a peculiar sort of long boat, employed by the French, Spanish, and Italian shipping, and in general by those of other European nations, when voyaging in the Mediterranean Sea. A lanch is proportionally longer, lower, and more flat bottomed, than the long boat; it is consequently less fit for sailing, but better calculated for rowing, and approaching a flat shore. But its principal superiority over the long boat consists in being by its construction much fitter to under-run the cable; which is a very necessary employment in the harbours of the Levant, where the cables of different ships are fastened across each other, and frequently render this exercise extremely necessary.

Launch, or Launch, is also the movement by which a ship or boat descends from the shore, either when she is at first built, or at any time afterwards. To facilitate the operation of launching, and prevent any interruption, the ship is supported by two strong platforms, laid with a gradual inclination to the water, on the opposite side of her keel, to which they are parallel. Upon the surface of this declivity are placed two corresponding ranks of planks, which compose the base of a frame called the cradle, the upper part of which envelopes the ship's bottom, to which it is securely attached. Thus the lower surface of the cradle, conforming exactly to that of the frame below, lies flat upon it lengthwise, under the opposite sides of the ship's bottom; and as the former is intended to slide downwards upon the latter, carrying the ship along with it, the planes or faces of both are well daubed over with soap and tallow. The necessary preparations for the launch being made, all the blocks and wedges by which the ship was formerly supported are driven out from under her keel, till her whole weight gradually subsides upon the platforms above described, which are accordingly called the ways. The shores and stanchions, by which she is retained upon the stocks LANCEROTA till the period approaches for launching, are at length cut away, and the screws applied to move her if necessary. The motion usually begins on the instant when the shores are cut, and the ship slides downward along the ways, which are generally prolonged under the surface of the water, to a sufficient depth to float her as soon as she arrives at the farther extremity. When a ship is to be launched, the ensign, jack, and pendant are always hoisted, the last being displayed from a staff erected in the middle of the ship. Ships of the first rate are commonly constructed in dry docks, and afterwards floated out, by throwing open the flood-gates, and suffering the tide to enter as soon as they are finished.