Ttoyal Academy. 45^ 



passlbtis nor country, and the language of adulation or of preju- 

 dice is fortunately unknown in the apartments of the Royal So- 

 ciety. M. Du Pin then proceeded by claiming to his countryman, 

 a French shipbuilder, all the merit* of Mr. beppings' improve- 

 ments, which he alleged were known in France in 17*^5 ; he intro- 

 duced some mathematical calculations, which were of a nature not 

 to be publicly read ; and added some remarks on the nature of a 

 ship's arching, or, as our seamen call it, hogging; alleging that 

 vessels always arch most just on being launched, and before re- 

 ceiving their guns or cargoes ; that their arching augments their 

 capacity at the two ends, that it is not so near the middle as ge- 

 nerally su|,<j)osed, &:c., and many other observations, which prac- 

 tical men will treat as mere theoretical dreams, unsupported by the 

 evidence of facts and experience. 



With respect to the origin of the improvements made by Mr. 

 Seppings, it is probable that this ingenious mechanician will call 

 for some more substantial evidence, than that of mere assertion. 

 In hi« first paper which was read to the Royal Society, he men- 

 tioned the French vessels which were built on a different plan; he 

 also stated in what his improvements consisted, and how materi- 

 ally they differed from any preceding attempts. He did not in- 

 deed pretend that transverse timbers were never before employed, 

 A vessel with vertical planks and horizontal timbers was built at 

 Archangel in the latter end of the 1 7th century. But it is among 

 the Spaniards and Venetians that we are to look for the earliest 

 and best attempts in naval architecture. The former have always 

 built excellent ships, and near two centuries ago tried the effect 

 df diagonal planks, &c. Hence we may find that all which Mr. S. 

 has adopted from others, was common property in Europe even 

 before the period of 1725. 



ROYAL ACADEMY. 



Tuesday, Dec. 10, being the forty-ninth anniversary of the In- 

 stitution of the Royal Academy of Arts, a Genera! Assembly of the 

 Academicians wa*- held at their apartments in Somerset- House, 

 where the following distribution of Premiums took place, viz. 



To Mr. Edward Elton, for the best Copy made in the School 

 of Painting, the Silver Medal, and the Lectures of Barry, Opie, 

 and Fuseli, handsomely bound and inscribed. 



To Mr. Richard Carnithers, for the next best Copy made ii) 

 the School of Painting, the Silver Medal. 



To Mr. J. C. Leslie, for the best Drawing from the Life, the 

 Silver Medal. 



To Mr. Thomas Leverton Donaldson, for the best Architectu- 

 ral Drawing, the Silver Medal. 



To 



