[FOR THE USE OF MEMBERS. | 
Royal Fustitution of Great Britatn. 
1852. 
WEEKLY EVENING MEETING, 
Friday, February 6, 
Tue Duxe or NortHuMBERLAND, F.R.S., President, 
in the Chair. 
Joun Scort Russett, Esa., F.R.S. 
On Wave-line Ships and Yachts. 
Tue subject placed on the list for consideration this evening has 
been suggested by the assertion, which within a year or two has been 
so often repeated, that our Transatlantic brethren are building 
better ships than ourselves; that in short Brother Jonathan is going 
ahead, while John Bull is comfortably dozing in his arm-chair ; and 
that if he do not awake speedily, and take a sound survey of his 
true position, he may soon find himself hopelessly astern. 
Two questions of a practical nature arise out of this alarming 
assertion ;— Ist, whether the Americans are really in any respect 
superior to the English in nautical matters; 2nd, whether in order 
to equal them we are to be condemned to descend into mere 
imitators, or whether we have independent ground from which we 
can start with certainty and originality on a new career of improve- 
ment in Naval Architecture ? 
In the outset I beg permission to say, that I am not one of those 
who shut their ears to the praises of our young and enterprizing 
brethren over the water, or view their rapid advancement with 
jealousy. It has been my good fortune to know some distinguished 
highly educated American gentlemen, philosophers, politicians, 
engineers, and ship-builders; men whom I should be proud to call 
Englishmen. I have for the last fifteen years been kept by them 
well informed of the progress of Steam Navigation in that country ; 
and | beg therefore to express my perfect belief in the accounts we have 
heard of their wonderful achievements in rapid River Steam Naviga- 
tion. Jam satisfied, as a matter of fact, that 21, 22, 23 miles an 
hour have been performed, not once, but often, by their River Steam- 
boats. To that we cannot in this country offer any parallel. 
The next point in which they also had beaten us was in the con- 
struction of the beautiful Packet-ships, which carried on the 
passenger trade between Liverpool and America before the era of 
Ocean Steamers. These were the finest ships in the world, and they 
were mainly owned and sailed by Americans. 
The next point at which we have come into competition with the 
No. 8. K 
