On Massey's Sounding Machine. gs 



velocity, or deeper soundings are required, it will be neces- 

 sary to bring the ship to, which must be attended with 

 much daiitjer if in a gale, or in a convoy during foggy 

 weather — and with much loss of time to the trader, wha 

 is running to procure a good market. These considerations 

 have been the cause of a neglect, that has cost this country 

 numbers of lives. But in a military point of view, where 

 is the captain who would dare stop his ship in chase to 

 sound ? though on an unjcnown coast. Thus, under the 

 present system of soundings he has but the option of risk- 

 ing his ship, or h s reputation ! 



To many persons, who hear so much talk of longitude 

 and improvements in navigation, ii will be natural to sup- 

 pose that the exact position of a ship is easily and generally 

 known ; but ,^uch persons are probably strangers to an acl 

 of parliament of the 14th of his present majesty's reign, 

 which holds out a reward of 



c/^rv,^/ /to the first person who shall find the! .^ ., 

 5000/, < c,^ • , • , ■ ,• > 60 mi es. 



l^means or discovering longitude within j 



7000/. 40 d.o. 



10,000/ 30 do. 



Nor is it an uncommon thing lo have an error of from 

 one to two hundred miles in a passage from America or 

 the West Indies. 



These considerations show how requisite it is to be able 

 to take correct soundings at all times and in all weathers, 

 under full sail or brought to; in chase or chased — to be 

 able to employ anv seaman, and not particular men, who 

 have required a long training to the business, — to be able 

 to repeat snundings often, without impeding the progress 

 of the ship j for it frequently happens, and in the East 

 Indies particularly, that a ship is carried away by currents 

 from 40 lo 100 miles, while the captain has perhaps no 

 other means of ascertaining or correcting the position of 

 the ship but by soundings. 



Having said thus much on the general question of 

 soundings, it will be necessary to describe the new sound- 

 ins: machine, lo point out the severe trials it has been put 

 to, and finally to show how far the invention has fulfilled 

 the oljject for which it was invented. 



The inventor is Edward Mas'^ey of Newcastle, in Staf- 

 fordshire. He was bred to the trade of clock- and watch- 

 maker under his father, and obtained two premiums from 

 the Society of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce; the 



one 



