1825.] Copper Slieathing. 283 



only urticle with which we have to do — and every honest man 

 must say, justice was not done. Let it also be remembered, that 

 by far the major part of our navy is now in a state of ordinary, 

 and likely so to continue for many years to come ; and that to 

 by far the greater part of the ships in that state the orders 

 above given actually apply ; and that, therefore, in an economical 

 point of view, the application of protectors to so many ships 

 must be of immense national advantage. It was only on Tuesday 

 last that protectors were applied to the Saturn at this yard, a cir- 

 cumstance which our cotemporary, with his accustomed candour, 

 carefully conceals, although it seems not at all at a loss for 

 instances hostile to the plan. It is for this reason that w^e envy 

 not the feelings which dictated the original paragraph, and we 

 repeat our first assertion, that no friend of Sir H. Davy could 

 have written it, and when the latest history of these protectors 

 shall be given to the world, the author of that article will have 

 the honour of being classed with some other worthies of the 

 same stamp ; he will form, with the Editor of the Times and 

 Mr, Samuel Deacon,* an unenvied triumvirate. We shall defer 

 any farther remarks until the publication of Sir H. Davy's next 

 paper." 



Through the kindness of Sir Robert Seppings, we are enabled 

 to subjoin the second order alluded to by the author of the pre- 

 ceding observations. It is dated Aug. 27, 1825 : — 



"In addition to our warrant of the 23d ult. respecting the 

 application of Sir H. Davy's mode of protecting copper on the 

 bottoms of ships in good condition intended to lie in ordinary, 

 we direct and require you to cause it to be apphed also as 

 opportunities offer to the stationary ships, such as sheer-hulks, 

 receiving-ships," &c. &c. 



It is not for us to question the propriety of the measures 

 adopted by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, though 

 we cannot help still thinking that by a due adjustment of the 

 proportion of the protecting to that of the copper surface, the 

 mode may yet be found perfectly applicable to sea going ships, 

 as well as to those in ordinary, &c. It seems to us to be one 

 of those cases in which the theory is so obviously correct, that 

 whatever difficulties may occur in the earlier attempts to reduce 

 the method to practice, there must be certain circumstances 

 which, when once discovered, will ensure complete success. 

 What those circumstances are can only be determined by reflec- 

 tion and experiment. Sir Humphry Davy has already done 

 much, and we do hope that every facility will be afforded him 

 for continuing and perfecting his labours on this nationally 

 momentous subject. He has victoriously contended with diffi- 

 culties in our estimation far greater than any that await him in 



* See Annuls of Phiiosophif, Triages 141 and 364. 



