1823 ] Naval Architecture. — Proposed Anglo-Saxon Dictionary. 

 To the Editor of the 3Jonthlij Magazine. 



SIR, 



IN the Monthly Magazine for July 

 and August last, and in the Hamp- 

 shire Telegraph some time since, I find 

 that my claim to the invention of the 

 new system of naval architecture is 

 stated and denied. 



Having commenced a correspond- 

 ence with the naval department on the 

 subject at issue, I cannot at present 

 enter on the discussion ; and therefore 

 request that such of your readers as 

 are interested in the preservation of 

 ships and seamen from unnecessary 

 danger and destruction, and our naval 

 power from the consequences that 

 result from Ihe defective state of naval 

 architecture, will suspend their opi- 

 nion till this correspondence is ter- 

 minated. 



In the mean time, I trust that the 

 writer, vvh;> it appears has access to 

 our naval records, and who has stated 

 as a " fact," that I made no such pro- 

 posal as diagonal riders as part of my 

 comhincd plan, has by this time disco- 

 vered his mistake. 



If he has seen my correspondence 

 with the Navy Board, fioin the 8th of 

 July to the 30th of October last, 

 wherein my claim is distinctly stated 

 to the combination of solid bottoms 

 and sides without lining or foot-waling, 



with diagonal riders instead of the 

 lining; and the advantages of the 

 new system compared with tiie evils 

 that result from the old ; and, also, the 

 opinion of counsel on the geometrical 

 dillerence between Admiral Schank's 

 plan of constructing ships and mine ; 

 he will have better information on the 

 subject. 



1 have no objection to the publishing 

 of the correspondence that has passed 

 on this subject between the Naval De- 

 partment and the Society of Arts, &c. 

 and myself, if it is necessary towards 

 the discussion now commenced. 



I should bo glad if any of your read- 

 ers <ould account for the solid bottoms 

 and sides to ships not being adopteti 

 when proposed by Admiral Schank's 

 and others formerly. 



As every seaman is deeply inter- 

 ested in naval improvements that tend 

 to the preservation of our naval power, 

 I submit to the consideration of such 

 of tiiem as arc naval architects, and to 

 ship-builders and political economists, 

 tlic following naval propositions: — 



I. 'I he general defectivR state of naval 

 aichitfctine paralizes the exertions of our 

 kcumcn, destroys numbers of tliein annu- 



ally ; and has, both lasi war and the former 

 one, exposed the country to great unne- 

 cessary expense and danger. 



y. AH the unnecessary expenses about 

 shipping, and tlie nunienius heavy losses 

 by siiipwreck. and foundt-ring at sea, fall as 

 a lieavy tax on the community, and operate 

 greatly to the prejudice of the connnercial 

 and shipping interest 



Malcolm Cowan. 

 Kirkivall, Orkney; I\ov. 12, 1822. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 



SIR, 



IT gives nic great pleasure to find, 

 that the lovers of etymology are 

 likely to be fa\oured with an English 

 Anglo-Saxon dictionary, which, I flatter 

 myself, will be acconipanied with an 

 English index ; for, if it is not, I shall 

 be as much mortified as when consult- 

 ing Lye's Saxon Dictionary I found no 

 ijatin index. Would it not be better 

 <o consolidate the English an<l the 

 Anglo-Sason words into one alpiiabct, 

 for Anglo-Saxon appears to me to bo 

 no other thnn very old English. And 

 would not the number of students be 

 increased by printing the Anglo-Saxon 

 in KoHian letters, and etymology be 

 advanced if our compilers of English 

 dictionaries would print their Greek 

 and Hebrew in Roman letters, or, at 

 least, let their Greek and Hebrew Ije 

 followed by words, in Roman letters, 

 expressing the sounds, particularly of 

 ihe Hebrew, as read with and without 

 points ? 



The French, ambitious to equal the 

 Italians, write on philology in their 

 mother-tongue, satisfied with the ap- 

 plause of their fellow-citizens. They 

 do not seem to have admitted etymo- 

 logy into their general dictionaries, but 

 Mensige's Origin of the French Lan- 

 guage is a model and a masterpiece, 

 and nurits to be studied by every 

 Englishman as well as Frenchman, 

 who wishes thoroughly to know his 

 own tongue. 



In Greek and Tiatin we have two 

 sorts of dictionaries. The best are 

 I'.rriinged according to themes, with the 

 derivations arranged under theni, as 

 in Stephens and Scapula in Greek, and 

 Faber in Latin ; but, all of ]''rencli and 

 En<;,lish that have fallen in my way, are 

 mere alphabetical lists. A corn[)lete 

 English dictionary should consist of 

 the Saxon, and other themes, with all 

 the Saxon and English derivates ar- 

 ranged under tliem, each word being 

 also inserted in its aliihabetical place, 

 with a reference to the theme. 



Such 



