Sir, – The restoration of the HMS Victoryis a five-year project , (World News, December 2nd).
The original construction lasted six years, and like the present condition of the warship, timbers began to rot as the building of the ship took place in all weathers and had to be renewed before the final launching in 1765. Nevertheless, it was a tribute to the skilled carpenters for in 1805, while returning to England, with the body of Admiral Nelson, it was already sea-worthy for 40 years. Such was the heart of oak, harvested from the vast forests of England, and elsewhere, I may add.
To build a first rate ship-of-the-line. like HMS Victory, some 2,000 oak trees (57 acres of forest) were sacrificed. The denuding of the oak forests marginally affected the climate of Britain, and possibly of Ireland too, during the period of tree-felling.
Most of the above information I've take from Men-of-War(Collins 1974) by Patrick O'Brian, an authority on the subject.
“Rule Britannia, rule the waves”, sang the poet, but I doubt if the heavy ecological price was ever questioned. – Yours, etc,