end of the bar. The hole may then be drifted out to one and one-quarter times the diameter of the bar. The side of the hole may then be split, and the ends must admit of turning back without fracture, thus:

The whole of the articles, including the annealed crucible cast steel or forged steel stud pins of the cables, and the tinned steel pins, etc., shall be made only of material approved by the Overseer. The iron

A

for the articles enumerated in Schedules II and III shall be also well hammered and rolled, and of quality approved by the Overseer. Anchor shackle bolts shall be made of blooms at least twice worked, and not of bar iron. The square links and shackles, together with the swivels and bolts, shall be worked or drawn out under hammers of sufficient weight, and the welds or shuts shall be made in the most perfect and solid manner. No iron shall be used in which the brand-mark is so deeply cut as to unduly weaken the section, or is so situated as to make unsatisfactory work in forming the link, and the Contractors shall make arrangements for storing the Admiralty cable iron separately from all other cable iron. All the stud pins of the chain cable shall be marked on one side with the name or initials of the Contractors, and on the other side with the date of the year of delivery into store. The several lengths of each chain cable, and mooring, pendant or bridle chain, and the joining shackles and large shackles to be connected therewith, shall be marked as follows, viz.: - The end links of the lengths of the cable with a distinguishing number, and the broad arrow; the joining shackles and anchor shackles with the same distinguishing number, the broad arrow, and the initials of the Contractors; the mooring and other swivels and splicing shackles, on their largest part, with a distinguishing number, the broad arrow, and the initials of the Contractors; and the splicing shackles and swivels with the date of the year of delivery into store, in addition. Cables and all cable gear will be received for the first four months of each year with the last year's date on the stud pins.

Tests. The whole of the articles enumerated in Schedules I, II and III, shall be subjected, before delivery, to the proof strains prescribed in the Specification and Tables herewith, and to the following breaking test, which shall be first applied."

Chain Cables, Bridle and Pendant. - A sample of three links taken from each length of chain cable, or each bridle and pendant chain, shall be subject to tensile strain until it breaks. The links shall be cut out at the public testing machine in the presence of the Overseer, when practicable. Should it break under a less strain than 50 per cent in excess of the proof strain, the entire length of which that portion is a sample shall be rejected.

Cables and gear which pass the proving and breaking tests shall be minutely examined by the Overseer, and any flaws or defects which he may point out shall be remedied to his satisfaction before the cables and gear are forwarded to the yards. The cables, etc., shall be cleaned sufficiently to permit of the Overseer guaranteeing the absence of flaws or defects.

TABLES OF DIMENSIONS, TESTS, ETC., FOR ADMIRALTY CHAIN CABLES.

The breaking strain of the several sizes of cables shall not fall short of the above proof strains, with 50 per cent added.

NOTE.- The above proof strains are equivalent to the following strains per circular inch of iron, viz., 3 inch, 504 lbs.; 3 inch, 536.5 lbs.; 3 inch, 567 lbs.; 2 inch, 598.5 lbs.; 2 inch and under, 630 lbs. The table can be used for calcu lating the weight of cable in lengths less than 12} fathoms.