Level lines as shown at lạ, 14, l, etc., are now drawn from the point of intersection of frame with diagonals 1 and 2, and the half-breadths taken off at these levels and finally faired-up on half-breadth, when it will be found that the resulting horizontal ribband line, besides acting as a check on the fairness of the diagonals, will show the “wind” of the shell plating wrapping into oxter and body post and insuring a natural “snye without any

The oxter underneath the ship's counter may be faired in a similar manner.

CHAPTER III.

THE PREPARATION OF SPECIFICATIONS.

Too much care cannot be expended in the drafting of the bull specification. Clearness and conciseness should be aimed at consistent with an embodiment of all details of hull, fittings, and outfits supposed to be supplied, and all repetition or ambiguity of phraseology carefully avoided. Hampering restrictions should be left out. Know your requirements and state them distinctly. As in all other ship construction work, it will pay to have a definite routine or system in which to draft the specification. Of course, it is obviously impossible to have a standard specification which shall apply to all ships, as vessels are so diverse in their types, design, construction, and equipment as to make this an impossibility. But by keeping a routine list of headings of paragraphs before one, and taking these in rotation when drafting the clauses, the liability to omit important requirements is reduced to a minimum, besides the saving in time and distraction of thoughts through having to recollect what comes next. For this purpose the following headings have been selected which will apply to ordinary vessels. Of course, for special types these will require modifications and additions which will suggest themselves.