On Chain Cables or Moorings. 295 



is often a matter of great magnitude, but that of tlie lives of the 

 seamen is infinitely greater. Like almost every thing connected 

 with navigation, the means resorted to have, till lately, been 

 confined to improvements in the manufacture of cordage, and 

 some of these have been great ; but either from prejudice or 

 Vant of consideration, a change of the material for one of greater 

 strength, and less liable to be ruptured by strain, or worn away 

 by friction, seems never to liavc been even thought of. 



The first, we believe, who made any uttempt to introduce a 

 stronger and better material for anchor cable? and moorings, 

 was Captain Samuel Brown, of tlie Koyal Navy. He had the 

 merit of at once ado))ting the best that could possibly be thought 

 of, both in point of strength and oeconomy. We mean good 

 tough WTOught iron ; and had he not fallen into an error in 

 principle in the construction, his invention, as applicable to 

 naval purposes, would have almost defied the possibility of any 

 further improvement. 



This gentleman was so confident of the correctness of his 

 ideas respecting the superior strength and conse(;uent safety to 

 be derived from iron chains in place of ro])es, that he eiiuipped 

 a vessel of 400 tons, the Penelope, (and which we saw some 

 years ago in the West India Dock,) with iron rigging, stays, 

 cables, &;c. in which he proceeded on a voyage to Martinique 

 and Guadaloupe, and in four months returned to London in 

 perfect order, after experiencing every severity necessary to de- 

 monstrate the efficacy of iron in place of hemp. But the intro- 

 duction of iron groimd tackle, we consider as of much greater 

 importance than any thing connected with the rigging. 



iSince that time, iron cables have been introduced not only 

 into different ships in the Royal Navy, but in the merchant ser- 

 vice, and with great success ; for though some did give way in 

 severe weather, especially of those first made, it is but justice 

 to state, that even in these cases the hempen cables of the sur- 

 rounding s'.iips hud all given way hours tjefore, and that in most 

 instances th.e sliips so furnished have kept their anchors, when 

 other ships ])arted and drove. This important fact has been so 

 clearly established by reports from the different captains who 

 have tried iron cables, that we confidently anticipate the day as 

 no^ very distant, when hemp will be entirely di^^carded from the 

 ground tackle of every Pu itish ship. 



We have said that, but for an error in his principle of con- 

 struction, (Captain Brouu's substitution of cliain for hemp cables 

 would have Ijeen perfect. 'I'his error aro>,e iioin a prejudice 

 natural to persons who are not thoiough mechanicians, or who 

 overlook tho'c mathematical dicta which ought to guide every 

 T 4 mechauiciil 



