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“Admiralty, 10th July, 1812.

“Sir,– – I have received your letter of yesterday’s date, and I have transmitted it to the Board for consideration.

(Signed)“Melville.”

“Captain Layman.”

On the 11th of the same month, the Secretary of the Admiralty wrote to Commander Layman as follows:–

“Sir.– The Viscount Melville having laid before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, your letter to his lordship of the 9th instant, detailing the result of certain experiments which had been made with the preparation invented by yourself tor increasing the strength of timber, and preventing the appearance or progress of the dry rot therein; I am commanded by their lordships to acquaint you, that they have given directions to the Navy Board, for two pieces of the wood of his Majesty’s ship the Qneen Charlotte, the one in the soundest, and the other in the most decayed state, to be furnished to you, as you have desired, in order to its being subjected to the trial that you propose to make.

“My lords have, however, directed me to add, that having given directions for making experiments with regard to this matter upon certain plans that have been offered to them, with a reasonable prospect of success, their lordships see no reason to give you any trouble upon the subject in question; especially as your statements do not materially differ from those which they have already received, and upon which the experiments are founded; but, with reference to the last paragraph of your letter, my lords have directed me to Inform you, that they have not any objection to your laying your plan before Parliament.

(Signed)“J. W. Croker.”

“To Captain Layman, R.N.”

In August 1812, Commander Layman again entered into a correspondence with the Admiralty: –

“Sir,– Having demonstrated before the Navy Board the facts annexed, as proofs of preserving timber from decay, increasing its strength, and also submitted specimens to shew the practicability of preparing forest trees, so as to remove the cause of premature decay, and thereby render them fit for immediate conversion on being felled; as well as a mode of giving to wood the pliability required in naval architecture for thick stuff and plank, without the evil consequences which accelerate decomposition when the timbers are covered in with boiled plank, or the injury received by burning; I was desirous to establish the fact upon a more enlarged scale, by the building of a frigate or any other ship, as a test of increased strength and duration; but as the Navy Board informed me, ‘that if they find the inclination they had not the power,’ I am induced to request you