24 ANMV-L OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



cent vessel, seventy-seven metres long and sixteen metiv< ln.r^o two hun- 

 dred ami fifty by fifty-one feel Lngiish. Her aspect is imposing by tin; 

 severity of her lines and by the mass of her iron cuirass. At the height 

 of 1.8:2 metres barely six feet above the water, she presents a battery 

 of thirty-four guns of the most powerful effect; on the forecastle, two long- 

 range pieces; on the quarter-deck, an iron redoubt to protect her com- 

 mander at his post during the action. The reduced masts and Avide funnel 

 indicate that the vessel is not intended to go to a distance from our ports 

 but that she is made for operations in the seas where henceforward the 

 great differences of European policy will be settled. The frigate has been 

 thrice to sea, and it may now be said that she has gloriously terminated her 

 trials. In calm weather she parts the water without shock, and it may 

 almost be said without foam, showing thereby how perfectly her propor- 

 tions have been conceived. Her speed, measured on a fixed basis of nearly 

 eight kilometres, reached 13-py knots, which is the finest result ever a-er- 

 taincd in a ship-of-war. In a ten hours' trip her average rate was 12 j 3 ^ 

 knots with all her fires lighted, and 11 knots with half her fires. In a rough 

 sea she behaved perfectl}'. She pitches very gently, and rolls with a regu- 

 larity thai leaves nothing to be desired. 3Ioa/u-ur dc la FloLte. 



THE FASTEST STEA3IBOAT-RUXXIXG OX RECORD. 



On the 13th of October, the steamboat Daniel Drew made the trip between 

 New York and Albany in six hours and fifty minutes, with five landings and 

 against a head wind. The distance on the Hudson River route between the 

 two places is considered to be one hundred and fifty miles; and if we allow 

 ten minutes for each of the landings, they having to be made on both 

 sides of the river, the actual running time will be six hours, and the aver- 

 age speed twenty-five miles per hour. This is equal to locomotive running, 

 and the fastest ocean steamers, in the calmest weather, do not come within 

 eight miles per hour of this figure. Scientific American. 



IEOX SHIPS. 



A congress of the most, eminent ship-builders and naval architects of 

 Great Britain assembled in London, in April, 1800, Sir John Packiiititbn 

 in the chair, for the purpose of discussing different points of interest in 

 their profession. 



One of the most important topics brought forward was the construction 

 of iron ships, and the following is an abstract of the discussion which took 

 place on the subject. Mr. William Fairbairn stated that he had been en- 

 gaged for a period of forty years in various works connected with iron, and 

 its application for ship-building purposes. About thirty years ago, in con- 

 junction with the Messrs. Laird, of IJirkenhead, he found by numerous ex- 

 periments thai vessels made of iron would be capable of more resistance, 

 lighter, and better calculated for a large cargo, than timber-built vessels. 

 Messrs. Laird and himself then commenced building iron vessels on a large 

 scale, and from 183-1 until 1848 upwards of one hundred first-class ships 

 were produced. When first constructed, iron vessels had many defects; 

 great improvements had since taken place, but much remained to be done. 

 Of late years this class of vessels had been constructed very long, in order 

 to give them fine lines and increase their carrying power; but hitherto this 

 increase of length had been obtained at an expense of the strength of the 



