92 0« Massey's bounding Machine. 



the Royal Institution, to prepare and make a Report on the 

 new S'aindinsc Machine invented hv Ed Mi-<3ty. My 

 object in making that Heport was t > put npon recv)rd the 

 orioin and progress of an nnentuin whicl) has been uni- 

 versallv adopted bv the British navv ; but as I find it does 

 not enter nno the views of the managers ol the Ko\ al In- 

 siitniion to give it that pubHcit\ which I proposed, I have 

 therefore sent you, sir, an extract oF the Report, in hopes 

 that ihis vakial)le invention mav, through ihe extensive cir- 

 culation of your Mdiiazine, meet with that publicity which 

 it so highly deserves ; 



and am, sir, your obliged servant, 

 Welbeckstreet, Aug. 3, 1813. ' RoBEKT CLIFFORD. 



Extract from the Report, &fc.&^c. 



The mechanical invention, which the Committee of 

 "Mathematics, Mechanics, and mechanical Inventions have 

 selected, and to which they wi^^h to give every possible de- 

 gree of publicity, is one which must necessarily contribute 

 to the preservation of the lives of our fellow subjects, and 

 at the same time, to the rendering that branch of British 

 power, the navy, still more secure, ft is a machine lor 

 taking correct soundings at sea ; but previous to the de- 

 scription of the machine, it will be proper to examine the 

 question of soundings in general. 



Soundings are nece«sary whenever the land is ap- 

 proached, and indeed the navigation of the British Channel, 

 of the North Seas, of the Gulph of St. Laurence, and of 

 the greater part of the coast of America, is chiefly carried 

 on by means of soundings ; in many cases they are of more 

 consequence than either light-houses or beacons ; even one 

 head-land has been frequently mistaken for another, and 

 the land fall, or gradual shallowing, can onlv be ascertained 

 by correct and frequent soundings. Hence it is that men 

 are perpetually relieving each other at the lead, as there is 

 scarcely any oher me ins of self-preservation, during fogs 

 and hazy weather in close seas. 



Soundings have been hitherto taken hy means of a lead, 

 to wh'ch is attached a line with marks on it denoting 

 fathoms, which being heaved over-board, the length of line 

 is supposed to give the depth of water. The fact would be 

 correct were the ship stationarv, and it has in consequence 

 been found vecessarij to bring the shi[) to to take soundings 

 above 12 fathoms, which appears to be about the limit at 

 which they can be obtained, if the ship be going at the rate 

 of fjvc knots. When the ship is proceeding with a greater 



velocity, 



