THIS Ship was Sheath'd with Mill'd Lead in March , 1694/5 ; the first Summer she was employ'd in the King's Service , and then upon her return sent by her Owners a Voyage to the East Indies , from whence also being return'd , and put into Mr. Snelgrove's Dock , in March 1697/8 , where she was view'd by the Navy-Board , 9th of April , and has been seen by many others before and since , and still remaining there , and likely so to continue for some time yet , any body else that pleases may view the Success of her Lead-sheathing , which they will find ( tho' she had dangerously strook on ground ) to lye on all about her Bildge and Keel , and quite throughout , for any defect in the Sheathing it self , as firm and well as at first doing , and the Ruddar-Irons under it being parcell'd , preserv'd sound and not so much as touch'd with Rust , but altogether as good as at first putting on above three years ago ; as appear'd upon stripping the Lead off a Brace , and a Stirrup of the Sterne-post , by the Commissioners directions , which this innocent Sheathing has been so obstinately charg'd by its Enemies to eat and corrode in so extraordinary a manner , and such Conclusions drawn from thence , that it has suffer'd under the Tyranny of this false and groundless Suggestion ( and this alone ) to the great Loss of the Public , and Injury of the Inventor , almost these Twenty Years , all other Objections , as rubbing off by Cables , Hawsers , Boats and Lyters , lying on ground , Shortness and Smallness of the Nails , and whatever its Enemies could invent , being remov'd long ago by sufficient Proof and Five Years Experience upon Ten Ships sheath'd in that time , to the former Navy-board's full satisfaction ; as they declar'd in the Preamble of their Contract , tho the same Surmises have upon all occasions been renew'd again , which , it is to be hoped , this present Evidence will silence for the future . They stripp'd some Boltheads also that were not parcell'd under the Lead , which were very sound . As for the Pintels and Braces of the Ruddar that lay naked to the Water , they are , as usual , somewhat eaten with Rust , but nothing extraordinary , and with only new nailing the Braces all may be made good again for further Service : and had these Braces , as well as those on the Sterne-post , been parcell'd and cover'd with the Lead , doubtless they would have been preserv'd sound as those others were . They will find some small Cracks in the Sheathing , occasion'd by the Ship 's opening her Seams in working , which closing when she comes to rights again , are little damage , no Worm having enter'd there ; as appear'd upon the Commissioners searching and dubbing about several of them . There was one place off on her Larboard side ( by some unknown Accident ) about the bigness of a Crown-piece , where the Worm having eaten , the Commissioners caused the Plank to be dubbed , but it went so little a way in , and not further than the bare place , that the Worm-holes , which were but small , were quickly dubbed out : and 't is observable , whenever any Lead happens to be off , the Worm eats but little in , and never goes under the Sheathing beyond the naked place . There is also one place rubb'd off at the end of the Keel , where the Worm had eaten , which happen'd at her first going out of the Dock ; and another about a hands breadth , on the Larboard side , at her return in , no Worm having touched there ; and several small places torn by the Anchor ; all which ( if not by Care prevented , where such Accidents happen ) would damage a Wood-sheathing as bad , and probably much worse , by rending and shattering the Boards . They will find several places indeed off above , where the Wood-sheathing was nail'd over it , upon pretence to defend it from Boats and Lyters , which being much Worm-eaten , shatter'd , and torn off , some of the Lead-sheathing that lay under it came off with it . Moreover , they will find this Lead-sheathing fouls but very little ; and when foul , easily clean'd ; which with its smooth and thin lying on , must be an advantage to a Ship 's sailing .

As to the Cheapness ; Suppose such a Ship as the Antelope to measure 5400 foot , which at 14 d. a foot amounts to 315 l. of which , if a fourth part 78 l. 15 s. be allow'd for the Old Sheathing when stripp'd , the Charge of this Lead-sheathing would be but 236 l. 5 s. Suppose also that this 5400 foot , to be sheath'd with Wood , would cost but 7 d. a foot , which amounts to 157 l. 10 s. and that this Sheathing be allow'd to last Two Voyages to the Streights , or elsewhere , ( some last but One , and Two of those Sheathings being of equal price to a Lead-sheathing , certainly the Graving sav'd in two Voyages , and the Value of the Old Lead , when stripp'd , will abundantly pay the Interest of 157 l. 10 s. the Price of the second Sheathing , for a Year , or a little more , till it shall be call'd for ; ) and the Lead-sheathing should be also stripp'd at the same time , this would exceed the Wood-sheathing but 78 l. 15 s. which Summ doubled , perhaps , would not defray the Charge of Graving for these two Voyages ; so that the Lead-sheathing must be considerably cheaper , with sufficient allowance for the Interest of 78 l. 15 s. remainder of the excess of the first Charge , after the 78 l. 15 s. be deducted for the Old Sheathing ; and if Rebate be allow'd for that till stripping , it cannot come to so much as the Interest of the Mony disburs'd from time to time for the Graving till both shall be stripp'd . But this Nicety of Computation seems very impertinent , where so many and so great Advantages may be charg'd to the Accompt of Lead-sheathing , from its long duration , no Trouble nor Charge in graving , its little fouling , and very little trouble or charge in cleaning , no damage to the Plank , as by the great Iron Nails of the other ; but , in truth , preserving it better , more cool , smooth , and sound , and the Oakam longer in the Seams than a Wood-sheathing can , besides its certain Security against the Worm : All which , as well as the Particulars above-mention'd , is prov'd by full Certificates of the Commander and Officers of the Antelope , and such experienc'd Masters and Commanders of Ships as were present when the Commissioners view'd her Sheathing , and many others that have seen it since . This Nicety , I say , to prove its Cheapness , one would think , were needless ; but that it hath so long labour'd under Prejudice , by the false Suggestions of its Adversaries , against which it could be reliev'd only by Patience to wait for new Tryals , and visible Demonstrations of its Goodness , from new Experiments to be made , the former being long since put out of the reach of Evidence , and its Enemies thereby encourag'd to raise Stories to fortifie their Clamour against it , till this Tryal upon the Antelope , which proves to the World the Excellency of this Sheathing , and clearly answers all Objections against its Goodness ; its Dearness now , which was never thought of before , is started to hinder its progress ; tho' 't would be very ridiculous for any one to pretend by any Invention to introduce a New Thing into use , and not to make it considerably cheaper , in one respect or other , as well as better , than that instead of which he proposes it to be us'd , for dear and cheap are relative Words , there being nothing dear or cheap in it self ; and sure no-body expects a Plain to be cover'd with Lead as cheap as with Boards at the first penny : yet if he consults nothing of the Advantages above-mention'd , but its Duration only , he 'll quickly find this Sheathing is Cheap enough , if he can be contented to have it for Nothing ; for the Graving upon his Wood-sheathing being sav'd , in less than Seven Years time , will more than pay for the Lead-sheathing it self ; and he may use it Seven Years more for Nothing , as it may prove , ( this Lead preserving the Plank , Seams , and Iron-work better than the other , as above ) besides the total loss of his 157 l. 10 s. which the Wood-sheathing cost him out of his Pocket at first .

As the Shipwrights and their Friends , by their Artifice , Interest , and False Suggestions ( taking advantage of Differences that happen'd between the Mill'd-Lead-Partners themselves , neglecting due Care in their Common Concern ) have been able to procure the discontinuance of the Lead-sheathing with this Navy-board's Predecessors , no Ship remaining Sheath'd for themselves to view , that they might judge of the Truth and Validity of the Objections rais'd against it , so it is not to be doubted , now that they have seen this Evidence upon the Antelope's Sheathing , and consider'd the great Benefit that may accrew to the King's Service , as well as to the Publick in general , but they will in due time restore the use thereof to the Navy .