in ship carpentry, the operation of cutting a ship down across the middle, and adding a certain portion to her length. It is performed by sawing her planks asunder in different places of her length, on each side of the midship frame, to prevent her from being too much weakened in one place. The two ends are then drawn apart to a limited distance, which must be equal to the proposed addition of length. An intermediate piece of timber is next added to the keel, upon which a sufficient number of timbers are erected, to fill up the vacancy produced by the separation. The two parts of the kelson are afterwards united by an additional piece which is scored down upon the floor timbers, and as many beams as may be necessary are fixed across the ship in the new interval. Finally, the planks of the side are prolonged so as to unite with each other; and those of the ceiling refitted in the same manner; by which the whole process is completed.

LENOX or DUNBARTONSHIRE, a county of Scotland. See DUNBARTONSHIRE. Among the rivers of this county is the Blane, which, though itself an inconsiderable stream, has been rendered famous by the birth of George Buchanan, the celebrated Latin poet and historian. The same part of the country gave birth to the great mathematician and naturalist, Baron Napier of Merchiston, inventor of the logarithms. The title of Lenox, with the property of great part of the shire, was heretofore vested in a branch of the royal family of Stuart, with which it was reunited in the person of King James VI. whose father, Henry Lord Darnley, was son of the duke of Lennox. This prince conferred the title upon his kinsman Esme Stuart, son of John Lord d'Aubigny in France; but his race failing at the death of Charles duke of Lennox and Richmond, and the estate devolving to the crown, King Charles II. conferred both titles on his own natural son by the duchess of Portsmouth; and they are still enjoyed by his posterity. The people of Lenoxshire are chiefly Lowlanders, though in some parts of it divine service is performed in the Erse language.—The most numerous clans in this district are the Macfarlanes, the Colquhouns, and the Buchanans.