1827.] Science of the British Navy. 62 1 



entitled " Essays and Gleanings on Naval Architecture, "* to which wo 

 refer our readers with great pleasure ; and we congratulate the country at 

 large that this important subject is now coming under discussion ; for, until 

 the last year, the art of printing can scarcely he said to have been applied, 

 in this country, for the improvement of ship-building. It is true that it has 

 been attempted in a few instances ; but, for want of patronage, the authors 

 were soon hushed down by the clamours of envy and ignorance. An 

 affecting instance of this is given by Mr. Knowles, in the preface to his 

 work on the " Preservation of the Navy :" " While the Dutch possessed 

 and encouraged Witsen ; the French, Bouguer, Du Hamel, Clairbois, 

 Borda, and Romme; the Spaniards, Juan; the Germans, Euler; and the 

 Swedes, the celebrated Chapman, the English neglected the only work 

 which they possess on this subject that can lay any claim to science,"^ and 

 suffered its author, whom tradition represents to have been a man of the 

 most amiable manners and correct conduct, to live and die a working ship- 

 wright in Deptford Yard !" The consequence of the treatment of this poor 

 man was, that the subject became entirely neglected as to its scientific cul- 

 tivation : his fate was a beacon to warn others from the unfortunate pursuit ! 

 Hence, thousands and millions of money have been thrown away in bad 

 ships lives have been lost and we have been depending on foreigners for 

 models ! ! ! All the sympathies of our nature call upon us to aid the 

 improvement of this important art: the safe navigation of the seas the 

 protection of our lives and families from the foe and the diminution of 

 our national burdens, by a wise economy in the expenses of the dock-yards, 

 alike urge on us its cultivation. 



An important subject next claims our consideration : what national insti- 

 tutions have we for this important art ? And here it must, lamentably, be 

 said, that a glaring deficiency exists. We have not even a naval library. 

 Foreign nations have long, as just cited, by the wise encouragement of 

 talent, produced men learned in the art. These philosophers, by ample 

 rewards and inducements, have been devoted to the study of this important 

 art ; and other countries, and our own in particular, have reaped the bene- 

 fit of it. 



His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence has been pre-eminent in 

 patronizing the study of naval architecture. As President of the "Society 

 for the Improvement of Naval Architecture," in J79K his Royal Highness 

 evinced great solicitude for its advancement. It is to be regretted that the 

 society failed in its object, by devoting its energies and funds to investigating 

 the laws of the resistance of water. 



Another more feasible plan has been suggested by Mr. Major, and 

 approved by the Navy Board : it has received the sanction of many of our 

 first scientific men, and it appears to be founded on a true philosophical 

 basis. For further particulars of this plan, we refer our readers to the 

 " Annals of Philosophy," for November 1825 Mr. Harvey's remarks in 

 the same work for January and, for further particulars on this interesring 

 subject, to the number of that periodical work for last June. Mr. Major's 

 views of naval architecture are also spoken of in high terms in last " Quar- 

 terly Journal of Science." From the peculiar calculations of the plan, it 



Published by Sherwood, Gilbert, and Piper* 



t A Treatise ou Ship-building aud Navigation, by Mungo Murray, 1754, 



