‘ 
420 Description of an efficacious Temporary Rudder. 
therefore, under the necessity of fixing a temporary one from 
the best materials 1 had then on board.. On reference to a plan 
of Pakenham’s temporary rudder, I found it impracticable to fix 
a rudder constructed on his plan, on account of the heavy sea 
to which we were exposed. It was therefore absolutely neces- 
sary, for the preservation of the lives intrusted to my care, that 
I should set about the construction of a rudder, which could be 
brought to act in a heavy sea, or under any circumstances what- 
ever. This, I am happy to say, I accomplished, after a pro- 
gressive improvement of fifteen days, and found this machine, 
when substantially fixed, to act in every point with the same 
effect as the regular rudder. One of the great advantages of the 
rudder invented by me is, that it can be shipped and unshipped 
at pleasure with the greatest facility, and under any circum- 
stances. 
At my request, a survey was held upon this rudder by the 
_ principal officers of His Majesty’s yard, and all the old masters 
ot the ships lying at Barbadoes; who were unanimous in their 
opinion that the same was a better rudder than could be pro- 
cured at that island; and recommended my proceeding with 
the ship in that state to Jamaica, which I had no hesitation in 
doing. 
I have had the honour to submit a sketch of this temporary 
mudder to the Honourable the Elder Brethren of the Trinity House, 
who were pleased to speak in high terms of the invention, and 
have subscribed for twenty copies of the above-mentioned en- 
graving for their use. 
I am, sir, ' 
Your most obedient humble servant, 
No. 11, Bloomsbury-square, Joun PEar. 
Oct. 24, 1812. 
To C. Taylor, M.D. Sec. 
—— 
Str,—BEING requested by Captain Peat to confirm and state 
the particulars of what I know respecting his invention of a 
temporary rudder, that he had made on board the ship Corn- 
wall, then commanded by him, when on a voyage from England 
to Jamaica : 
I lament that I am not in London, where I have some papers 
whereby [ could give dates of particular occurrences, which I 
stated fully in the Barbadoes newspapers on our arrival there. 
However, I recollect that it was on the night of the 3d of Ja- 
nuary 181] that the ship parted with her rudder, when it blew 
a perfect hurricane, and which continued, without any abate- 
ment, the succeeding day and night. When the storm subsided, 
} Captain 
