Nautical Economy. 25' 



talent. For onr own parts, without waiting to show the 

 extreme improbability of success by this means, we give our 

 decided preference, in the present state of the science, to de- 

 voting our energies to the application of the inductive phi- 

 losophy to ships, in which the vjhole of the causes and effects 

 are embodied. While on the subject, we cannot but remark 

 the want of judgment shown by these gentlemen in under- 

 rating the truly valuable experiments of Romme*, — experi- 

 ments which were made on a large scale, — were repeated, 

 and received the approbation of the Royal Academy of 

 Sciences of Paris. 



We perceive that the conductors of the ** Essays and 

 Gleanings on Naval Architecture" have avoided pretending 

 to develope the intricate laws of the resistance of fluids; and 

 for this we commend them. We are naturally led here to 

 say a few words on this subject, which must be very limited. 

 Newton was decidedly the best acquainted with this sub- 

 ject, as has been clearly shown by our eminent English 

 authors, Dr. Young and Professor Robison, and admitted 

 by the great foreign mathematicians. By experiment, and 

 the application of mechanical laws, he investigated the sub- 

 ject to a very great extent. He proves, and pronounces 

 positively, that depth from the surface has no additional 

 effect in producing resistance in water. Now, we cannot 

 but express our surprise that, after his clear experiments, 

 an attempt should be made to introduce the contrary notion 

 of Don Juan. It must be remarked, that Don Juan does 

 not himself apply his own theory to sliips, nor show its cor- 

 respondence with experiments that are subsequently detailed 

 in his book — and yet the student of naval architecture is to 

 be perplexed with all the undigested opinions of a verbose 

 and confused w^riter, who has not discovered one new pro- 

 blem, but has put forward and supported numerous errors. 

 Without wasting time on this subject, we remark, that there 

 is a great difference between a mathematician writing on 

 resistance, and a naval architect ; the one, if he displays 

 additional powers of mathematical analysis, advances ab- 

 stract knowledge ; the other, unless he succeeds in making 

 the practical application to ships, totally fails. 



The " Essays and Gleanings" was designed, by a familiar 

 and interesting mode of treating its subjects, to obtain a 

 general circulation in all the various ship-building yards of 

 this country. It is not commonly known that, even to the 



* The " Papers" in the 3rd Number retract this error. 



