CHAPTER V.

On the use of Mahogany for Shipbuilding, Church and House Building, Machinery, Railway, &c., Carriages, Dock Gates, Carving, and other purposes.

Until the discovery of Mahogany, the Oak was considered to be the "Monarch of the Forest Trees ;" and although, from old associations, it is still regarded with veneration, and justly prized as constituting the chief ornament of the landscape scenery of this country, yet, in point of usefulness, size and grandeur of appearance, it is far inferior to Mahogany, the beauty and many excellencies of which, combined with its cheapness and wonderful durability, render it the best material which can be employed for numerous important purposes, which will be referred to in the following observations: first, as regards it use for

SHIPBUILDING.

Honduras Mahogany is that which is generally imported for Shipbuilding, on account of the Logs being of sufficient lengths, and pieces of every curve required being readily procured on the Mainland; but that from the Islands is peculiarly fit for this purpose also, when obtainable of similar dimensions.

Great care should be taken to fell the trees at the proper time-which the wood cutters assert ought to be during the wane of the moon; for otherwise, they are of opinion that the durablity, and colour of the wood, are prejudicially affected if this be not practised. The longer the logs can be obtained, the more valuable they will be for planking, &c. If attention be paid to adapting the trees in the forest for Shipbuilding dimensions, this wood can be had of finer sizes, cheaper, and freighted home for less money than any other kind of high class timber. It is not advisable to cut up Mahogany for planks before ship

F

ment; but if it be a matter of economy not altogether to lose the available part of a tree, then the planks ought not to be less than 8 to 10 inches in thickness, and as long as possible, say not under 27 feet.

As it is difficult for the Shipbuilder to distinguish in young Timber between the sap and the wood, it is possible that if the logs were sent in an octagular form, thus

there would be little risk of their being shipped with the sap on, as is sometimes the case, and which having been used in ship building through inexperience, has been the means of affording the pretext that Mahogany is liable to the dry rot, but which is not true, as respects properly selected wood; ample proof of which was produced before the Lloyd's Committee of classification in the year 1846, as is fully set out in the documents given at length in the Appendix No. 4, and to which the reader is especially referred. A very undue advantage has now been taken by the same Committee on the 14th March of this present year, to further exclude from a ship of the 12 years' grade, all Mahogany without distinction for the timbering of 3rd futtocks and top-timbers, the main keelson, and in the table of planking, from the light watermark and wales; and also from the top sides, in consequence of a few instances of sappy and improperly selected Mahogany having been found decayed. But it must be obvious that a similar objection would equally apply against East India Teak, British or African Oak, or any other Timber, if young and sappy wood were to be put into a ship, as may be seen every now and then in the Graving Docks; the objec

tion in reality being, not against the wood, but the judgment of the persons who ought not to have permitted its introduction in its immature state.

Since Mahogany has become one of the chief Shipbuilding Timbers, and as the advantageous position of Liverpool has rendered it so large a depot for that Wood, it is necessary here to offer some remarks illustrative of its advantages for Shipbuilding purposes.

Mahogany possesses the important and invaluable properties of great buoyancy and durability, slowness of ignition, and non-shrinkage, as well as being almost totally free from dry rot, and pernicious acids; it is consequently peculiarly adapted for the frames and planking of Steam Vessels, as it resists every change of temperature, and does not warp or shrink from excessive heat, or expand from saturation

When it is considered that the British flag is borne on every sea, and that our trade is principally carried on in hot climates, the advantage of ships being built of a material which combines within itself the best properties of other Woods is surely obvious, and needs no comment: more especially since the Shipping Interests of Great Britain have not increased in regard of British-built Ships, in the same ratio with many of the Mercantile Navies of other Countries, and but for the Colonial built tonnage, would have been superseded in some important branches of the Carrying Trade. But where Shipbuilders can still hold their ground in competition with all Foreigners, is in the construction of first-class ships for long voyages to and from India, for all heavy trades, and for the conveyance of Mails, Passengers, and Emigrants, to distant Colonies. This more particularly applies to the increased use and demand for Steamers, of the largest and firstclass; and, as the engines of this country are superior

to those of Foreign Nations, the British Shipowners and Builders, possessing in these respects so many advantages, they surely have a right to demand from Lloyd's Committee that the same rules should be applied to Mahogany as to other high-class Woods, as the refusal of its admission for all parts of a first-class ship operates to restrict employment in Shipbuilding at home, and tends to sustain at an exorbitant price other high-class woods intrinsically not superior to Mahogany; thus, instead of transferring the Shipbuilding Trade to the Colonies or to Foreign Powers, there would be, with wise legislation, and judicious rules, nothing to apprehend from the rivalry of other countries.

Honduras Mahogany is found to work as freely and bend as readily as English Oak, as may be ascertained by inspecting some of the fine ships now being built, practically demonstrating, that it can be turned round the most difficult curves, without any symptoms of "spalling," or splitting. It has been shewn by a series of experiments, made by Messrs. Thos. and John White, Shipbuilders, of Cowes that Honduras Mahogany is stiffer than either East India Teak, English Oak, Quebec Oak, American Elm, Dantzic Fir, or American Yellow Pine, and that "it is the best Wood for Shipbuilding purposes." See Appendix, No. 4. The non-corrosion of metals is likewise a highly favourable property in this Wood, and this has been ascertained by the celebrated chemist, Dr. Ure, who, having tested samples of Honduras Mahogany which had been submitted for analysis, reported that "A decoction of the chips or shavings had hardly any chemical reaction, and scarcely affected iron and copper;" and, as a case in point, it is known that when the old Spanish Frigate, Princesa, built of Mahogany, was taken to pieces, so sound and tenacious were her iron fastenings, that the men were paid double wages for extracting the bolts.

The Mahogany, which is the best adapted for Shipbuilding, is that which is firm, tough and roey, by which latter term is meant the irregular direction, or over. lapping of the grain of the Wood: the soft or cedar-like kinds being useful for the Inside Planking, whilst the hard and wavy are suited for the Outside Planking and Timbering. These different properties were well understood by the Spanish Shipbuilders, who, by judiciously selecting such Logs as were of suitable texture, succeeded in building Ships, some of which, even at the present day, are in commission in our Navy, or when broken up from age, have had their Mahogany Timbers used in new Ships.

Nor let it be supposed that the Spaniards cut Mahogany in their Islands alone; their archives attest that very much Wood, cut on the Continent of America, was sent for the use of the Spanish Navy to the arsenal in Cuba. See Moro, Survey of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

Indeed the botanical character of Mahogany is essentially the same, whether grown on the Continent or on the Islands of Cuba or St. Domingo. A superficial observer may not have skill in discriminating beyond the formation and soundness of Wood, (which are the chief essentials in English Oak, it being of nearly uniform texture,) but if the judgment of the Surveyor be not matured so as to appreciate the useful and varied texture of Mahogany, in order to apply it practically to the purposes for which it is best suited, injustice is done to the Wood and injury to the trade and best interest of the country. The opinions of eminent Shipbuilders are, that sound, hard and well selected Honduras Mahogany is suited for all parts of new "twelve years' Merchant Ships," and if long and well squared