was a defect. But for this defect, they might have
been supposed to be prepared to receive the planking of a deck. To these
four beams were attached four sets of hoisting apparatus, each having
its pendent and its tackle-fall, with the bold peculiarity of having the
tackle-blocks with two sheaves at one extremity of the beam, and the
simple pulleys at the opposite end. This distance, which was too great
not to be perilous, was necessitated by the operations to be effected.
The blocks were firm, and the pulleys strong. To this tackle-gear cables
were attached, which from a distance looked like threads; while beneath
this apparatus of tackle and carpentry, in the air, the massive hull of
the Durande seemed suspended by threads.

She was not yet suspended, however. Under the cross beams, eight
perpendicular holes had been made in the deck, four on the port, and
four on the starboard side of the engine; eight other holes had been
made beneath them through the keel. The cables, descending vertically
from the four tackle-blocks, through the deck, passed out at the keel,
and under the machinery, re-entered the ship by the holes on the other
side, and passing again upward through the deck, returned, and were
wound round the beams. Here a sort of jigger-tackle held them in a bunch
bound fast to a single cable, capable of being directed by one arm. The
single cable passed over a hook, and through a dead-eye, which completed
the apparatus, and kept it in check. This combination compelled the four
tacklings to work together, and acting as a complete restraint upon the
suspending powers, became a sort of dynamical rudder in the hand of the
pilot of the operation, maintaining the movements in equilibrium. The
ingenious adjustment of this system of tackling had some of the
simplifying qualities of the Weston pulley of these times, with a
mixture of the antique polyspaston of Vitruvius. Gilliatt had discovered
this, although he knew nothing of the dead Vitruvius or of the still
unborn Weston. The length of the cables varied, according to the unequal
declivity of the cross-beams. The ropes were dangerous, for the untarred
hemp was liable to give way. Chains would have been better in this
respect, but chains would not have passed well through the
tackle-blocks.

The apparatus was full of defects; but as the work of one man, it was
surprising. For the rest, it will be understood that many details are
omitted which would render the constr