[Copy of Joshua Humphrys letter to Sec'y of War on the Bea[ms] and Frigates Keel at Gosport Feb'y 7 1795] Sir Feb'y 7^th 1795 I have taken the liberty of recommending the labour on [undecipherable] fullock heels to run on the Deadwood this will give great [undecipherable] to the Fullock heels [undecipherable] very much — The frames are directed to be bolted with Iron, but on considering the Water that will generally remain in the Ships, will be highly impregnated with corrosive qualities from [undecipherable] the Copper Sheathing, which will destroy the lower botts of the frames, in order to remedy that evil, I want to submit the necessity of having the lower botts through the heel of the [undecipherable] Fullock & floor Timber to the Copper — from Timber T in the fore body to Timber [undecipherable] from the after [undecipherable] 36 Gun frigates, [undecipherable] from Timber X in the fore body to [undecipherable] 37 in the [undecipherable] body for the 44 Gun Ships — In order to give durability to the White Oak beams, I would propose they should be bored in each end with a two half Inch [undecipherable] auger, within one [undecipherable] Inch of the upper side [undecipherable] as deep as the arms of the Knees are long; then mortice a small [undecipherable] in a vertical direction at the end of the hole, large enough to take a small [undecipherable] saw [undecipherable] through the middle untill you meet the hole at the other end. the holes in the ends should then be filled with Salt & [undecipherable] & when the beams are in their places, a wedge should be drove in the middle of the beam to open the cut one half Inch, then nail a board under the [undecipherable] & with Salt before the decks is laid; this I conceive is the best possible means of preserving them — In Norfolk I am informed the Keel of the frigate is laid with very little descent, this I Concieve to be inproper, because it ought to be held an Idea the best position with regard to descent the Ships ought to lay with for Launching; if the Ships Keel should be laid without any or a very small descent, it will make it much more [undecipherable] dangerous in Launching which ought to be guarded against in the most particular manner, for when the Launching ways are laid with a sufficient descent & the Keel [undecipherable] or nearly so, the blocking abaft must be very high; This every person acquainted with Launching must acknowledge is very dangerous, In order to prevent any thing of the kind, I would with [undecipherable] suggest the Idea of requiring from different builders, the descent they mean to lay their Keel with, or, direct that none should be laid with less descent than 3/4 of an Inch to a foot nor more than one Inch — I am Respectfully — Sir Jos. Humphreys [The Sec'y of War]