a name given to that timber, or combination of pieces formed into one timber, which determines the extreme breadth of the ship, as well as the figure and dimension of all the inferior timbers.

In the article Ship-Building, the reader will find a full explanation of what is meant by a frame of timbers. He will also perceive the outlines of all the principal frames, with their gradual dimensions, from the midship-frame delineated in the plane of projection annexed to that article. As the parts of which the several frames are composed have the same relation to each other throughout the vessel; and as all the corresponding pieces, without and within those frames, are also nearly alike, and fixed in the same manner; it will be here sufficient for our purpose to represent the principal, or midship-frame, together with its corresponding parts, which are as follow:

A, the keel, with a false keel beneath it. B, the chocks fixed upon the kelson, to retain the opposite pieces of the riders firmly together. C, one of the beams of the orlop. D, one of the lower-deck beams; with d the beams of the upper deck. E, the hanging-knees, by which the beams are attached to the timbers. F, the standards, which are fixed above the decks to which they belong. G, the clamps, which sustain the extremities of the beams. H, the gun-ports of the lower-deck; with b the ports of the upper-deck. I, K, L, different pieces of thick-stuff, placed opposite to the several scarfs, or joinings, in the frame of timbers. M, the planks of the deck. N, the water-ways. O, the planks of the ceiling, between the several ranges of thick-stuff. P, the spirketing. Q, the main-wale, to fortify the ship's side opposite to the lower deck. R, the channel-wale, opposite to the upper-deck. S, the waist-rail. T, the string, with the moulding under the gunwale. U, the floor-timbers, which are laid across the keel, and bolted to it. V, the several futtocks; and W the top-timbers, which are all united into one frame. X, the kelson.