Now we have a distant view of a man-of-war (which is a great fighting
ship) building at Deptford. You may see, by the boats in the front, how
large it must be; for the further off any thing is, the smaller it looks;
and yet it seems larger at this distance, than the boats which are close
by. It is like a large floating house, with convenient apartments,
sufficient to accommodate 800 people. Numbers of men have been at work
on it for several years; and hundreds of fine oaks, which have been from
fifty to a hundred years in growing, have been cut down to build it with:
besides all the iron from Sweden, for bolts and nails; and fir-trees from
Norway, for planks and masts; and copper from Cornwall, to cover its
bottom with, to preserve it from being rotted by the sea-water and from
other injuries; and the pitch, tar, paint, glue, and I cannot tell how
many other things, which must be used before it is fit to swim. What a
pity that all this expense and trouble should be wasted in contriving to
kill our neighbours and destroy their property; when it might be employed
to the advantage of both parties by promoting a friendly intercourse with
each other.