[Encl: in Pickering-Talbot, March 3, 1795] Hon^ble Col^t Pickering Secretary of War. Philadelphia 25 March 1795 Sir. I have received the books, intitled the Element and practice of Rigging, and Seamanship &c which you did me the honor to send me, a few days ago. I have only had time to run over them in a cursory way but if you will be kind enough to leave them with me, for the present, I will take them to Baltimore and at my leisure there, examine them with attention, and if I find any thing new or worth communicating, will commit the same to paper and make the most early report to you. From what I have seen however in these books, there appears nothing more than a collection from different Authors on various subjects relating to Marine affairs, but on a more particular examination of them, it is possible, many matters may be found well worth our investigating with attention; as I conceive nothing to be of more consequence in the equipment of a Ship of War, than her being well masted and spar'd. I have examined what M^r Steel, the author of the Collection in question, says on that subject, and have made out two setts of the principal Spars, agreeable to the principles he has laid down. the one for our forty four Gun Frigates and the other for three of thirty six Guns— They are here enclosed and marked A. I am of opinion, that candid, and competent Judges, when they compare compare it, Steel's dimensions, with those laid down by me, in the book I have lately published, will consider mine better adopted for our Ships of War, than his, and I think the Author of this Collection also produces arguments to prove it in his second Vol. Chap. VII, page 273. — "The correct height for the Masts of Ships, is still a problem which remains to be solved by the Builders; The most skillful of them, have not paid attention enough, to the solutions, and determinations, which are contained in the works of the late M^r Bouguer on that subject; it seems on the contrary, as if they had endeavoured to deviate as much as possible from the true principles, in that respect, by raising the Masts a great deal more than they were formerly, although they were already much too high, as the learned Author I have just mentioned, has asserted, and experience confirmed by repeated observations has convinced me of this truth. Viz^t that as soon as a Ship inclines her velocity diminishes in proportion as her inclination increases; this principle has been verified on different vessels, and at different times, by several Officers and in various oblique courses." I do myself the pleasure to send you four of my books— one for the War Office and one for each of the Ships to be built at New-York, Boston, and Portsmouth, Newhampshire— The Ship here and there to the Southward, I shall furnish each with one. I thinks Sir, it would be well to take the opinions of Cap^ts Nicholson, Talbot, in in writing, and require their observations on Steel, and my dimensions, as also the opinion of their respective Builders, Cap^t Barry and M^r Humphreys being on the spot, can be consulted at any time. As I have quoted a part of M^r Steel's remarks on masting, which is against his own System, I submit to you, whether a copy of the same or this letter, had not better be sent to the above Gentlemen. I purpose calling on you, in a day or two, respecting some alterations, necessary to be made, for the better regulating of the Navy Yards. I have the honor to be Y^r [signed] Thomas Truxtun. A. The whole length of the Masts and Spars, of our 44 Gun Frigates, according to M^r Steel's method. Main Mast . . 109⅔ feet . . . . . Bowsprit . . . . 65⅔ feet Fore do . . . 97 " . . . . . . . Jib boom . . . 46⅔ " Mizzen do . . . 93½ " . . . . . . . Spanker boom . . . 69⅔ " Main top Mast . 65½ " . . . . . . . Gaff . . . . . [undecipherable: probable reading 11¾] " Fore do . . . 58½ " . . . . . . . Main Yard . . . 97 " Mizzen do . . . 49 " . . . . . . . Fore do . . . [undecipherable: probable reading 84½] " Main Top G^t Mast . 32¾ " . . . . Cross Jack Yard . 68⅔ " Fore . . do . . . 29 " . . . . . . Main Topsail do . 69⅔ " Mizzen . do . 26½ " . . . . . . . Fore do do . 60½ " Mizzen — Mizzen topsail Yard . 46⅔ feet . . Fore top G^t Yard . 36½ feet Main top G^t Yard . . 41¾ " . . . Mizzen do . . . 27¾ " The whole length of ditto for our 36 Gun Frigates by the same. Main Mast . . . 101⅔ feet . . . Spanker boom . . 61⅔ feet Fore . do . . . [undecipherable: probable reading 91]¼ " . . . Gaff . . . . . 46⅔ " Mizzen do . . . 87¾ " . . . . Main yard . . . 90½ " Main Top Mast . . 61 " . . . . . Fore do . . . 79 " Fore do . . . 54¾ " . . . . . Cross Jack Yard . [undecipherable: probable reading 56½] " Mizzen do . . . 45¾ " . . . . . Main Topsail do . [undecipherable: probable reading 64½] " Main top G^t Mast . 36½ " . . . Fore do . . . 56½ " Fore . do . . . 27⅞ " . . . . . Mizzen do . . . 43 " Mizzen do . . . 22¾ " . . . . . Main top y^d yard . 38½ " Bowsprit . . . . 61 " . . . . . Fore do . . . 34 " Jib Boom . . . 43¼ " . . . . . Mizzen do . . . 25¾ " NB. The Mizzen Top Mast and the Top Gallant Masts are here calculated, with common heads only, and not for poles. [Copy] [signed] [undecipherable] Stagg Ass^t