Unfortunately, the day
proved very rough; and it was little better than a neap tide.
The ship started very well, but the wind "overblew the tide"; she
caught in the dock-gates, and settled hard upon the ground, so
that there was no possibility of launching her that day.
This was a great disappointment. The King retired to the palace
at Greenwich, though the Prince lingered behind. When he left,
he promised to return by midnight, after which it was proposed to
make another effort to set the ship afloat. When the time
arrived, the Prince again made his appearance, and joined the
Lord High Admiral, and the principal naval officials. It was
bright moonshine. After midnight the rain began to fall, and the
wind to blow from the southwest. But about two o'clock, an hour
before high water, the word was given to set all taut, and the
ship went away without any straining of screws and tackles, till
she came clear afloat into the midst of the Thames. The Prince
was aboard, and amidst the blast of trumpets and expressions of
joy, he performed the ceremony of drinking from the great
standing cup, and throwing the rest of the wine towards the
half-deck, and christening the ship by the name of the Prince
Royal.[27]
The dimensions of the ship may be briefly described. Her keel
was 114 feet long, and her cross-beam 44 feet. She was of 1400
tons burthen, and carried 64 pieces of great ordnance.
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