162 History of Mechanical Inventions^ ^c. 



on their eggs, so that while the larger tribe of noxious animals 

 may be got rid of by this means, the smaller and much more 

 dangerous ones, the white ants, are left to destroy the ship. 



19. Sinking is no doubt an effectual measure for the extir- 

 pation of those insects, but it is one which can be resorted to 

 only in small ships, and in them even at a considerable risk of 

 entire loss, and at considerable expence, a great waste of time 

 in the employment of the vessel, and the disadvantage of lay- 

 ing a foundation, by the introduction of mud, for a future, 

 more successful attack. In fact, it has invariably been found, 

 that vessels which had been sunk to kill white ants, were speedily 

 infested afterwards, and rapidly destroyed. 



20. The being enabled to eradicate white ants from Indian 

 ships, must have the effect of giving an enhanced value to this 

 description of property. It is on record, as well as a truth 

 familiar to the officers of the Marine Department, that several 

 Government vessels have been entirely destroyed by white ants; 

 and further, that by their ravages great public loss has been 

 sustained : under such circumstances, too much cannot be said 

 in favour of such an application of steam. 



21. The success of the present experiment may form an era 

 in the history of Indian shipping. The steaming of vessels, 

 to destroy vermin, must speedily come into general use. Then 

 the only wonder will be that, seeing the common application 

 of steam to almost every purpose, its excellence as a substitute 

 for fumigation was not in this country sooner suggested." 



- It is scarcely necessary to add a word to the above clear de- 

 tail. The expence of the operation, including the requisite 

 pipes, &c. did not amount to Sicca Rupees 800, and the sub- 

 sequent charge for cleaning the ship was about 100. A com- 

 plete apparatus to be attached to the boiler, it appears, would 

 not cost above Sa. Rs. 1500, after which the expence would 

 be confined to the expenditure of the coals, and the necessary 

 artificers and contingent charges One precaution, however, 

 would appear to be necessary to be adopted in the steam ves- 

 sel, which is, to take care that none of the vermin find their 

 -way from the vessel steamed to the steamer. Such appears to 

 have been the case with the Irrawaddy.— 6r/eamw^.9 in Science, 

 No4, pp, 106—109.* 



• This is a new and excellent scientific journal published at Calcutta. 

 —Ed. 



