and also a Privy-Counsellor, laid before the King and Council, and by them upon Hearing (the Particulars being many) referred back again to the Lords of the Admiralty to examine and report their Opinions; but that Admiralty Commission being determined before any Report could be obtained, this Sheathing has been discontinued in the Navy ever since, 
† P. 40. 41.  upon no other ground but barely upon its supposed extraordinary eating and corroding the Rudder-Irons, all other Complaints being cleared as abovesaid, and nothing more now objected in their said Report, which showed their full satisfaction in all other Matters, but what related to the Bolts and Rudder-Irons only.  

Obs.  It may be observed upon this last Paragraph, without Reflection upon the Commanders, that the Shipwrights here having furnished their Brethren the Carpenters, on Board those Ships, with Instructions from the rusty discolouring of the Lead, mixing with the Filth about the Braces of the Rudder and Bolt-heads (by the Salt Waters gleeting from the Ironwork beneath 
* P. 25. 26.  being not parceled as it ought to have been) it may be thought no great difficulty (especially if the Rudder-Irons happened to be much eaten) for these Carpenters (whose proper Business this is) to impose upon the Captain by positive Assertions, that they never knew Rudder-Irons so much eaten in so short a time, and might name some upon other Ships that were much better; and persuade him (from this unusual Colour about the Iron work) that it must be some poisonous or corroding Quality in the Lead-sheathing that has thus extraordinarily eaten his Rudder-Irons; which seeming plausible to him, at length he believes, and writes so to the Navy-Board, and afterwards, perhaps, thinks himself bound in Honour to maintain it, what Reasons soever are offered to the contrary.  
The whole Proceedings about this Lead-sheathing having been sometime since printed, and the Books fold at certain Booksellers (viz. Mr. Hensman's in Westminster-Hall, the Crown and Harrow in Fleetstreet, the Harp in St. Paul's Churchyard, and at the Leg and Star in Cornhill) some eminent Merchants, Owners of Ships, have taken the same into their Consideration; and being well satisfied of the Excellency, and preference of this Lead-sheathing in respect of the other, and of the weak and groundless Suggestions of its corroding and eating the Rudder-Irons, both from Reason and Experience (it being evident that the duration of Rudder-Irons have always been very different and unconstant upon all Ships, whether sheathed with Lead, Wood, or not sheathed at all, according to the Smith's better or worse mixing, welding, and working of his Iron, 
* Vide the Account of Rudder-Irons from Deptford, and p. 12. 14, 15, 30, 32. of this Book.  some of those other having lasted as short a time as any upon the Lead-sheathed Ships, as well as some upon these, as long as any upon the other, as can be proved, if necessary; which Effects must have been as constant and uniform as their Causes, if the sheathing either way were any wise concerned therein) have applied this Lead-sheathing to four Ships within this twelve month; one of them a Ship of above 600 Tun, called the 
† Vide the single Sheet at the end of the Book.  Antel pe, employed the last Summer in his Majesty's Service, which being returned with her Sheathing much to the Owners satisfaction, they have since sent her a Voyage to the East-Indies.  
Notwithstanding all which, there are some Persons that are still prejudiced by the old Complaints, and others who deal in the Materials of the Wood-sheathing and Graving, especially the Shipwrights (whose Interest it is, and therefore the less to be blamed) that decry this Lead-sheathing; but it is to be hoped there are some Persons in Power (now that the Scene of the Royal Navy lies in the way of the Worm, and is likely longer so to do) may be found of that Public Spirit, that will give themselves the trouble to be duly informed in this Matter; and if they find it deserves it, to promote its Restauration to the Navy, that the Public may have the benefit thereof as well as private Persons, which may accrue to them in many other respects, besides the direct use it in sheathing Ships: For that the 
* P. 37.  most essential part of what's employed in the Wood-sheathing is of foreign growth, often in times of War (when most wanted) not to be had, or at very dear rates, whereas the Led being in our own Bowels can never be wanting: And also, for that this Lead-sheathing will more exhaust our Lead-Mines, and increase the Manufacture of Lead; upon which Considerations the Parliaments of England have ever laid great weight, in all their deliberations about Trade; and particularly in the Act relating to this very Invention.  
All such as have occasion for this Lead-sheathing, or for any other sort of Milled Lead, from one pound to the Foot-square to twenty or more of the usual breadth of three Foot and an half, and twice as long as any Plumber pretends to cast, if need requires, for Covering Houses, and all Works wherein Sheet-Lead is used, better, and above 20 per Cent. Cheaper than theirs, as is proved in the Book above mentioned, p. 114. and elsewhere, Mr. Hale who lives at the Mill'd-Lead Sign in Aurange-street by Red Lion Square, is ready to undertake the said Sheathing, or any other Work about Churches, Houses, etc. having able Plumbers and sufficient Workmen to perform the same; and sells his Solder for sixpence a-pound, which the Plumbers, by Combination, have hitherto kept up at 9 d.  
FINIS.   

LONDON, Printed February, 1695/6.